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Qualities of an Aging Server

managed IT services San AntonioManaged IT services in San Antonio can help you upgrade operations, institute the newest technology solutions, maximize existing hardware and determine when it’s time to upgrade or make a transition. With servers especially, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.

First, they’re on their way out. They’ll persist for decades in certain areas, and there will always be business needs in corporate and government spheres that are too sensitive for cloud options. However, businesses of varying sizes are making the cloud switch. It saves money, maximizes existing resources, increases competitive ability and offers utilities that are otherwise unavailable— like real-time Big Data solutions. Internal servers offer certain levels of customization, as well as security, which makes some companies ignore the cloud.

Still, those servers have a shelf life. They will need to be maintained, and there will come a time when they must be replaced. Several signs indicating that replacement is necessary include:

  • Usage for three or more years
  • Expired warranties
  • Unstable operations

Length of Operations

Managed IT services providers in San Antonio often recommend changing servers at intervals between three and five years depending on the intensiveness of server operation. There are a few reasons for this. One, Moore’s Law predicates technological computation ability doubling every 18 months or so. This trickles down to the mass market by about three years’ time, meaning your computing power quickly becomes obsolete if you don’t upgrade. Two, usage over that time degrades operational ability in a way that can steadily slow down and hamper operations so that refraining from making the switch actually ends up costing you as much— or more— than the upgrade over time.

Expired Warranties and Storage 

If the company that provided the server won’t insure it via warranty after a certain period of time, that likely means they’ve statistically determined that after a certain period of use, it will be costly for them to serve your needs. If they don’t have faith in their own equipment past a certain date, why should you? They obviously know it inside and out. Warranties everywhere have the commonality of calculated design. So, take that seriously. Certainly, it’s possible to keep servers running long past traditional warranties, and for certain businesses, this won’t pose a threat to forward operations. They only need the servers for certain storage needs. Then again, as technology expands, so do basic storage capacity thresholds. If you don’t upgrade, perfectly operating servers may still be strained.

Instability

Perhaps the clearest sign that it’s time to upgrade is having operations that are continuously unstable. The occasional hiccup isn’t a big deal and should be expected. You’ll be able to get that fixed, and you shouldn’t experience the same hiccup on a regular basis. However, if things are “iffy” and programs are always freezing when used in a basic way, replacement should be considered.

Streamlined Operations

Sometimes, it’s time to replace, and sometimes it’s time to transition. Accordingly, managed IT services in San Antonio through ICS can help you assess, acquire, replace and build servers. We also offer cloud solutions and a number of other technology provisions. Contact us for support and acquisition regarding today’s technology market.