With the recent changes in the economic landscape, the majority of companies will need to take a look at their bottom line including the current technology investments and the future technology needs of each company. The following are several guidelines as to making the most out of current investments by properly maintaining and safeguarding the equipment already in place as well as when to consider upgrading or replacing equipment in order to achieve a greater return on investment (ROI).

Maintenance of Technology Investments

There are many schools of thought as to how often a computer should be maintained and to what extent. A general rule of thumb is those who use the computer more heavily will need to perform these steps more often to reap the benefits. This routine should include tasks such as temporary file cleaning, full system virus and spyware scans, checking for operating system and major program updates or patches, and physically cleaning the computers outside and dusting out the inside with compressed air. These steps will help the computer to run at its peak performance.

Safeguarding Technology Investments

Various steps can be taken to protect computers from unforeseen environmental problems and malicious attacks. Each computer should be protected by some sort of high quality surge protection or battery backup to help shield them from potential catastrophic damage from an electrical surge. If the computers are connected to a broadband internet connection then a quality firewall router is needed to help protect against hacker intrusion. Also with any internet connection a quality antivirus / antispyware will help keep such malicious software at bay. Finally and most importantly is to backup critical files and documents in case of an accidental deletion or worse a hardware failure. These steps are vital to insuring that what you have is safe and if something goes wrong you are not left wanting.

Upgrading / Replacing Technology Investments

There is an unpleasant reality that all mechanical devices, including computers, will one day start to break down and need repairs or replacements. The standard lifespan of a current computer is around three to five years based on use, at which time parts will need to be upgraded and replaced or new hardware should be acquired to avoid the possibility of unforeseen failure. This is also a good rule of thumb for software as most companies have taken the stance of no longer supporting versions that are within that same age bracket. These upgrades and replacements will insure that
you have the software features to keep your business streamlined and the hardware to make it run efficiently.

These are just the basics of how to make the most out of current technology investments with the specifics needing to be tailored to the individual companies needs. The hope is that with proper maintenance, technology will be more of a benefit then a burden and make business success an obtainable goal.
If your company is in need of network consulting or considering some Technology Investments, then contact us for assistance.