Buying New Hardware for Your Business

Are you thinking about buying new hardware for your business? There’s a lot to consider when purchasing, and you might not be sure where to begin. Let’s explore a few of these considerations to find out if you should buy new hardware for your business.

If you’re running your own business, it’s best to consult an IT service provider whose vast expertise can assist you when making decisions about what upgrades should be made and how. They’ll consider your future plans and the current costs of these upgrades. For example, Computers In The City, a local IT support provider in London provides such services, including advice and help troubleshooting any issues during the transition. If you’re upgrading components of a machine - such as the processor of your PC – you’ll want an expert to do it. Such a complicated procedure could have dire consequences if the wrong person attempts to make the switch.

How to Know If You Should Upgrade
How can you know if your business needs an IT equipment upgrade?

Sometimes, it may not be an apparent need, but the upgrade could significantly increase productivity. For example, more sophisticated technology can give employees greater access to customer data, including remotely, or it can automate processes in order to save them precious time and energy.

You should be aware of your current network’s capacity, including the processors and memory space on PCs and servers. If your business is expanding and you’re hiring more staff, you may have more people using the computers in the office at a time. This extra usage will take up more memory from the main server. Additionally, your company may want to make use of new apps which are memory and processor intensive. If you’re intending to add apps in the near future, an upgrade is advisable. Finally, you and your staff can tell when basic functionalities will have become tedious and slow. Obviously, it’s not in the company’s best interest if staff become frustrated trying to complete basic tasks.

Save Money by Upgrading Individual Components
You may not need to upgrade entire units of your IT equipment. Rather, you could potentially just upgrade the components which make the most financial sense to invest money in. For example, instead of replacing an entire PC, you can simply replace the memory or hard drive. Hard drives of older computers may run at 4200 rpm, but there will be a significant difference in speed if you exchange it for a hard drive which operates at 7200 rpm, or even better: a SSD. Additionally, you can consider using adapters to give your machines certain functionality they currently lack, such as wi-fi or Bluetooth. There are cheap PC cards and other such devices that can solve these issues easily. However, if the cost of updating current equipment becomes too high or exceeds half the cost of the original item, then it’s probably best to buy a new machine.

Purchasing Hardware
There are many factors to take into consideration when buying new IT equipment for your business. The first is to ensure the pieces you buy suit the needs of your particular company. To determine how advanced or what type of equipment you need, think about the functions you want your IT to perform. For example, if you’re running a very small company, a basic set-up with a few PCs may suffice. If you have anything more complex to take into account, you may want to consider different types of networking requirements, operating systems, or potentially web servers needed.

New additions should be compatible with the existing hardware not being replaced. If you’re just upgrading components, ensure the costs aren’t high enough to merit upgrading the whole system.

Lastly, it’s important to think about the long term. This means considering your company’s future plans, keeping in mind that the life expectancy of computer hardware parts is three to four years for desktops and five for servers. There might be upcoming changes in your business plans and strategies, in the number of or type of employees you hire, or changes in the market you’re in which need to be considered down the road.

Cost Considerations
As IT equipment costs a significant amount, be careful how you spend your money and make informed decisions before purchasing. First, review your business' past, current, and future needs. Don’t buy new equipment because it has exciting or flashy features if those abilities aren’t necessary for you. An easy way to begin this assessment is to talk to your team. After all, the staff are using the equipment and know best what they need, or what tools could enhance their efficiency. Take care of them by buying new equipment so they’re comfortable performing their duties. If you have several different teams, they may require different types of equipment. Be aware and ask them what their needs are. For example, teams working on visuals or media may need large screens and monitors while others can get by with laptops.

Although hardware may be expensive, it may very well be worth the investment. If your employees can perform at their best, this will increase productivity and ultimately enhance the business and its profit-making potential. It may also cancel out other recurring costs, such as constantly making repairs or using external services which provide access (for a fee) to equipment you can buy yourself.

To Upgrade or Not?
You should be keeping track of your company’s hardware needs on a regular basis. Letting it go for too long can slow processes down and limit productivity. Make sure you communicate with your staff so you know if they’re comfortable with the IT equipment they currently have and how their needs may change soon. Consider the costs involved and decide if it makes the most sense to upgrade parts of equipment or the whole system altogether. Keep in mind: some IT investments are worth their returns for your business in the long-term. To help you consider all these factors, decide what to purchase, and install the new hardware, it’s best to hire an IT service provider to assist you and your business.