Hardware Plays Hard to Get

As we were writing this issue of Technology Update, tariffs hit the fan. We have discussed their possible impact on prices before, but that was hypothetical. Now, they’re real, but we’re still not sure where they will land and how they will affect supplies and prices. At the same time, technological advances make hardware obsolete faster.

Before tariffs were officially announced, we saw a 10 percent minimum increase in hardware prices. Now, nobody is betting on how long the tariffs will stay in effect and for how long. Anyone who’s been living on the bleeding edge of their hardware’s service life – and there are many – has to feel uncomfortable because there is uncertainty supplies, prices and delivery dates.

That discomfort is heightened by a crunch from software providers, who need to meet demands for better online security and performance from operating systems and applications. It used to be that in some cases, you could expect seven years of service from a piece of equipment. That’s because the hardware manufacturers could provide updates for their products’ firmware (hardware operating system software) to keep pace with software developments.

Today, hardware can become obsolete in as little as three years. Security systems, working in the cloud, and higher-performing application software all demand more powerful equipment. The technology industry has made a business decision to put its resources into supporting the larger base of forward-moving customers than those who are trying to hang on to older systems.

For some organizations, it’s a double-edged sword. They find it’s especially critical to be lean and mean to survive in tougher economic conditions. But they can’t cut away too much meat after they’ve trimmed all the fat. At some point, they’ll need to buy new hardware regardless of the price.

The best way to work around a double-edged sword is to see what hardware is connected to the internet. That’s a security move. Hackers look for the weakest link in any system, and if you have any hardware that’s connected to the internet, it must be able to handle the latest security software.

When one of our retail clients ordered 10 new computers, we saw one old computer just running ads on a TV in their store. It was not connected to the internet, and that was a perfectly good use for it. You may have equipment in your office that’s not connected to the internet – or can be used without an internet connection.

We can help you make more efficient use of your hardware by taking a close look at what equipment you have to determine what needs to be replaced and what can be used in other ways. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up an appointment.

Microsoft’s Outage Issues

Microsoft outages seem to be a regularly occurring event, and that’s a real problem for all of us as we grow even more dependent on technology. The bad news is that the problem won’t get any better. Here’s a look at the industry’s metrics.

From my old help desk days, we followed the “rule of five-nines.” This meant our goal was to be “up” 99.999 percent of the time. Is it attainable? It sounds like a great marketing goal, but the reality is that no global company with the size and scope of Microsoft – or Google or Amazon or anyone else – can be perfect. It doesn’t matter which company you use; their service depends on the reliability of satellites and cables for connections and the power grid to keep them online. As we use online services more extensively, we can strain the capacities of those resources.

According to ThousandEyes Internet and Cloud Intelligence from Cisco, more than 90 percent of the world’s data centers experience outages. Local ISPs (internet service providers) experience the most outages, trailed by CSPs (cloud service providers). Outages increases are attributed to more demand on their infrastructures.

You’re not going to get any better service by switching the companies you use; they all face the same challenges. And they share some challenges with you, and those will be hard to plan for based on the world’s political and economic environment. This is not a political statement; it’s just a clear-eyed look at potential problems. For example, will there be a rush to order new equipment before possible tariffs go into place? Supply and demand issues ahead of any tariff issues will undoubtedly affect prices and inventories.

What can you do? We’ve discussed many of the steps you can take, so let’s put them in perspective.

  • Be backup savvy. Make sure all the data you and your employees use is backed up frequently in multiple places. In addition to backing up data, have battery backup capability so you can save data and close applications. This is more critical for desktop computers; laptops and phones have batteries.
  • Keep all your software up to date. It’s all related. Up-to-date operating systems and apps perform better, and that performance may be the difference in finishing and saving critical data or losing something that will take a long time to recreate or that might be lost forever.
  • Think about replacing computers and other hardware that’s approaching five years of service time. It’s nearly five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, when a lot of companies and individuals bought new hardware to be able to work effectively from remote locations. Five years is about the effective service life of most equipment, and your equipment may be on the same timeline as many other users. Our vendors and distributors have told us to expect shortages just for this reason.

We can help you set up a plan to replace your aging hardware and make sure all the systems you keep have the best prospects of making it through the next year or so. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs.