Is outdated technology costing your business money?
Unlike fine wine technology does not age well. The rapid pace of change and short life cycle of some technology can lead many businesses to become overwhelmed with the prospect of change.
Older legacy systems may appear to still function well on the surface but unseen risks will develop below. It may be tempting to turn a blind eye to cut costs but this is a false economy and while it may save money in the short term, those savings come at a price:
Security issues
Decreased security is a risk not worth taking. Modern software is complex and security flaws are not uncommon. Companies such as Microsoft address this by issuing security updates or patches. A unsupported OS is a significant security risk – when a system is no longer supported it is time to move on. The lack of patches or updates to fix vital security flaws means the system is simply incapable of addressing your cyber security needs and will leave your business wide open to attack.
System failure and downtime
Running hardware systems past their operational life span is a recipe for disaster. Older hardware will result in decreased functionality caused by system crashes and downtime. Components such as hard drives and fans eventually wear out leading to reduced performance. Compatibility issues will eventually create problems as new applications become too advanced for your OS to handle. Legacy technology is no longer compatible with modern standards. It does not support comprehensive encryption nor is it designed to deal with apps and the vast array of devices and social media expected by consumers.
Increased costs
The costs of maintaining an end of life system (fixing bugs, trying to navigate solutions etc) can be steep. As technology becomes outdated maintenance costs will sky rocket. Performance weakens leading to businesses using vital resources to maintain a cumbersome and weak system. New technologies provide an increase in performance and in most cases they are significantly cheaper to run using a fraction of the power to perform the same tasks.
Compliance risk
Many industry specific regulatory standards demand that only supported technology is used. If you continue to run old systems, you may be faced with penalties resulting from non- compliance.
Similarly, GDPR brings severe penalties for businesses who have not taken the required measures to prevent a data breach. The cost of a breach could vastly outweigh the cost of compliance. You do have to move with the times – cyber security is not optional.
Decreased functionality
The future is technology driven: cloud computing, social media, data analytics, mobile technology will all have a strong impact on the competitive market in the coming years. Legacy technology cannot meet the requirements and will eventually impact on your ability to maintain a competitive edge. Digitalisation offers an opportunity for your business to optimise your output with a new, faster system which has increased functionality, improved security and less downtime.
How can RedMosquito Help?
Managed IT Services are a wise solution for businesses who don’t have the time or expertise to keep ahead of technological trends:
- Audit – We can complete a comprehensive hardware roadmap of your current business network and help you prioritise your purchases. We can plan a gradual phase out of old equipment based on the current specification and age of the equipment allowing you to plan your IT budget long term.
- Managed migration –When you decide it is time to change, we can fully manage the migration for you be it an Office upgrade or core system upgrade.
- Hardware Specification – RedMosquito supply hundreds of systems per year and only ever specify the correct equipment for your business. Where possible we avoid specifying entry level equipment in order to ensure that your hardware lasts the maximum that Microsoft recommends 5-years which makes the total cost of ownership less.
- Emerging Technologies – RedMosquito are technology experts with an army of geeks who are aware of all the new hardware that is available. This allows us to specify the latest kit with our knowledge of the market ensuring that your business is buying the correct and most up-to-date hardware.
If you need help with hardware or software upgrade planning and deployment, our Technical Consultants can have a friendly no obligation chat with you. Contact us if you would like to set up a call.
RedMosquito provides IT Support services in Glasgow, Edinburgh and throughout central Scotland.
