upgrade hardware Archives

5 Things to Consider When Upgrading Your Servers

PC Server, Tower, Updates, upgrade hardware, Windows Serverhardware, Server, UpgradeOphtek, LLC

Sep 2018

Your server is the backbone of your organization’s IT functionality, but what do you need to consider when it’s time to upgrade?

Purchasing and installing a new server is a massive move for any organization. Install the best server for your needs and your productivity should skyrocket. Choose one that doesn’t quite fit with your business and it will seriously harm the way you’re able to operate. Therefore, choosing the correct server is important if you value your organization’s future.

Moving forward, though, isn’t always straightforward due to the complexity of such an upgrade. To help simplify matters, we’re going to share five things to consider when upgrading your servers.

The Right Performance

First and foremost, you have to make sure that any potential new server is able to meet the needs of your organization’s IT needs. The main reason that an organization looks to upgrade is because the current technology isn’t able to fulfill their existing needs. Consulting with various department heads and IT professionals is essential to gauge the necessary requirements, so start by compiling this information and work from there.

Is Integration Possible?

You’ve more than likely got an existing server in place, but upgrading doesn’t mean that you need to chuck your old one out with the trash. In fact, it’s possible that you’ll be able to integrate vast sections of your existing server into your new server. Not only does this potentially save you costs on new technology, but it also provides a level of consistency in terms of staff knowledge on the existing technology.

Costs?

Performance, of course, is paramount, but price is equally important as all organizations work to a strict budget. Once you understand your performance needs, the next step is to evaluate which available servers meet this most closely. Technology, after all, can be costly, so you shouldn’t be paying for any technology that won’t be of use to your organization’s output.

Factor in Maintenance

A brand new server is fantastic, but even the most up to date technology needs to be maintained. Any length of downtime is disastrous for any organization which understands the basics of productivity, so the shrewdest move with servers is to ensure that some form of maintenance cover is put in place. Often, there will be a warranty included with new technology, but this will always have an expiry date, so make sure you start asking about extended warranty options from an early stage.

Future Upgrades?

It may seem counter-intuitive to consider future scalability as you upgrade, but looking to the future is vital when it comes to working with IT technology. The rapid pace at which technology expands means that you may need to consider growing your server a lot sooner than you expected. Discussing expansion options is crucial to safeguard against being lumbered with huge costs in the future when your existing technology is unable to expand further to keep pace.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

What are the Benefits of Upgrading Your Hardware?

hardware, Repairs and Upgrades, Security, upgrade hardwarehardware, Performance, security, UpgradeOphtek, LLC

Jun 2018

Upgrading hardware can be a costly affair, so it’s often easier to stick with your existing hardware. How many benefits, though, are you missing out on?

New hardware is constantly being released, but there are two main reasons that organizations shy away from investing:

The initial costs are deemed too high when the current hardware can meet a certain level of performance
The downtime involved in installing new software is a major turnoff due to the break in productivity it can cause

However, aside from these necessary evils, upgrading your hardware can bring a wide range of benefits that your organization cannot ignore. To help you understand why upgrading could make a real difference to your productivity, here’s a list of the benefits:

Enhanced Performance

New hardware will almost always be quicker and more productive than your existing hardware. Technology advances at such a rapid pace that external hard drives hold more storage space than ever, printers print more sheets per minute and servers can operate at much higher speeds. With this increase in productivity, your organization can achieve more and increase the time available to advance your operations even further.

Increased Security

Cyber security is becoming more and more important, so it’s no surprise to find that it’s become a major selling point of new hardware. Not only is new hardware protected from all existing threats, hackers are unfamiliar with these new systems. Therefore, there’s less chance of them becoming vulnerable to security threats for a significant period of time. Additionally, support will be available for new hardware for much longer than your existing technology.

Downtime is Reduced

While it’s true that installing new hardware results in a certain amount of downtime, new hardware will actually reduce your organization’s IT downtime in the long run. Older hardware becomes less reliable over time and this is why crashes on older systems can easily become commonplace. However, with hardware upgraded, you’ll soon discover how your downtime is reduced due to the increased reliability of your new hardware.

Better Communications

Upgrading hardware can seriously boost your organization’s ability to communicate. Video conferencing software, for example, has now expanded into 4K technology and this not only looks fantastic, but also allows your organization to communicate clearly and professionally. And when it comes to communication technology, you want to be using the very best to engage with your staff and your customers.

Better Experience for your Employees

Your employees want to be using the best technology as it makes their jobs easier and more productive. Say, for example, your network is prone to lags in speed, this is going to seriously frustrate your employees who are unable to connect to certain applications. However, with upgraded hardware you’re enhancing your employees’ experience. No longer is there any delay in completing tasks and, as a result, they can achieve more than ever in a timely manner.