Technology is ever-changing; there’s always a slimmer, faster phone coming to the market, or a computer with better HD graphics and processing speed. It can make it tricky to know where the line is between what is ‘junk’ and needs replacing, versus what is ‘out-of-date’ and simply no longer in fashion.

In many cases, old equipment isn’t simply a case of aesthetics. It can lower productivity, increase downtime, and cause frustration among staff. The lifecycle of your equipment will very much be based on your company and how you use them. For example, the size of your business and how many offices you have, the IT professionals you have on hand, and what your staff use the equipment for.

If your systems have broken down and you’re in need of urgent repairs or assistance, you can always get in touch for remote support, in which a member of our staff is able to take control of your device and fix it for you. This can help to increase the life-span of your device.

Likewise, putting in place regular maintenance works and checks, downloading new updates, and checking for spam and viruses can all help to improve the lifespan of your IT equipment. It’s always important to be on the hunt for spyware and malware attacks as this can have a huge impact on your business, the safety of your information, and how well your PC works. This is one of the key things that can help increase the lifespan of the equipment, along with environmental conditions (such as where it is kept), the manufacturer, and how the user looks after the equipment.

Typically you can expect for your mobile phone to last for around two years, your laptop to last around three years, and your desktop computer to last approximately four years. Servers will tend to last about five years, as will networking equipment, while monitors will last for about eight years.

In the event that your IT equipment fails you, don’t worry. It is possible to refurbish equipment (although the cost of this should not outweigh buying a new replacement). Likewise, while it’s good to already have a cloud-based server in place to ensure your information is always kept in a secure and accessible location, and to also do regular back-ups of your hard-drive, you can also rely on Absolutely PC for data recovery and disk wiping.

Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help your business secure and protect your IT equipment.