There is a lot that goes into any successful budget, and a lot of thought and careful planning is necessary.

When increasing, budgeting, segmenting, and implementing an IT budget there are a number of things to consider. There is a lot that goes into any successful budget, and a lot of thought and careful planning is necessary. Below, a lot of the basics are broken down and obscured, so you can make a solid IT budget that works for you and your business. Read on to learn more about what makes an effective IT budget.

The Timeline And Players When It Comes To Planning an IT Budget

You should start working on your IT budget plan 6 months before it is due. This gives you plenty of time to ask and answer questions related to both longterm and shortterm goals. It should take stock of needs considered by leaders in every department of your business. Ideally, senior leadership works with internal or external IT consultants to map out a 1-3 year plan with categorized goals, items, and costs.

What Categories Should An IT Budget Cover?

A realistic and effective IT budget should account for these categories at least:

• –Business needs
• -Routine maintenance
• -System replacement costs
• -hardware and software licenses
• -hardware and software warranties
• -unexpected system failures

Cloud Services

Any cloud services provision must be incorporated into your budget.  This includes applications as a service, hosted desktops, hosted email, and more. The costs associated with public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud models and implementation must also be explored.

Disaster Recovery, Backup, and Business Continuity Costs

There will be costs associated with all of the plans and programs associated with these functions. The software itself will have price, and if you outsource these functions there will be a recurring monthly costs to take into consideration.  

Projects

This category needs to include any projects that are planned to take place over the coming year. This should include infrastructure updates, upgrades, or transitions, and other adjustments to your environment or business that do not occur at regular intervals. New equipment and software should be focused on as well. Overall, this category should include the overall estimated costs for:

• -Project planning
• -Project Implementation
• -New Equipment
• -New Software

IT Budget tips from SOS Technology Group

Whether you are looking to perform a technological audit for your company or seeking a new security camera system for your commercial space, SOS Technology Group has the expertise and equipment to keep you talking around the clock. SOS Technology Group is a full-service IT consulting company that provides IT services and solutions for businesses throughout the United States. If you are interested in seeing how we can help your business, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 559-7020. For more technology tips, follows us onFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.