If you have a network server in your business, then you probably know the importance of having a reliable and fast central data server, and what could possibly be the worst case scenario if it were to go down. When a network server goes down or has hardware/software issues, you as the business owner are not only losing money due to down time, but also all the work and time that has to be done once the server is back up and running. To avoid these costly disruptions most experts would agree that being pro-active and making sure you have all your technology up to date and your data backed up offsite properly is of most importance.

Can your business survive by being down a day or two- what about a week or more?

Here are 6 things to remember about your network server and business computer hardware.

1. Everything has a life cycle and will breakdown eventually. the life cycle of a computer now is much shorter than years ago, a PC should be replaced every 2-3 years to cut down on lost productivity due to hardware requirements being outdated for today’s software. Servers are no exception- although server replacement is suggested every 3-5 years, and may have to be done more often depending on your business growth and demands, it is the most vital portion of your business network. It is the Brains of your business, don’t go brain dead!
2. Computer servers, and PC’s on average have become less expensive and allow your employees to be more productive. By keeping up with today’s high memory demands, employees will be able to accomplish their tasks much faster. If your car only went ten miles per hour, it would take you a long time to get anywhere, the same is true with your network hardware, as software needs become more demanding on the computers they tend to slow down and tasks that should take only a few minutes end up taking 4 to 5 times longer or worse, so you end up paying more for them to do their work.
3. Computers and network servers have become more reliable, more cost effective, and consume much less power than just a year ago. With advanced features for power management and automation of everyday tasks like backups, today’s PC’s and servers can save you money and time.
4. The latest operating systems installed on PC’s and Servers like Microsoft Windows 2008 server, Microsoft Windows 2011 server and Microsoft windows7 professional have built in features and advanced technologies to make them run more efficiently and trouble free. No system is perfect but the new features of these operating systems allows them to use the hardware and memory installed and really give you the extra power you need.
5. PC’s and Servers need to be upgraded when new software is released or installed/updated. Due to growing system requirements, today’s network servers and network PC’s can handle much larger amounts of memory (RAM), which enables programs and functions to run much faster. You can run multiple applications without noticing slow downs and lagging computers.
   For example the minimum system requirements for Microsoft office (Microsoft word,Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook) to run is https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/microsoft-office-2010-system-requirements-HA101810407.aspx#_Toc250543105
6. New technologies can not only automate everyday tasks performed by your server, but can also allow you to work more closely with your business members and employees, by using Microsoft Exchange server or Microsoft Sharepoint you can share calendars, email folders and other information you use on a daily basis, making your sales team, office staff a more collective team thru collaboration.

One thing to remember about old PC’s and server hardware is, once the life cycle of that has expired with the manufacturer (DELL is currently 7 years on most servers) they will no longer supply or have those parts on hand, leaving you or your network technician scrambling trying to just find the part. One recent example is we had a client who had a power outage at their building, upon the power coming back, the main server would not start. Upon iPoint diagnosing the issue in a matter of 5 minutes (bad power supply) the search was on, This server was 5 years old and DELL needed 48 hours just to locate the proper part, after turning to the internet and searching for it only a handful of them showed up on places like ebay and refurbished parts houses. iPoint was able to locate a DELL supplier and get it overnight but due to the order not being able to be placed because the supplier was on the east coast and closed before we could get an order, the client was down for 1 and a half days. The client was not happy due to lost wages and salaries, lost productivity, and the fact they could not do anything but email and internet surfing.

Although your computer network server may be running trouble free and requires little maintenance and support right now, are you just waiting for that moment?

To keep your network running smooth and efficient Information Point Technologies offers a wide range of computer network services including consulting and pro-active maintenance plans as well as offsite backup solutions and remote 24/7/365 monitoring of your servers. For more information or to schedule a check of your systems, visit https://ipoint-tech.com or you can call (970) 266-0703.