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IT Strategy and Infrastructure

Spend Money on PCs to Make Them Cost Less

Older technology adds to your expenses more than you may think. That’s why you need to spend money on PCs to make them cost less.

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With the end of support for Windows 7 on the horizon, you are likely finalizing your plans for replacing older computers.  Do you need to replace just a few?  Or are you looking at a much larger project?  The more important question: was this part of strategic planning or a reaction to Microsoft’s announcement?

We’re all dependent on technology. Consider how one user’s downtime impacts their work. Typically, performance worsens as hardware gets older.  However, a Techaisle study shows that 36% of small business have PCs that are 4 years or older.  Reduced productivity impacts the organization financially in terms of lost work hours. Add the increased costs of maintaining older hardware and the ‘make-it-last-to-save-money’ approach costs more.

WorkSmart advises refreshing PCs every three years to keep performance up and frustrations low. During IT strategy sessions, we help plan the life-cycle of your computers, so you’re never surprised.

So what’s right for your organization? 

We see two approaches within our clients:

  • Yearly replacement of a subset of your computers
    This approach allows you to create a regular budget.  It keeps you in front of hardware headaches while minimizing impact and project costs.
  • Replacement of all computers every three years
    This approach is for organizations who prefer to get it done all at once, and many of these organizations utilize financing options to spread the financial burden over a fixed term. This approach also gets everyone on the same hardware and operating system, which can reduce support costs.

The goal is predictable costs.

AND don’t forget to keep spares on hand for more cost savings.

Prepare it for use ahead of time to quickly replace a user’s machine that won’t boot.

Or impress the last-minute hire by having it ready on day 1.

Costs grow quickly when you need to rush the purchase and installation of a new machine.  Depending your company size and your industry, you may want to keep 1 – 5 computers as spare.  Just keep it locked in the server room and turn it on once a month for updates.