BusinessOld Technology Can Cost Your Business Big | Fuse Technology Group | Detroit & Michigan

February 3, 2022

Many businesses aren’t sure when or even if they should upgrade their technology. It is understandable that businesses, especially smaller businesses, try to squeeze every ounce of value out of their technology investments. However, there are risks of using technology that is too old. Here’s how to prevent them.

Is Your Business Operating on Out-of-Date Technology?

If you are a smaller business, you probably are trying to find ways to stretch your dollars and get the most bang for your buck. One way to do this is by keeping your existing systems in use for as long as you can. Moreover, it’s understandable that you may be using older technology because if it ain’t broke…

However, continuing to use older and outdated technology past its recommended lifespan brings with it a whole set of problems, even if it still “works;” until it doesn’t.

When the technology your business relies upon becomes obsolete, and you don’t upgrade it, you put your business at risk. Continuing to use end-of-life technology creates openings for cybercriminals to gain access to your network and data. These openings are due to unpatched vulnerabilities due to the vendors’ abandoning their technology. While it is natural to assume that these vulnerabilities are limited to software, the reality is your hardware can also become vulnerable due to obsolescence and pose as much danger to your network security as your software.

Some ways your hardware can become compromised is due to the manufacturer no longer providing the updates to their firmware which is needed to keep their hardware secure. Cybercriminals are constantly searching for vulnerabilities to exploit. While manufacturers actively work to close any open vulnerabilities (on hardware they are actively supporting), they no longer do so once the hardware is end-of-life (EOL). This is the time that cybercriminals begin taking advantage of vulnerabilities.

Since the vendor is no longer supporting their product, cybercriminals know they will eventually find areas of vulnerability. Even if you avoided compromise, older components could become unstable as software and hardware and compatibility requirements change. This can result in a wide range of performance and productivity issues which can cause your team and your clients to become frustrated when programs that used to work suddenly stop working.

This frustration, especially if it isn’t addressed, can lead to your team creating workarounds to their issues. These unauthorized workarounds are known as shadow IT because they operate in the background, often unknown to your IT department. The danger of shadow IT is that they bypass the protocols your IT department created to keep your data and systems secure… they are workarounds, after all. This can lead to your network becoming exposed to cyberthreats, and due to the secrecy around it, your IT department won’t be aware of the exposure until it is too late.

While it is understandable that a smaller business may not know when their technology needs to be upgraded, unfortunately, it doesn’t mitigate the risk. While your IT department should provide direction, they are often too invested in maintaining existing policies and procedures to realize that it could be time for a change. This is where partnering with a managed IT specialist can benefit your business, especially if you’re a small to medium-sized organization.

If You’re A Small Business, Managed IT Is For You

The main feature of managed IT is providing a solution to your concerns about spending resources on your technology. While it is easy to say you should treat your technology as an investment, not as a burden, the reality is it can feel that way. One of the ways your technology can feel like a burden is due to the feeling that you are constantly paying for computer repairs, but your productivity never seems to improve.

This is because when you use the “break/fix” method to maintain your technology, you’re only fixing the immediate problem. However, your technology, your team, and your business are all interconnected, which means you need a solution that can address all aspects that could affect your productivity and bottom line. This is where managed IT comes in.

First and foremost, managed IT provides you with a flat-rate fee to maintain, monitor, and manage your business’ technology. The main benefit of flat-rate pricing is that it allows you to manage your budget and eliminates the inherent surprises in waiting for something to break. Managed IT is proactive, and it translates to considerable savings over time instead of being reactive.

Managed IT provides a wealth of services designed to work together to support your business, allowing you and your team to focus on generating leads and providing your customers with the level of service that will keep them coming back. The goal of managed IT is to ensure that your technology remains up and running for as long as possible. This is important because uptime directly translates to your bottom line.

Detroit Businesses, Have You Performed An IT Audit?

An IT audit is the first step in determining the status of your technology. Suppose you have never performed an audit on the technology your business depends on. In that case, chances are your office isn’t optimized, which means you’re leaving money on the table because you’re operating in the dark. An IT audit will examine and evaluate your organization’s technology applications, security, infrastructure, and the policies and procedures your team is operating under.

The benefit of an IT audit is that it provides you with a complete picture of your technology and how it interacts with your business goals, long and short-term. With a comprehensive understanding of your technology, you can better determine which parts must be upgraded and develop a schedule to maintain and develop a plan for the future, allowing opportunities for your business to grow.

Don’t put off your IT audit any longer; Call Fuse Technology Group today; we’re Detroit and Michigan’s technology experts. Call us at 248.545.0800 to schedule your IT audit today!

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248-545-0800

Located in Ferndale, Fuse Technology Group is the premier provider of Business IT Services. Providing business computer support to hundreds of clients in Detroit, Troy, Southfield, Royal Oak, Birmingham and throughout the state of Michigan.

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      248-545-0800

      Located in Ferndale, Fuse Technology Group is the premier provider of Business IT Services. Providing business computer support to hundreds of clients in Detroit, Troy, Southfield, Royal Oak, Birmingham and throughout the state of Michigan.

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