3 ways you will be let down by your legacy IT
1. Security breach
Many a big name has fallen victim to a security breach due to legacy IT systems still in place. As we know, older systems are likely to be more susceptible to malware. For example, in 2001 Windows XP was the most up-to-date system of the time as it had just being newly released, but support for the operating system ceased in 2014. However, according to a survey last year, some 52% of businesses were still running at least one instance of XP. According to Microsoft, XP is six times more likely to be infected with malware than newer versions of Windows. Investing in Windows 10 means more security, and as it is said to be ‘the last version of Windows’, you may never have to buy another version.
2. Throwing money away
You might not want to dig deep for the latest tech but maintaining legacy systems can be extremely costly. According to global research and advisory firm Gartner, 60 to 80% of IT budgets are spent on maintaining legacy applications. The truth is these systems tend to outlive their original mandates and therefore require a lot of modification in order to keep performing duties.
“48% of employees are wasting at least three hours a day by working with inefficient systems, which costs the average UK business at least £28,000, according to a recent study by The Access Group”
Technology is evolving exponentially and as new technologies emerge they are continuing to increase in performance, making most of them drastically cheaper to operate in the long run. The cost of out-dated technology maintenance can rapidly become a burden to businesses trying to keep finances under control.
3. Inefficiency
48% of employees are wasting at least three hours a day by working with inefficient systems, which costs the average UK business at least £28,000, according to a recent study by The Access Group. Using out-dated IT can be extremely frustrating for employees; legacy systems tend to support standard file and data formats, but then these formats evolve so much over time that legacy systems cannot handle them. This means businesses may struggle when working with clients with newer technology.
“SCC are specialists in providing scalable colocation services that will significantly reduce your operating costs whilst keeping you firmly in control of your business’s most valuable asset – its data”
What does your legacy IT say about you?
Putting all of the above issues to one side, what does the acceptance of a legacy IT system say about you to your workforce and your clients? Some may interpret this as being unwilling to change, get with the times, and not supporting and investing in employees so they can do their job to the best of their ability. Is that a reputation you want?
What are the best options?
More and more businesses are turning to colocation, i.e hosting their IT in a secure, well-managed and well-hosted data centre. SCC are specialists in providing scalable colocation services that will significantly reduce your operating costs whilst keeping you firmly in control of your business’s most valuable asset – its data. By hosting your equipment in our Tier 3+, ISO accredited and IL3 compliant data facilities that are highly secure, have fast, reliable connectivity from a wide range of suppliers in an extremely resilient environment, your organisation will dramatically save on capital expenditure. Get rid of your legacy IT and colocate with SCC