The year is rapidly coming to an end, and as we get closer to the New Year many companies will be happy to see 2012 move into the annals of history. If you believe the world will end in December, then this is definitely not the article for you. However, on the other hand if you are a business that is looking forward to another great year in 2013 with seamless computer performance, then you might want to read a little further.
There are numerous things that need to happen as you start to look at the new year, and now is the time to start planning for a computer upgrade. Whether it is your operating software, which is going to lose its customer support, or hardware that is starting to get too old the time has come to start planning a budget to replace or upgrade equipment and software before you start to get behind the curve. Here are a few areas to consider.
XP Professional: If you are running this software, then it is definitely time to start looking at options for upgrading your software. As Microsoft has moved to better software, with a more stable base, it is now looking at no longer supporting the XP platform for updates or customer support. There are more than a few reasons to consider upgrading from XP Pro, this is just the icing on the cake. Adding a more stable platform, that also has exceptional business add ons like Windows 7 Pro could make a huge impact on a business’s productivity, besides enhancing its security and improving its performance with regard to information technology and processing. Windows has continued to upgrade and improve its performance, so this could be the perfect time to dust off the cobwebs, get rid of XP Pro and start the New Year with an outstanding and upgraded software platform. If you need help getting the software on all of your computer systems there are several great technical services providers who are able to assist.
Hardware: One of the limitations of hardware is that it has a shelf life. In other words if you have hardware that is approaching a certain level of maturity, it is time to replace it with newer and upgraded equipment. If you have computers that are three years or older then it is definitely time for you to start considering an upgrade. The great news for companies is that the price of most hardware has dropped significantly over the last few years so upgrading should not be that expensive. On the other hand if you do not upgrade hardware that is over three years old, you stand the risk of losing data which could be a lot more expensive than upgrading the hardware. Replacing hardware for office computers is definitely a job for professionals, so it is always recommended that you get an evaluation of all your computers as we go into the New Year before replacing hardware. Once you know what needs to be replaced, a seasoned professional can do all the heavy lifting.
If you are thinking growth, and most businesses are then you need to start considering that all the new workers you will be bringing on will also need computers, this means adding more software licensing. Planning for new computers is always a great idea as the New Year rolls around, and there is no better way to plan for success. Making sure that you have the right type of equipment and the right licenses is important for the business to start off a new employee on the right foot.
Finally as the year draws to a close many business find themselves need to renew a lot of contracts. If you are a larger company, you probably have an accountant, a bookkeeper or an administrator to take care of it. If you are a small or midsized company, December is a great month to start thinking about those contract renewals. Some of the services you might want to get renewed early to ensure continuity of services are the phone, the internet, and your computer technical services. As you go through these contracts it is time to take into consideration what your needs have been for the last year and what you believe will be the business needs into 2013. Upgrading or adding on services is always best handled during contract renewals when you may get a better price due to specials. Many companies also offer specials during the New Year.
So as the holidays near, it is time to start making plans for the future. Make a few resolutions, build a few plans, and prepare to have a great technological New Year.
