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Managed IT Services for Architecture and Design Firms

Architecture is an information-intensive field that merges art with real-world conditions and constraints. You depend on technology – such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) – to generate and share designs. Architects and designers have begun to use cloud-based and remotely hosted technologies. These systems help them collaborate, and to deliver the services their clients need, but they are not without their problems.

Architecture is a field where data loss or a ransomware attack could do more than cripple your business – it could ruin your firm’s reputation. If your systems weren’t implemented by experts who deeply understand your industry, you could end up with an embarrassing data breach or deadline-obliterating delays as you recreate work.

You need IT professionals proactively managing your systems to prevent and mitigate these issues. That’s where Highway 99 comes in.

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Who is Highway 99 Technology Solutions?

We are a full-service managed IT services provider specializing in the needs of architects and other professional services firms in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) just like yours. We are based in downtown Vancouver where we offer responsive and reliable IT solutions and support small businesses throughout Metro Vancouver.

How Can Highway 99 Help Architecture Firms?

We can shoulder your entire organization’s IT burden, both for routine work and the special requirements that your biggest building and design projects demand. We work to make IT-based downtime a thing of the past, and to harden your systems against both accidental and deliberate data breaches. Better still, we do that with a sensitivity to the demands you put in your data technology and the way you actually do business.

We can help with:

  • Support for your workstations and servers
  • Data protection and live system monitoring
  • Complete management internal and/or hosted email servers
  • Cyber-security and malware protection
  • Complete, regularly scheduled backups and software updates
  • Asset and license management
  • Solutions for all your networked infrastructure needs
  • General IT consulting

Our team’s regular working hours are weekdays 7am to 6pm, and we are available to handle emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sound like just what you need? Let's chat.

Why Use Highway 99 for your Architecture Firm’s IT Needs?

We understand the way you work, the processes you use, and the language you speak. We have a great deal of experience with Revit and AutoCAD deployments, having developed methods to automate deployment of updates and new versions of this complex software.

Your primary point of contact has worked extensively in construction, specifically design and project management. Because we understand the challenges you face, we can give your firm the competitive edge it needs to thrive.

What about Cloud Services?

Migrated to the Cloud? You Need Specialized Support.

The possibility of your cloud systems being poorly configured or improperly optimized could do a great deal of damage in the long run – it could be crippling your ability to serve the needs of your clients.

Highway 99 can ensure that your cloud services are configured correctly, that access is restricted to the people you intend to use the system, and that all of your data is backed up regularly.

Contact Us Today

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Now let’s talk about you.

Every business is unique. Get in touch, let us know about your business and the challenges you're facing. Better yet, book a consultation today for a full technology needs assessment today. We’ll explore precisely what your practice needs and how we can supply it – at no cost or obligation.

IT Tips for Architecture Firms

Consider Cloud Collaboration Systems

Architecture and construction has always been documentation-focused, and a modern, secure yet accessible cloud collaboration and documentation solution – especially one tied to a BIM (Building Information Modelling) system, can revolutionize the way you work.

Backup Your Data

Follow the 3-2-1 rule for data backup:

  • Keep 3 copies of your most crucial data
  • Use at least 2 different backup media (tapes, CDs, etc.)
  • Keep at least 1 copy in a secure, off-site location

While we all know that we need to back up our data and systems regularly, it’s equally important to test your backups regularly.. How would you feel if you realized you’d been carefully storing useless junk data for all these years? How much worse would it be to discover that when you actually need to restore your system from a back-up?

Never Compromise Cybersecurity

Data security is everyone’s job:

  • Never give access to your systems without a good reason, and never to someone who hasn’t proven their identity
  • Don’t leave your devices unattended or logged in – even just over lunch or a break
  • Update your devices and apps on a regular schedule – especially your malware protection
  • Adopt (and enforce) a robust password policy and use two-factor authentication (2FA), especially for remote access
  • Store sensitive data on as few applications and devices as possible

CAD Workstations for Architecture Firms

A slow, obsolete workstation could be robbing you and your clients of hundreds of billable hours every year.

A new CAD workstation (as of Q3 2024) should have all of the following, at a minimum*:

  • 12th generation (or newer) Intel i7; or 4th generation (or newer) Ryzen 7
  • 32GB of the fastest available memory (RAM)
  • 1TB of storage on an NVMe SSD (solid state drive)
  • DirectX 12 compliant graphics card (GPU) with 8GB video RAM (e.g. NVIDIA T1000 8GB)

Such a system should last you at least five years before it needs to be replaced. We custom-build workstations that match architecture needs

* Of course, minimum specs and upgrade timing will vary based on your exact use case.

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