7 Signs Your Technology Is Outdated

Technology is continually improving, and at times it can be difficult to keep up to date with these changes. However, failing to do so can result in wasted time and energy, and it could end up hurting you or your business in the end. Here are 7 signs that your business technology is outdated.

Slow Connection Speed

If you can remember back to the early days of the internet, when a dial-up connection was the primary option for connecting to the web, then chances are you will also remember the incredibly slow speeds that came with using a dial-up modem. And while you may have a faster connection than dial-up, it is still possible that it is outdated. If you feel that connections speeds are slow, check with your service provider to find out if there are upgrades available.

Security Attacks

A cyber-attack on your  home or business can be devastating, but even small scale malware and viruses can cause significant problems. If you frequently need to runn malware removers and virus scanners to clean the computer system, then this could indicate that it is out of date, and therefore, it can be more susceptible to a cyber-attack.

Computer Continually Crashes

There are many reasons that computers crash and the foremost of these is the age of the computer. Similar to updating software and operating systems, upgrading a computer is something that people are hesitant to tackle, but a failure to do so can make the computer more prone to crashing. When a computer crashes it can wipe out anything that was not saved and could result in significant delays.

Productivity is Slowed

Along with outdated equipment, comes a slowing of productivity. When computers crash and operating systems freeze up, it can take several minutes to get the computer restarted and back to the place where you left off. When this happens multiple times per day, on more than one machine, this downtime can add up quickly. By the end of the day, it is possible to have lost an hour or more of time that could have been far more productive with properly functioning computers.

Running Old Versions of Windows

Windows has been around for more than two decades now, and if your company is running older versions, then this could mean that it is time to upgrade. There are still many businesses that run Windows XP on their company computers because they are afraid of the obstacles that might be encountered when upgrading to the newest version of Windows. It is true, there may be some adjustments needed when familiarizing yourself with new technologies, but it will be well worth it.

Hardware Can’t Be Upgraded

Replacing hardware can be costly, but a failure to do so can cause an array of issues. The primary problem in using outdated hardware is the inability to upgrade software. As technologies progress, software makers slowly phase out older versions and, in this case, the new versions of the software may not be compatible with aged equipment.

Increased Utility Bills

In the early days of computers, conserving energy was not so much a concern as it is in the world of today. Because there was never much regard for energy consumption, and many energy saving technologies were unavailable, older equipment tends to use far more energy than up-to-date versions. While using a single outdated computer may not affect the energy bills for the home user, if you are a business or organization using dozens of them, this increased power consumption can be costly.

Using outdated equipment can cause unwanted delays, an increased number of cyber-attacks, and it could lead to increased energy bills. If you’re experiencing any of these issues, it’s time to take a good, long look at your tech.

Heidi Finigan is a technology enthusiast with an unquenchable love for all types of new gadgets and apps. Her passion for technology manifests in her job too as she writes for VPN Compass, often covering Internet and data security topics.