Given the combination of its economic strength and access to global markets, New York City represents one of the most popular destinations in the U.S. for office and company relocations. For example, between 2018 and 2023, nearly 500 headquarters moves by various companies to the Big Apple have been publicly announced, according to CBRE. Because of the proximity of the two cities and their importance as business centers, giving a third come from movers from Boston to NYC.
However, there are challenges when moving offices: logistical, protecting equipment and meeting deadlines. The most prone to relocation problems are IT companies. 70% of them face unforeseen IT downtime during an office move. If you’re looking to relocate your IT office, are you prepared for the fact that moving your office to New York could bring all business processes to a halt? After all, office relocation is not just about moving employees and furniture, but also the need to keep your IT infrastructure up and running, which is vital for any business these days. Below we talk about how to properly plan a move, how to ensure the continuity of the IT system, and why you should trust professionals with office relocation.
Planning an IT move: How to avoid mistakes
Planning an IT move is 80% of the success” — Paradise Moving & Storage IT infrastructure expert. When it comes to relocations, let alone IT office relocations, this rule is no exception. But despite this seemingly truism, the majority (2/3) of companies do not prepare thoroughly enough for the arrival. And rightly so — it leads to data loss, downtime and technical failures.
The right approach to move planning starts with assessing the current infrastructure, creating a checklist and assigning responsible parties. The structure is assessed to ensure that all system hardware, connections, and communication systems are in place in preparation for the move — each component is packaged and labeled. The checklist helps plan tasks and coordinate their execution — structuring the process by priority and assigning responsibilities to people. In this way, the checklist helps reduce the likelihood of errors and omissions. It can also be used to monitor and control the phases of the move, from the dismantling of equipment to its installation at the new location. The main goal is to meet deadlines.
Checklist for planning an IT company office relocating from Boston to New York
| Stage | Actions | Notes/Features |
| Planning | Determine the date, make a moving plan | Consider preparation time (~215 miles between cities) |
| IT infrastructure assessment | Conduct an audit of IT resources | It is possible to update servers and software |
| Backup | Back up your data | An important step to prevent losses |
| Logistics | Select a carrier and organize transportation | Climate control for equipment and parking reservations in NYC |
| Employee training | Organize remote work during the move | Develop temporary interaction schemes |
| Packaging and transportation | Packaging of servers, workstations, network equipment | Protect sensitive equipment |
| Setting up in the new office | Installation of servers and network equipment | IT systems testing |
| Completion of the move | Inform employees about completion | The office is ready to resume work |
Note:
- Range and transit time: 215 miles (ca. 346 km).
- Travel time: 3–4 hours. Protection of sensitive IT equipment is important.
- Logistics in New York: Reserve parking spaces and freight elevators in advance.
If you think this approach to planning takes too long, the experience of professionals in the field, the experts at Paradise Moving & Storage, is the answer: Quality preparation saves resources in the long run. But it is more prudent to leave this endeavor to the professionals. Only they have the expertise and knowledge to ensure the safe and efficient transport of your equipment. A professional approach minimizes risk, avoids downtime, and ensures that all systems are running smoothly at your new location.
Ensuring continuity of IT systems during relocation
The continuity of IT systems during and after a move is the bottleneck of operations. Challenges include downtime, risk of data loss, and business process support. The most significant of these is the temporary shutdown of servers or workstations. For a comprehensive solution, consider partnering with companies that specialize in moving high-tech equipment.
The advantage of partnering with a professional company is that their IT specialists create backups from the time digital equipment is dismantled and use cloud-based solutions for ongoing processes. During a move, if critical servers or workstations cannot be excluded from the process, professional teams provide uninterruptible power systems, create intermittent data transfer systems, and use mobile storage to synchronize data.
Here’s a scenario of how Paradise Moving & Storage worked to solve the problem of ensuring continuity of IT systems during a move:
- Client: A large IT company specializing in software development.
- Challenge: Ensure continuity of IT systems during office shifts from Boston to New York, minimizing downtime and risk of data loss.
Solution:
- Planning and coordination:
- Conducting a preliminary audit of equipment and infrastructure.
- Development of a detailed relocation plan, taking into account all stages and deadlines.
- Data backup:
- Create backup copies of all critical data before moving.
- Using cloud solutions for temporary storage and access to data.
- Equipment dismantling and packaging:
- Professional packaging of servers, workstations and other equipment using specialized materials.
- Label and inventory all components to facilitate installation at the new location.
- Transportation and monitoring:
- Using trucks with GPS trackers to track equipment movements in real time.
- Ensure uninterrupted power supply for critical servers and workstations during transport.
- Installation and configuration:
- Quick installation and configuration of equipment at a new location.
- Testing of all systems to verify their functionality and eliminate possible problems.
- Support and support:
- Providing technical support at all stages of the move.
- Constant communication with the client to promptly resolve emerging issues.
Data loss is a worst-case scenario can be avoided with uninterrupted power to equipment and backups, says data security experts.
Final point
In conclusion, office relocation is a complex process that requires careful planning and a competent approach to IT infrastructure. A self-initiated move can prove to be a disruption to critical systems, affecting the business. An IT company office move planning checklist can help. But only professional companies that specialize in secure and expeditious IT infrastructure relocation can ensure you move with maximum data protection and minimal downtime.
