Parent Company Relocated My Business and Three Others to a New Office Without IT Support, Now I’m Facing the Consequences

Title: The Growing Need for Professional IT Support in Shared Workspaces

In a recent experience, our company, a burgeoning startup, made the transition to a new office building managed by our parent investment firm. This building is designed to house not only our company but also several others owned by the investment firm. While it seems like an exciting opportunity to collaborate and share resources, we have encountered a significant hurdle: the absence of IT personnel to maintain a secure and effective network.

Upon moving, I naively volunteered to assist in setting up a shared Wi-Fi network. In my quest to establish some basic connectivity, I partnered with a colleague to purchase routers and configure the network. However, I quickly realized that the setup we created, based on generic consumer-grade equipment, is hardly suitable for a workspace that will accommodate multiple companies. Today, I learned that there are no plans to hire dedicated IT staff, and it seems likely that I will soon be called upon to troubleshoot or modify the existing network settings.

As a mechanical engineer with basic IT skills gained from building gaming computers and some technical exchanges with software engineers during my college years, I am far from an expert. The current network setup, while functional, poses significant risks regarding security, capacity, and administration. With several companies relying on a single, substandard network, I’m concerned about potential issues that could arise, especially as we all continue to scale.

Moving forward, I feel compelled to advocate for the hiring of professional IT staff. However, I’m at a loss regarding how to approach this matter effectively. I recognize the importance of articulating the potential risks of a shared network that lacks dedicated oversight. To effectively communicate the necessity of expert IT support to our higher-ups, here are several points I plan to emphasize:

  1. Security Vulnerabilities: Without professional management, sensitive information from various companies could easily become compromised, leading to data breaches that would have serious repercussions.

  2. Network Reliability: A shared network does not account for varying bandwidth needs. If one company conducts bandwidth-heavy activities, it could adversely affect the performance of others, potentially crippling our productivity.

  3. Increased Demands: As more companies move into the building, the current setup will likely become increasingly strained, making it essential to have a robust network that can accommodate growth.

  4. Time and Efficiency: My time is best spent on my core responsibilities rather than managing a network. Hiring IT professionals would free me and my colleagues to focus

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