This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Women on Business’ sponsor partner, Intel.
Did you know that old technology can cost your business a significant amount of money each year? This includes old PCs that can directly and indirectly hurt your bottom-line in multiple ways which you may not even realize. Take a look at three of those ways below as well as a simple solution to fix the problem.
1. Reduced Productivity
Do you find yourself waiting for your PC to start, save documents, open documents, or complete simple processes that leave you tapping your fingers impatiently? If so, your old PC is costing your business money by limiting your productivity. If you have multiple employees using old PCs, the loss in productivity (and corresponding loss of money) is compounded.
2. Rising Maintenance Costs
Remember when you first got your PC and everything ran perfectly? You could print, save, and do everything else you needed – with multiple applications running at the same time – without any problems. Today – not so much. Instead, your computer freezes and you find yourself calling for help more often than you’d like. Maintenance costs add up quickly when you’re using older PCs.
3. Security Vulnerabilities
Your company is at risk if your data, your customers’ data, and your files aren’t secure. Unfortunately, older PCs have more security vulnerabilities than newer PCs. Bottom-line, a new PC gives you confidence that your information and your work are secure, so you have freedom from worrying.
The Solution
Fortunately, the solution to this problem is simple – upgrade your PC (or PCs). While there is a cost associated with a PC upgrade, the value you’ll gain in terms of increased productivity, lowered maintenance costs, and reduced security vulnerabilities is worth the investment. For example, when you upgrade to a new PC with the new 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, you’ll get the following benefits:
- Get More Done: 2.3x higher productivity vs. a 5-year old PC 2,3
- Work Seamlessly Across All Web Applications: 1.9x better web performance vs. a 5-year old PC 2,4
- Save Money: Recoup the $17,000+ per year that an old PC can cost your business in lost productivity 1
- Save Time: Recoup the 11 hours per year that you waste waiting for your old PC to finish processes 1
- Boost Productivity: Regain productivity lost to old computers which make employees 29% less productive 1
You can change your PC and your business by upgrading your old computers to new systems. Intel offers four types of computers to support a variety of business types and use cases:
- Desktop Computers: Desktops provide strong performance for core business tasks and are perfect for inventory, accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), purchasing, and sales.
- All-in-One Computers: All-in-ones have big screens but create less office clutter. They’re good for content creation and graphic design.
- Thin and Light Computers: Thin and lights offer productivity on the go. They’re great for remote work, cloud computing, and presentations.
- 2-in-1 Computers: 2-in-1s offer excellent customer experiences. They’re good for customer service, direct sales, client meetings, and note-taking.
Buying Tips
When you’re buying a new PC, make sure you buy what you need, but don’t overbuy. Do your homework in advance and look for the features that will help you get your work done without unnecessary bells and whistles. Here are some things to look for:
- Processor: The processor is responsible for the speed that your computer loads programs and completes processes. Look for a processor with an adequate amount of cores and speed to complete the tasks you do on a daily basis.
- RAM: Random Access Memory is what enables you to multitask on your PC. If you like to go back and forth between email, your internet browser, and multiple applications at the same time, then you’ll want a computer that offers plenty of RAM.
- Hard Drive: Your computer’s hard drive is where all of your files and programs are stored. You need enough space for everything but you also need to consider how fast you want to be able to transfer data to and from your hard drive. The hard drive speed determines how fast you can transfer data.
- Peripherals: Do you need a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, webcam, speakers, and so on? If not, then you can save some money on your new PC purchase, so take an inventory of what peripherals you can continue to use that won’t affect your productivity if you keep using them.
Importantly, make sure you’re purchasing a computer that was built for business use. You don’t need a gamer’s computer if you’ll be using your PC to create simple spreadsheets all day. However, if you’re a video editor, engineer, or graphic designer, you’ll need a powerful PC that can open and run large graphics files plus email, a web browser, and more all at the same time and without any performance issues. Remember, buy what you need but don’t overbuy.
Finally, keep in mind that extended support for the Windows 7 operating system will end by January 14, 2020, which is just over one year away. At that time, upgrading will become even more important for the safety of your PC, not to mention ongoing compatibility with new software (both offline and online/SaaS). In other words, after January 14, 2020, your PC could become more vulnerable to security attacks and it might not work with new software that you install locally on your hard drive or access online via the cloud.
According to NetMarketShare’s data as of October 2018, only 35.27% of Windows users had upgraded to the latest operating system, Windows 10, while 41.82% were still using Windows 7. Of course, it’s not mandatory to upgrade to Windows 10 before January 14, 2020, but it is one more factor to consider when deciding whether or not it’s the right time to upgrade your business PCs.
1. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/business/small-business/sme-pc-study.html
2. Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more complete information visit www.intel.com/benchmarks. Benchmark (or estimated) results were obtained prior to implementation of recent software patches and firmware updates intended to address exploits referred to as “Spectre” and “Meltdown”. Implementation of these updates may make these results inapplicable to your device or system.
3. Get more done with up to 2.3x faster multitasking for business productivity vs. your 5-year-old PC. As measured by Office Productivity and Multitasking Workload on Intel Reference Platform.
4. Work seamlessly across your cloud applications with up to 1.9x better web performance vs. your 5-year-old PC. As measured by WebXPRT* 2015 on Intel Reference Platform.
SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS FOR INTEL® CORE I5 PROCESSOR-BASED COMPUTERS (MOBILE FOCUS)
New System: Intel® Core™ i5-8250U Processor, PL1=15W TDP, 4C8T, Turbo up to 3.4GHz, Memory: 8GB DDR4-2400, Storage: Intel 600p SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620, OS: Windows* 10
5-Year-Old System: Intel® Core™ i5-3317U Processor, PL1=15W TDP, 2C4T, Turbo up to 3.6GHz, on Dell* XPS 12, Memory: 8GB DDR3, Storage: SSD, Intel HD Graphics 4000, OS: Windows* 10
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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