Member Article

Is it time you upgraded your IT systems?

The US nuclear weapons force recently came into criticsm over announcements that their IT systems are some 40 years old with 8-inch floppy disks still in use. A government report has revealed that the Pentagon was one of several departments where “legacy systems” urgently needed to be replaced. As an IT firm, we have seen legacy systems and then we have seen the beginning of IT…and this is more certainly the latter!

Below are 8 key implications of how old technology and solutions can impact your business.

1. System Failure – Crashes and system downtime means you are wasting time in fixing IT issues rather than focussing on your business.

2. Increased Costs – The more time you spend fixing these IT issues the more it is going to cost you as well as taking you away from generating revenue for the business.

3. Decreased productivity – Employees time will be spent away from growing the business and on fixing issues that should never have been encountered in the first place. It will also result in staff having limited functionality and access to any systems during system failures.

4. Security Levels – Outdated software and equipment will leave your business open and more prone to cyber-attacks.

5. Legal Requirements – Regulatory and compliance risks should be considered as auditors can fine companies that don’t transition from unsupported software.

6. Data Security – The older your software and equipment, the riskier it is to use. Older software was not designed to be resilient against attacks, so strong security on your data is critical for businesses.

7. Migration and Installation – Many companies do not have a true process in place for retiring and replacing old software. Essentially, they start from the beginning again with an extensive migration and installation operation – costing time and money.

8. Data Loss – Sometimes, IT problems stem from integrating different software applications. When one application is outdated and the other is updated, they don’t necessarily communication properly with one another. This can leave to potential data loss as well as possible revenue loss.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Agile Group .