How Often Should Businesses Replace or Update Servers?

With the world of technology changing every day it can be difficult and expensive to keep up with the latest technology. That is why most small businesses prefer to keep using the same computers well past their expiration date. This is usually not a problem with small workstations, but professional IT consultants in San Diego highly recommend that servers be upgraded more often. Here are some of the reasons why.

Operating Systems

Every few years, there is a new operating system that is released that has new features that may strengthen security, streamline business processes and improve overall performance and stability. Although this can sometimes be time consuming, the costs are easily outweighed by the benefits of upgrading a server operating system.

Hardware

As we all know, computer hardware can get slower over time as components start to age and become obsolete. This is also true when it comes to servers. If you think of a server, it is basically a high performance computer that can handle a large number of processes at the same time. So, keeping server hardware up to date and replacing it completely every few years is always a good idea. If you feel like routine hardware updates are a cost that you cannot afford, you can always consider hardware as a service, which provides you with updated technology at a predictable monthly cost.

Warranty

It is also good practice to replace a server before its warranty has expired. Servers can be very expensive pieces of equipment. If something happens to a server while it is still under warranty by the manufacturer it will not cost as much out of pocket to repair. Also, the manufacturer will be able to provide support if needed.

When is it Time to Upgrade?

Because of the these factors, it is recommended to upgrade or replace servers every 3 to 5 years to make sure that the system is running at optimal performance and is not causing any unnecessary slowness for users. Replacing hardware every few years is also important to make sure that there are no hidden issues that will cause problems in the future.

Preventing a disaster is always better than recovering from one. To find out how to better protect your business, contact Syndeo Communications and work with our expert IT consultants to find a long-term plan to protect your servers. And if you’re already experiencing a server problem, our San Diego IT support experts will be more than happy to assist you. Call us at 760-650-3300 today.