When should you replace your equipment for your IT network?
More than half of all IT managers replace their computer fleet every three years. Often because they have a diverse fleet, others replace the computers in thirds or even in fifths. When it comes to IT network management services, there’s a certain number of criteria on which to rely to choose the best strategy for replacing your fleet.
Replace the equipment at the end of the warranty period
Most manufacturers offer a three-year warranty. Beyond that, updating the tools is an increasingly complex operation. Finding spare parts also becomes difficult. In addition, when you finally find the famous part for a computer that’s no longer under warranty, the manufacturer takes much longer to deliver it, and the computer is immobilized.
Take the updates into account
With aging equipment, as time goes by, the less access you have to the latest software tools and updates. The computer is no longer capable of supporting the new versions of operating systems, software, and antivirus programs. Beyond four years, it therefore becomes impossible to have an efficient and compatible tool. As for the security of the network, it’s no longer guaranteed, as security updates can no longer be performed.
Even if you can install the new versions of software on old equipment, their weight considerably slows down the machine, and the employee finds themselves with a computer that works worse and slower. Windows updates, for example, appear every two years on average. You can choose to replace your equipment at the end of these two years or keep it until the next update, knowing that it will be difficult to make it last through this second go-around.
Homogenize the fleet or keep a diverse fleet
When you inherit a diverse computer fleet, you can opt for the solution consisting of replacing everything during the next equipment replacement, or just a section. You should know that the latter option is more economical in terms of investment, but not in terms of fleet management: administering a computer fleet is complex when the technological gaps between the workstations are too significant. The compatibility of the workstations is sometimes impossible, and you have to manage different operating systems and software versions. In addition, the automated operations are limited: for example, reinstalling the OS and applications using deployment software is excluded.
Take the needs of the users into consideration
Based on how the workstations are used, the needs aren’t the same. For example, it’s not necessary to replace a computer that’s primarily used for word processing as often as a workstation used for computer-assisted design or production management.
Waiting for problems to occur before replacing defective equipment isn’t a good solution for managing your fleet: you should invest quickly, and in the absence of a real fleet replacement strategy, you’ll wind up with diverse equipment. Don’t wait until you receive complaints from users about the slowness or malfunctioning of their computers; implement a real strategy. And if you’re thinking of completely replacing the fleet, remember that you’ll certainly receive a substantial discount considering the significant number of computers purchased.
