6 Reasons for Regular IT Refreshes

Small businesses face many costs and often have fewer resources than larger enterprises. However, they need to invest in their technology systems and architecture to avoid unexpected expenses in the future and boost performance.

Tech research firm IDC gives these reasons to upgrade infrastructure on a regular cycle:

1. Avoiding Cost Overruns and Performance Declines. Adding components to an environment without retiring older assets can increase complexity and cost.
2. Improved Efficiency. Newer management tools allow for better tracking of workloads — where they’re running and how they’re performing.
3. Expiring Warranties. Service contracts typically expire after three to five years, and procuring a new server is often less expensive than extending the service contract on an older system.
4. Enhanced Performance. New servers with more memory enable larger virtual machines and higher VM density, allowing organizations to migrate high-end applications to virtualized environments.
5. Improved Reliability. Newer systems not only are less likely to fail than older ones, but also feature better predictive failure capabilities to warn of incompatibility issues and system or part failure.
6. More Financing Options. While support contracts for older equipment are costly, newer equipment can be financed with flexible payment solutions and consumption models — including leasing — that help make budgets more predictable.

For more on small business IT upgrades, visit, “Why You Shouldn't Delay or Skimp On Tech Upgrades.”