Computers that are more than four years old may be costing companies more money than renewing them, according to a study by Techaisle, a leading IT market research and analysis firm for small and medium businesses.
These studied announced that Mexican Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) could be spending more to maintain computer equipment four or more years old than to renew them, according to a study conducted by the Techaisle firm.
Repairs and failures cost productivity.
Techaisle’s study estimates that there are at least $ 350 million in lost productivity per year in Mexico for SMEs. These data are based on the fact that there are 4.1 million micro, small, and medium enterprises in the country.
SMEs generate 72% of employment and 52% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. For its study, Techaisle calculates that each of these companies has at least one computer that is more than four years old.
To carry out the study, Techaisle took into account the opinions and responses of 200 decision-makers in Information Technology (IT) within Mexican SMEs. The firm found that the annual cost of maintaining a PC for more than four years is more than $ 800 per device. Also, these PCs are 2.5 times more likely to undergo repairs, resulting in an average of 204 hours of lost productivity per device.
35% of the PCs that are used today by Mexican SMEs are four or more years old. Also, 36% of these companies do not have a technology update policy or do not follow it.
“PCs are the productive engine of many of the small and medium-sized companies in the country, which depend heavily on these devices for their daily tasks. Hence the importance of these companies adopting a modernization strategy that allows them to maintain the profitability of the business, by reducing, for example, the costs of IT administration, increasing their productivity and protecting their organization from new digital risks,” said Ricardo Barriga, channel director at Intel Mexico.
Cybersecurity, an important concern for SMEs
Beyond the impact on the cost and productivity of SMEs, the study also highlights other key considerations such as security, which turned out to be the second most important priority for the IT area after Cloud. The study indicated that, in the last year, 54% of Mexican SMEs suffered security breaches and information theft.
The biggest concerns of SMEs in terms of the security of their computer equipment are viruses or other malware attacks (70%), data and information theft by employees or others (54%), network intrusions (52 %), and loss or theft of devices (45%).
The adoption of technological advances means great opportunities for all types of businesses.
·The constant evolution has allowed us to do more things with less and has facilitated many processes, all this in a safer way.”, said Carlos Bueso, director of channels, SMEs and corporate accounts of Microsoft Mexico.
The digital transformation, which has already taken a step forward, is not only about making the processes digital but also taking advantage of current trends to be more efficient and contributing to the growth of companies. Today, SMEs must also take another leap and rely on what technology offers: agile and flexible intelligence systems and solutions. It is essential that technology companies make a joint effort to publicize the benefits of adopting the latest innovations and continue working increasingly to make solutions accessible and inclusive.
In conclusion, Mexican SMEs have the opportunity to improve their general operations with modern devices. For those who have already begun the transition to newer devices, the study revealed that:
- 85% found reductions in general maintenance costs by acquiring new computer equipment.
- 84% believe that new PCs allow IT personnel to manage and resolve problems remotely.
- 83% concluded that the new PCs made their employees more productive.
- 81% said they improved their collaboration with new PCs that allowed them to use business-class communications and videoconferences.
Budget and compatibility: main barriers to updating PCs
Through the study, it was discovered that the main barrier for small and medium-sized businesses to migrate their old to new computer equipment lies in the concern that the applications of the old devices may not work in a more modern operating system, in addition to the lack of budget. However, the benefits of adopting an advanced device strategy are more significant than concerns.
“The positive impact of renewing technology in small and medium enterprises can be high, and we work hand in hand with our business partners to offer them tailored alternatives. An example of this is the device as a Service (DaaS) modality, which allows organizations to have access to state-of-the-art computer equipment, with a variety of services and software according to the specific needs of the company, through a monthly fee subscription,” Barriga added.