The world of information technology is frequently changing and evolving – which means you should be thinking about how often to update your IT equipment. Software constantly needs to be updated, and often it seems like the hardware we use to tackle our day to day jobs need to have the same upgrades as well.
Today, we look at the three most common component parts of a business IT setup, and think about how frequently they should be brought up to date.
Software
In terms of frequency, the software that you use for work will be the thing that needs updating most often. This can be for a whole host of reasons but often is because suppliers stop offering support on outdated products, or because older bits of software can be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. We’ve written about a whole range of horror stories preciously on the blog.
In a lot of cases, what you’ll need to do is schedule updates every couple of weeks, or ideally a minimum of once a month. Helpfully this is usually prompted by your computer when it’s required when you shut down or restart. Just select the option and let it do its thing.
If you have more specific software you use (that is outside of your standard operating system) for your work then you may need to manually set a time to update that.
Computers
When looking at how frequently you should be updating your computer the answer is more complex. Most laptops tend to last for between three and five years but can last longer. The crux will be, how often are they being used and do they still meet your needs for getting work done day to day.
There is no specific indicator as to when it’s time to get a new computer, however signs can include slow start-up or shut down times, struggles to process multiple applications at once and it may have problems getting the latest security updates.
Smartphones
After laptops, phones are the most common standard issue piece of work tech. Unlike laptops, it can be trickier to determine how frequently this bit of kit will need an upgrade. For the purpose of this blog when we talk about phones below, we mean a smartphone.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll probably need to update a phone when software updates are no longer supported. How long a software provider updates their products
tends to differ, iPhone software tends to be updated for a 5 to 6 year period, Android for a 2 or 3 year period.
If you’re well within that time frame and you’re experiencing a slowdown, you may be able to get away with something simple like changing the battery. It also goes without saying that you should check to ensure your phone doesn’t have a virus that is slowing it down.
As a business owner, there will be a lot of things on your plate that you are juggling and frequently making sure you’re making good use of IT falls to the bottom of the priority list.
This is where partnering with WebbyTech can help. By outsourcing your IT you can make sure that someone is ensuring your technology is up to date, keeping you effective and protected.
Learn more about the services we provide
here or
contact us directly for a no obligations conversation.
