Do you have a plan?
There are a lot of arguments for when and why you should buy a new computer. However, most IT professionals agree that 3-5 years is what you should expect out of the life of a machine on average. This means that for companies with a lot of computers to maintain, it’s extremely important to have a replacement plan. Making proactive decisions for computer replacement is going to add untold value to your company compared to reactive decisions on a time crunch. With a plan, you’ll be able to manage the expenses, schedule the best times for busy employees, ensure compatibility of the new systems and make sure you get the best services.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it?
You might have computers that are older than 5 years and they’re still chugging along. So you’re thinking, why replace them? Well it’s certainly not a good idea to wait for a computer to die before replacing it. You might lose information and find yourself scrambling to replace a computer as quickly as possible that you don’t even have the budget for. Wouldn’t you prefer to have control over the time and place your computers get replaced?
As computers get older you’re guaranteed to see lowered productivity, more downtime and ever increasing headaches for the users. That’s not to mention the increasing impact older computers have on your wallet. Older computers are likely to have missed some critical maintenance activities through the years, such as defragmenting the disk, uninstalling files that are no longer needed and applying software patches. Each missed maintenance opportunity is a help desk call waiting to happen, and as warranties on older computers expire, repairs become more expensive. In fact, there comes a point when buying a new computer is significantly cheaper than the time and expense of repairing it.
And then there’s the software…
Another good reason to plan for your company’s computer life cycles is for easier knowledgeability and standards. With older computers in your company’s mix, you’ll have to support multiple operating systems, hardware platforms and software versions. Your staff will need to know how to support the old and the new. User self-help is easier when the technology is newer and everybody can be on the same page.
Since most support problems are related to software, you might be tempted to upgrade just the operating system and leave the old hardware in place. Unfortunately, that’s like putting a fresh coat of paint on a battered old car. The car might look great, but the engine is getting tired. The minimum hardware requirements for new software is usually more demanding than the old equipment can handle. Replacing the hardware assures that you can run the latest software.
NetLink can figure it all out for you.
Replacing all of the computers in your office might seem like an overwhelming project, but NetLink Solutions can help with every step. We make sure you get the right equipment with all of the necessary requirements to get your job done. We’ll help you stay within your budget and keep track of warranties so you don’t get caught off guard when they expire. Don’t know what to do with the old equipment? We can help with that too. We’ll pick up the old equipment and make sure it gets properly recycled.