.webp)
As 2025 winds down, law firms, accounting practices, and investment firms are facing a familiar question: Are we truly prepared for next year’s technology demands?
With cyber threats evolving, cloud costs rising, and compliance expectations tightening, now is the time to strategically evaluate your firm’s IT posture and map out a clear, efficient, and secure 2026.
1. Start With a Full Technology Audit
Before building next year’s IT plan, firms need a clear picture of their current environment.
A year-end audit should include:
- Hardware lifecycle review (laptops, servers, networking gear)
- Software licensing and unused subscriptions
- User access reviews — who has access to what, and why?
- Gaps in MFA, backup retention, or device management
This gives your leadership team a data-driven foundation to make smart budgeting decisions instead of reactive ones.
2. Build a Smart, Predictable IT Budget
A healthy 2026 IT budget shouldn’t just react to last year’s problems — it should proactively build resilience.
Key categories to include:
- Cloud subscription costs (Microsoft 365, Azure, practice-specific apps)
- Security tools and services
- Hardware replacement cycles
- Managed or co-managed IT support
- Compliance and governance tooling
Firms that plan early typically avoid emergency spending, last-minute project delays, and unnecessary renewals.
3. Optimize Your Cloud Spend — Don’t Let Costs Balloon
Cloud platforms are essential, but they’re also easy to overspend on. Right now is the perfect time to evaluate:
- Unused licenses
- Over-provisioned storage
- Expired or unnecessary add-ons
- Opportunities for consolidation
A cloud optimization review can often reduce annual spend 10–30% without impacting user experience.
4. Strengthen Your 2026 Security & Compliance Roadmap
Security expectations for professional services firms will only increase in 2026. Your roadmap should address:
- Zero Trust principles
- Improved device controls (especially mobile)
- More frequent user access reviews
- Stronger document governance
- Endpoint monitoring and alerting
- Incident response preparedness
For firms that handle sensitive client data, this isn’t optional — it’s now part of doing business.
5. Consider a Partner for Strategic IT Planning
Internal teams are often stretched thin at year-end. Partnering with an experienced IT consulting or managed services provider can help you:
- Conduct the audit
- Analyze risks
- Build a practical roadmap
- Right-size cloud usage
- Prepare for compliance requirements
A strong partner ensures your firm enters 2026 with clarity, stability, and a secure technical foundation.
Ready to build your 2026 plan? TEKMARK helps law firms, accounting firms, and investment firms create predictable budgets, optimize cloud usage, and strengthen cybersecurity.
Let’s prepare your firm for a more resilient year ahead.