The start of a new year is a natural time to reset priorities, clean things up, and plan ahead. Your technology, and an annual IT review, should be part of that process, not just something you think about when there’s a problem.
While your managed service provider (MSP) handles the technical work behind the scenes, there are several important steps business owners and leadership teams can take at the beginning of the year to ensure IT stays secure, reliable, and aligned with business goals. Think of this as your annual IT to-do list.
Review What Changed in Your Business
Before IT planning can be effective, it needs to reflect how your business actually operates today. Take time to review staffing and role changes, new vendors, remote workers, or new locations added over the past year. Make note of ongoing frustrations such as slow systems, unreliable connectivity, or tools that don’t work as expected.
Sharing this information helps your MSP adjust access, security, and systems so your IT environment supports how your business runs now, not how it ran a year ago.
Schedule an IT Review
Never hesitate to request an IT review or strategy meeting with your MSP. This review should provide a high-level look at system health, risks, and upcoming concerns, without burying you in technical jargon. It’s also the right time to talk about budgets, priorities, and planned changes for the year ahead. Regular reviews reduce surprises and help shift IT from a reactive expense to a planned business investment.
Clean Up Users, Devices, and Access
Over time, businesses accumulate old user accounts, unused laptops, and excess system access. These are easy to overlook and can create unnecessary security risk.
At the start of the year, confirm who still needs access to systems, identify devices that are no longer in use, and notify your MSP of any role changes. Your support team can then remove unnecessary access, secure or retire unused equipment, and confirm protections like multi-factor authentication are in place. This type of housekeeping is simple but extremely effective.
Plan Ahead for 2026 End-of-Life (EOL)
One of the most overlooked IT planning tasks is end-of-life preparation. When software or hardware reaches EOL, it no longer receives security updates or vendor support, even if it still appears to work.
Commonly used business systems which have ended or imminent EOL.
- Windows 11 SE: Discontinued with the end of support for Windows 11 version 24H2 in October 2026.
- Microsoft Office 2021 & LTSC 2021: Support ends in October 2026.
- Windows 11 25H2: Will receive updates until October 12, 2027, for Home and Pro editions.
- Windows 11 IoT Enterprise: Support ends on November 10, 2026.
- SQL Server 2014: Extended Security Updates (ESU) Year 2 ends on July 14, 2026.
- SQL Server 2016: Extended support ends in January 2027.
- Microsoft Publisher: Retired in October 2026.
Running unsupported systems increases cybersecurity risk, complicates compliance, and often leads to rushed, expensive replacements. Planning early allows upgrades to be phased in over time and aligned with budgets.
Revisit Security Expectations
Cyber threats continue to evolve, and security should be reviewed regularly—not just after an incident. The New Year is a good time to reinforce security awareness with employees and ask your MSP to review your current protections. You don’t need to know every technical detail, but you should understand where your biggest risks are and how they’re being addressed.
Start the Year with a Plan
Technology works best when it’s planned, maintained, and aligned with your business goals. By reviewing changes, scheduling an annual IT checkup, and planning ahead for 2026 EOL milestones, businesses can reduce risk, avoid downtime, and make smarter decisions throughout the year.
BTS Account Managers are always happy to have a conversation with you about your network and needs, no matter the time of year. Reach out to them directly or contact us to make an appointment.
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