How Much Does It Cost to Refresh Your IT Infrastructure?
If you’ve been considering a refresh of your IT infrastructure, you’re not the only one. With a change in how businesses approach work, whether that’s remote working becoming a commonplace, or the move to a 4-day workweek, more than half of all businesses (53%) expect their IT budgets to grow over the next year (SWZD).
With all that investment taking place, the primary question should be; where do you spend, and what do you get for it?
Cost Vs. Benefit: Is It Costing Your Business More to Not Upgrade?
The challenge with any IT upgrade is knowing the full scale of its cost. What we mean by that is that while you might be looking at the pricing of new systems, servers, and peripherals, often it’s the intangible cost of not spending that money that makes the largest difference. For example, your current infrastructure might be adequate for your current needs; there may be few complaints of speed and operations, so why do you need to upgrade? The challenge is that it’s difficult to diagnose a problem until you know you have one. You might actually be experiencing slowdowns and performance inefficiencies that are costing your business time and money. Worse, your competitors may know they have the same problem, and have resolved it already, meaning you’re not only behind where you could be productivity-wise – your competition are even further ahead. If you’re considering a refresh, it’s important to know the initial outlay and possible ongoing costs you expect to face; but make upgrade decisions strategically alongside your IT department to understand and analyse what the cost might be if you don’t upgrade.Why Old Technology Could Be Costing Your Business More
So, we’ve identified the risk of not upgrading, but what does that mean exactly? What are the risks? Here are just a few issues your business could already be experiencing that you may not know about: Security Threats Older hardware is updated less frequently, with very dated systems not updated at all. This represents a huge risk to businesses, and with data breaches and ransomware on the rise, it’s the most significant reason you should be looking to upgrade. Productivity Something we’ve already touched on, but worth mentioned in more detail. According to Business Insider, slow IT systems cost UK businesses £35 billion every year (Insider). Slowdowns, freezes, spotty internet connections, and required maintenance all mean valuable work hours are lost. Rising Maintenance Costs As part of the previous point, it typically costs more to maintain older systems than to update to modern hardware. Unsupported operating systems, dated components, and other factors often mean you’re left shelling out more to keep the old, sluggish systems you have now than to move to a more modern IT environment. Customer Loss Another more intangible cost that drives up the cost of keeping your current IT systems in place is what reaction your client base has. Customers today are more security and privacy-conscious than ever; add to that the fact that it’s likely they have other options in regards to your business services, and they won’t stick around for very long. Additionally, your competition’s infrastructure – as mentioned previously – could already be up-to-date, making them an increasingly attractive prospect to your customers.The Benefits of An IT Upgrade
With the risks noted and out of the way, what are the benefits? Here’s a shortlist of just a few pros you can expect to enjoy once you’ve invested in a refresh:- More performance from more powerful systems
- More flexibility, with desktop-grade notebook devices offering remote work possibilities
- Energy saving cost benefits with more eco-friendly and energy-efficient designs
- Fewer risks to data, with modern, reliable storage solutions
- Higher employee productivity
- Modern software support