Look around your office: How much of the equipment around you should really be replaced? It’s old, it’s breaking down, it’s slow, it’s causing downtime – there could be a myriad of reasons why it needs to be replaced. But then reality sets in: “Does it all need to be replaced and how am I going to pay for it?”
Thankfully, those questions aren’t too hard to answer. Let’s start with the first question:
Does it all need to be replaced? Not necessarily. Let’s think about the equipment around your office and think about options:
- Out of Warranty Hardware: We recommend any piece of hardware in your office has current warranty on it to keep it functional for its useful life. If the device, computer, workstation, etc… . is still performing to your needs and has not reached end of life, warranty extensions may be available for it, which are generally quite a bit cheaper than replacement. We are able to sell factory warranty extensions and software renewals for Dell, HP, Lenovo, IBM, Sonicwall, Intel, Cisco, McAfee, Trend Micro and other major technology brands. Just send our sales team an email with the make/model and serial number and we can see what. We can also sell extended warranties (up to five years) upon purchase of new computers or servers.
- End of Life Hardware: If a warranty renewal is not available, it’s likely because the device is what is referred to as “End of Life” (or EOL). EOL technology is no longer supported by the manufacturer so if there was an issue that required vendor support, they would not be able to provide it. We recommend replacement.
- Desktops/Laptops: We generally recommend replacing of these every 3-4 years for a few reasons (warranty extensions can be purchased if need be):
- There can be some significant performance improvements between a computer now and a similarly priced system from three years ago.
- If you’re running an older operating system then you need to replace the system because it’s going to reach a point (like with Windows XP or Windows Server 2003) that the operating system is no longer supported and security patches are no longer available (which is a problem with HIPAA).
- Servers: Servers we recommend replacing every 4-5 years, at the latest, for many of the same reasons as above. However, servers generally have a bit more usable life in them as they’re built to be running 24×7 and desktops/laptops generally aren’t.
- Switches: If you have a 10/100 Switch (or shiver a 10/100 hub) and not a 10/100/1000 (aka a Gigabit) switch, we recommend replacing that as well because the newer technology will make everything communicate a much faster clip (it’s been many years since we’ve seen systems that haven’t been able to communicate at gigabit speeds out of the box).
- Firewalls: While firewalls can last for quite a while, we recommend looking into a new one if either of the following are true:
- You’ve changed ISPs or internet speeds since buying it. The firewall you have may have been rated for protection at a certain internet speed. If you’ve now exceeded that speed, your firewall may be holding back your internet connection speed.
- You’ve been hit by viruses or malware: Modern firewalls (like the ones as part of our WestonShield program) will provide much better protection for those kinds of things, and keep them from getting into your network and infecting things. Older firewalls may not have that capability and it’s better to stop those kinds of things before they get in and cause havoc.
- Other Technologies: Give us a call. We can do an assessment of your current technology and your future goals needs and come up with a plan to replace what needs to be replaced.
Now that you’ve decided what to replace, now what?Procuring technology can break the bank if not done right, and we don’t wish that on anybody. Once a game plan is devised on what needs to be replaced, Weston Technology Solutions can work with you to devise a Hardware as a Service plan (HaaS). A HaaS will allow you to take advantage of the latest technologies with a easy-to-budget-for fixed monthly cost and replacement schedule. Call one of our solution consultants today at 541-383-2340 for more details on this plan and to schedule an assessment.