Device Management: Why You Need A Plan To Replace Your Business Tech

You may think that extending the life of your equipment well beyond its typical end-of-life date is a way to get more bang for your buck.

Of course, some small and medium-sized businesses use what’s known as a break/fix model, where they simply repair problems as they pop up. But those repair bills can quickly add up, especially when the warranty expires, or it goes past its manufacturer service life.

On its face, delaying equipment replacement may seem like an effective cost-saving strategy.

If you consider the operational disruption and potential harm caused by data loss, system failure, or financial and reputational damage from a cyberattack—the savings from routinely replacing your business technology can be immeasurable.

In this article, we’ll discuss why you need a device replacement plan and explore six steps for effective device management.

After reading this article, you’ll have a thorough understanding of why developing and implementing a device management system is critical to maintaining not only the health of your devices, but also ensuring that your business continues to run securely, effectively, and within compliance.

Why Do You Need To Routinely Replace Business IT Equipment?

Upgrading and replacing your business IT hardware—including desktop and laptop PCs, mobile devices, switches, routers, and servers—is necessary to optimize the performance, security, productivity, and efficiency of your business.

So, what's the typical IT hardware lifecycle for businesses? The lifespan of laptops, desktops, mobile devices, and routers is usually around 3-5 years, while network switches, firewalls, and physical server lifespans are generally between 5-7 years before showing signs of wear.

Of course, these estimates can vary widely depending on factors like the manufacturer, ongoing care and maintenance, and storage capacity.

Keep in mind that consumer-grade devices will not have the same longevity and warranty coverage as business-grade equipment. An external managed IT service provider (MSP) can negotiate with third-party vendors to save you money on your business technology.

5 reasons why hardware lifecycle management is mission-critical:

1. Device health

What happens when a manufacturer stops providing system updates for a particular device? Those devices effectively become obsolete, as manufacturer support, security patches, and parts stop being supplied.

2. Network safety

Hackers know that manufacturers have stopped sending updates for outdated equipment.

So, by using out-of-service equipment, you open the door for malicious actors to worm their way into your systems. This can leave you vulnerable to a data breach or cyberattack.

3. Compliance

Using software systems like endpoint detection and response can greatly increase your security posture by allowing critical visibility into your network.

By providing continual monitoring of network traffic and devices through real-time scans, such advanced solutions can enable your IT team to quickly identify and block suspicious behavior at the endpoints.

These are part of the standard security controls required by many state and federal cybersecurity regulations.

4. Compatibility & connectivity

How well do your devices talk to each other and to your IT systems? Are your employees experiencing frustrating issues like slow processing speeds, problems opening applications or files, or even the dreaded blue screen of death?

These problems can be caused by issues like network congestion, incompatible hardware, misconfigurations, and equipment failure.

If you’re using outdated equipment, you run the risk of these and other problems happening more often. You should also be aware that legacy equipment may not be compatible with today’s advanced software tools.

5. Performance

As a small and medium-sized business owner, ongoing networking problems can severely cramp the day-to-day tasks of running your company, from meeting important deadlines to fulfilling customer orders.

Ensuring that your devices are operating efficiently across your IT infrastructure can increase uptime, productivity, and profitability.

6 Key Steps For Effective Device Management

So, what can you do to effectively manage your business IT equipment and develop device refresh cycles, while minimizing downtime? Here's a 6-step guide for effective technology lifecycle management. 

1. Perform a complete inventory

• In order to establish an effective device management plan, you need to first begin by conducting a comprehensive audit. This will allow you to identify and categorize all of the equipment within your organization, even equipment not currently in service.
  
  
• This inventory assessment should also include information about how and from where the devices are being used to access your IT network.

2. Develop a plan

• Once you’ve identified your physical assets, you can design an ongoing device management plan to keep track of your equipment, routine maintenance, and end-of-life dates.
  
  
• When considering your long-term business plan and setting your IT budget, it’s important to earmark funds to replace devices as part of your business equipment lifecycle management.

3. Provide training

• Provide employee training on how to properly use and care for equipment. For instance, employees may need a refresher on the importance of turning off their personal computers or using surge protectors to help prevent system outages and data loss.
  
  
• Training can also include employee security awareness training to recognize phishing scams and other types of cyberattacks.
  
  
• Such training can be the first line of defense to safeguard your physical and digital assets from bad actors looking to exploit security weaknesses within your IT environment.

4. Perform regular patching and updates

• It’s important to perform system updates and install security patches when they’re available to keep your devices running smoothly and efficiently.
  
  
• This routine maintenance will ensure that your devices are properly configured to fix any bugs or security vulnerabilities.

5. Obtain extended warranties

• Just as you would get an extended warranty to cover expensive purchases for your home, I would also recommend obtaining extended warranties for your organization’s critical IT equipment.
  
  
• Manufacturer warranties on business equipment will generally cover the cost to repair or replace faulty equipment. This can save you from worrying about needing to buy a brand new server or other critical hardware when the initial warranty ends.
  
  
• So, while they’ll mean spending more money up front, extended warranties can end up saving you much more in the long run.

6. Ensure data backups

• Completing data backups provides a vital safety net in the event of hardware failure, natural disaster, human error, or cyberattack.
  
  
• You’ll gain peace of mind knowing that your business will be able to recover quickly from an unexpected event with minimal downtime and disruption to your business operations.

What’s The Bottom Line With Device Lifecycle Management?

Technology fuels today’s businesses. With many organizations undergoing a digital transformation, regular IT equipment investments can help give your business a competitive advantage.

Effective device management can also help you satisfy regulatory cybersecurity compliance requirements while minimizing your security risks.

Perhaps you’ve tried break/fix and are finding it’s costing you much more than you thought. Or, you don’t have the internal IT staff to keep up with the demands of managing your IT infrastructure.

At Kelser, we have years of experience helping businesses like yours effectively manage their business equipment so they can continue to run securely and efficiently.

We know managed IT services isn’t right for every organization. We publish articles like this one so that business leaders like you can make informed IT decisions to help propel your business, whether you choose to work with us or not.

If you’re considering turning to an external MSP to help you with your device management or other technical issues, we encourage you to do your research before choosing an MSP.

Evaluating providers? Check out this article, How To Pick The Right MSP: 8 Criteria To Evaluate Managed IT Providers, to help you narrow the field and pick the right one for your business.

Find out how managed IT can help drive your digital transformation.

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