How far along are you with your IT strategy for 2026?

1. Do you have the right protection in place?

IT security is never a finished product. New users, devices, work methods, and services mean that the circumstances are constantly changing.

So take a look at your current situation. Do you have multi-factor authentication and secure login methods in place? Do the right people have access to the right information? Are your computers and mobile devices up to date and properly managed? And are you keeping track of backups, networks, and monitoring?

What matters is not just what security solutions you have, but that they actually cover the environment you use today.

2. Do you pay for what you actually use?

The Microsoft 365 environment often changes more than you might think over the course of a year. Employees join and leave, needs change, and new services are added.

That makes fall a good time to review licenses and user accounts. Are there any old accounts still active? Are you paying for licenses or features that no one uses? Or are employees missing features that are already included in another license?

A review can both reduce unnecessary costs and ensure that you get more out of what you’re already paying for.

3. Do you have your information organized in Microsoft 365?

“It’s probably somewhere in Teams.”

Does this sound familiar? Once you’ve been using Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive for a while, it’s easy for information to start spreading across many different locations. New teams are created, old folders linger, and permissions stick around longer than they should.

Good structure isn’t just about making it easier for employees to find what they need. It’s also becoming increasingly important as AI is used in Microsoft 365. Copilot draws on the information and permissions that already exist in the organization’s environment. That’s why organizing information, access, and sharing is a key part of the foundation for using AI in a secure and useful way.

4. Have the AI plans become more than just plans?

2026 might be the year you really start using AI. But how far have you come?

Perhaps some employees are already using Copilot, while others are still wondering what they can use it for. Or maybe you’ve tested various AI tools but lack common guidelines on how they may be used and what information can be shared.

The next step doesn’t have to be a major AI initiative. Start by identifying a few specific tasks where AI can make a difference, ensure that your data and access permissions are in order, and establish a common framework for its use. This will make it easier to move from individual experiments to actual business benefits.

5. Does your IT support what you want to do going forward?

Perhaps the most important question is also the simplest: Does your IT help you achieve your business goals?

Think about what lies ahead for the rest of the year and the beginning of next year. Are you planning to grow, hire new employees, open a new office, streamline your work processes, or start using AI on a larger scale?

The IT strategy needs to align with those plans. Technology should not be a separate project run parallel to the business, but rather should provide the right conditions for what you actually want to achieve.

How many were you able to check off?

You don't have to overhaul your entire IT environment before the end of the year. But it's good to know where you stand and which areas should be prioritized.

A review now can give you a clearer picture of the current situation and a concrete plan for the rest of the year, rather than having the same items carry over to next year’s to-do list.