How much is outdated technology hurting your bottom line? Legacy machinery, old software and inefficient processes can cost businesses up to $1.8 billion each year according to Biz Journals.
The price of old technology in the workplace, including laggy laptops, old OSes and inadequate security is far greater than the cost of a system update, as it results in decreased worker productivity and poor morale over the long term, says PCMag. Antiquated tech has a trickle-down effect on a business, as computers that are out of date might not be able to run the latest software, including communications and cybersecurity solutions. Not to mention the potential maintenance and repair costs associated with faulty devices.
To keep productivity levels high and prevent costly cybersecurity breaches, IT managers will need to take a more modern approach to managing enterprise systems and digital assets.
How to know when it’s time for an upgrade?
When was the last time your company upgraded your technology or the processes your IT team uses to safeguard your network? If the answer is “I can’t remember,” you’re far from alone.
Comfort with current technology, fear over adjusting to new tools and a lack of time and resources to commit to change is slowing down what could step in the right direction, explains Tech HQ.
However, amid global uncertainty and rapidly spreading digital transformation, this reluctance to update is no longer a back-burner issue. The demands of a remote workforce are highlighting where legacy technology is no longer hitting the mark. If your organization is one of the many across the world who are starting to consider a permanent work-from-home or hybrid structure, now is the perfect time to audit your existing IT systems.
If you’re unsure whether your organization’s software needs an upgrade, Tech HQ cautions leaders to watch for the following warning signs that outdated tech is creating a liability:
- Wasted revenue: If IT is spending too many hours troubleshooting or performing manual processes, those hours are lost from what could have been more valuable work.
- Missed opportunities: As the rate of change in your industry accelerates and your company grows, legacy technology is unable to keep up with the changing needs of your organization as well as your clients.
- Siloed data: When information is housed in multiple data sources or locations, it’s more difficult to manage and control, leading to added risk and increasing the potential for exposures and leaks.
- Manual workarounds: Multiple bolted-together solutions and processes are prone to human error, often leading to problems. If your tools can’t seamlessly grow alongside your organization, it’s time for a change.
- Employee morale: If IT and your end users are vocalizing frustrations with your technology, start looking for new solutions.
The cost of swapping out outdated tech for updated tools — as well as the potential downtime as employees learn to use new devices — may seem daunting, but the investment is more than worth it. If any of the above sounds like something your organization is experiencing right now, it’s time to reevaluate your existing enterprise IT administration processes and technology.
Modernizing enterprise IT administration
You know it’s time for a change, but you’re not sure where to start.
Although each company’s process will look different depending on the technology you’re currently deploying as well as the size of your organization, there are some guiding questions you should consider as you begin to take the steps to modernize your enterprise IT administration:
- Where do I lack visibility? IT managers should be able to access clear insights and real-time information regarding user behavior, allowing them to monitor and address potential threats long before they become a costly problem. Look for solutions with intuitive dashboards and user-friendly reporting capabilities.
- What are the most time-consuming tasks in my day? Audit your existing processes and identify which processes would generate the most value from being automated, such as labor-intensive administrative work like patches. Seeking out and deploying systems upgrades for each individual device can take a massive amount of time away from both IT teams and end users.
Automated patching technology can help to reduce this expense, and can also ensure your systems are running with the most up-to-date security upgrades installed.
- What can be simplified? As your organization grows, it’s easy to just keep adding to your tech stack with a variety of point solutions, addressing singular pain points as they appear. Instead, look for holistic platforms that solve more than one gap so that you minimize the systems your IT team will need to become familiar with.
By future-proofing your systems and looking for technology that is flexible and scalable, your team can spend less time worrying about the next-best-thing and more time putting resources behind valuable initiatives.
Finding the right solutions for your organization
It can be overwhelming for even the most experienced IT manager when it comes to navigating today’s market and finding the time to dedicate to configuring and implementing new tech. At Faronics, we offer a range of remote and automated cybersecurity solutions to help IT managers ensure 100% workstation availability while also freeing resources from tedious technical support and software issues.
Our IT Asset Management solution offers users full control of their enterprise asset inventory through dynamic widgets and intelligent reports. With Faronics, you can give your staff comprehensive insights into the deployment and usage of devices and empower them to quickly identify any irregular use cases. Teams can also remotely push software updates to all devices being used on the corporate network, ensuring all patches are up-to-date and following best security policies.
With over 20 years of supporting nearly 30,000 unique customers, Faronics has a long history of providing best-in-class value to customers. We deliver software that helps manage, simplify and secure multi-user computing environments.
To learn more about how our remote solutions can support your workforce in today and tomorrow’s business landscape, explore our product pages or start a free trial.
