UPGRADES ARE CHEAP, DOWNTIME IS EXPENSIVE
Many business owners have the misconception that IT is expensive. The true cost to your business lies in lost productivity. If your old systems crashes and shuts down your entire department, the costs can be astronomical.
Productivity costs can sneak up on you. Imagine an employee running accounting report that should take 1 minute, but instead takes 10 minutes on their outdated system. That’s 10 extra minutes, every time they run the report. What will that cost you over a year?
Software compatibility issues can also hold you back. If you try to collaborate with someone using a newer system, IT headaches start to build on both sides. Multiply this effect by each client and team member affected in your organization.
Another hidden cost of old systems is outdated information. We see this often in the financial world, where legislation changes and tax tables can change as a result. If you can’t move forward with accurate data, you’re in trouble.
If you wait too long to upgrade, you may see a larger price tag. When applications fall more than one version behind current, it can actually triple the cost of the migration.
You may have to purchase a new license instead of an upgrade option. The new version may require infrastructure or database updates. And if the newest version of the software is incompatible with your operating system, you may be looking at a massive overhaul.
New systems can offer significant competitive advantages. For example, 32-bit SQL database platforms severely limit memory usage, so you can’t get all the available speed from your systems. A newer 64-bit SQL platform will support at least 10 times more memory. Faster, more stable programs will utilize the capabilities of current hardware and operating systems.
For people with business applications, it’s a huge advantage. You can run a report and have it done while you sit there. Meanwhile, your competition starts to run the report and goes down the street for a coffee while he waits for it to finish.
Need help analyzing your IT needs? Call SIG: 918-227-9800.
