Office moves
Should the server move with us?
If it has years of life left, yes, carefully. If it is due for replacement, replace it into the new building rather than moving it twice. We will tell you which.
Answered by Pete Weigel, Partner
Every piece of gear we ship was configured and tested on a bench in Pell Lake first. Problems found here cost an afternoon. Problems found in your server room cost production.
The second-host story Gold Star survey"Draven did a great job helping with multiple issues. Thank you!"
Ginger, transportation companyMeet DravenTwo answers, depending on age
A server two years old moves. It is shut down cleanly, backed up first, transported by us and not in the back of a pickup, and brought up in the new rack with the network already waiting for it. A server five or six years old, or one already on the roadmap for replacement, should not move. Build the replacement in our shop, install it in the new building before the move, and migrate once. Moving old hardware twice is how a move turns into an outage.
Or nothing moves
Sometimes the move is the moment to stop having a server at all. If the applications can run hosted or in the cloud and the numbers work, the new office gets a firewall, a switch and Wi-Fi, and the server stays behind to be retired. That decision needs to be made early enough to migrate before the move, not during it.
Whichever way, the backup comes first
A full, tested backup is taken before the server is touched, and a restore is tried, so that if the hardware does not survive the drive, the business does. It is the one step on the move checklist that is never skipped.
We will tell you which
The relocation assessment looks at the server's age, what runs on it, the warranty and the roadmap, and comes back with one recommendation and a cost for each path. You choose with the numbers in front of you.
Order the internet circuit the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks. Nothing else on a move fails as often.
The relocation checklist Did you knowA backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Ask for the date of the last tested restore.
What to actually testPeople also ask
How far ahead should we involve IT in an office move?
Ninety days is comfortable. Sixty is workable. Thirty means overnight shipping and overtime.
The full answerWho orders the internet at the new building?
We do, in your name, the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks and the order is the most common thing to fall through the cracks.
The full answerCan our phones keep the same numbers?
Almost always. Porting takes planning; we schedule it so the old office stops ringing on the right day.
The full answer
"Another emergency taken care of by Mike at Midwest IT. I love his thoroughness in everything he does. And he is following up to make sure all stays working properly as well. Grateful he is following up, as we all know Microsoft can't wait to do another update that breaks more programs."
Debbie, manufacturerMeet Mike- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Another great job by Midwest IT. Our company just loves your fast response to our issues."
Client, 2024 surveyNot sure what to do with the server?
Ask for the assessment. One recommendation, with the numbers.
Talk to a partnerTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.