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Businesses today rely heavily on technology to function. Technology is critical in day-to-day business operations, from point sale systems to customer management databases to good old-fashioned company websites.
However, as with any machine, things can go wrong, and when they do, it can be highly costly for the business owner—and being proactive and catching problems early can save your business time and money in the long run.
But what exactly is proactive IT maintenance?
Proactive IT Maintenance and Saving Your Business Money
Proactive IT maintenance is simply the process of regularly checking and servicing your computer systems to prevent potential problems.
It's like taking your car in for a tune-up. You wouldn't wait until your engine light came on to take it in. You would take it in regularly to ensure everything was running smoothly and prevent potential problems.
The same goes for your computer systems. Regularly checking in on things can prevent minor problems from turning into big, expensive ones.
Still not convinced? Here are the top 5 ways proactive IT maintenance will save your business money:
1. Prevention Is Cheaper Than Cure
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. It's cheaper to prevent a problem from happening in the first place than to fix it after the fact.
According to a study by IBM, the average data breach cost is $3.86 million. And that's just the average! The most significant data breaches can cost companies billions of dollars.
Take, for example, the Equifax breach that occurred in 2017. That breach resulted in the loss of over 147 million people's personal information, including Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers.
The Equifax breach ended up costing the company over $4 billion. And that's just in direct costs! The indirect costs, such as damaging their reputation, are immeasurable.
Proactive IT maintenance can help prevent data breaches like this from happening in the first place. Regularly checking your systems for vulnerabilities and patching them can make it much harder for hackers to get in.
2. Downtime Is Expensive
Downtime is when your computer systems are unavailable due to technical problems. And it is very costly for businesses.
By having a proactive IT maintenance plan in place, you can minimize the amount of downtime your business experiences. Regularly checking your systems and catching problems early can head off potential issues before they cause significant disruptions.
3. Security Breaches Are Costly
We already talked about how costly data breaches can be. But even if your business doesn't suffer a data breach, security breaches can still be expensive.
How so? Even if hackers don't steal data, they can still wreak havoc on your systems. They can delete files, install malware, and make a mess. All of that costs money to fix.
While there's no guaranteed way to prevent security breaches, proactive IT maintenance can help. Regularly patching your systems and keeping your software up-to-date can make it much harder for hackers to get in.
4. You'll Get More Out Of Your IT Budget
If you're like most businesses, your IT budget is probably pretty tight. And you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Proactive IT maintenance can help you do just that. Regularly checking your systems and catching problems early can avoid costly downtime and security breaches.
And by keeping your systems running smoothly, you can avoid having to replace them prematurely. In other words, you'll get more use out of your existing equipment and won't have to spend as much money on new gear.
5. Regular Maintenance Extends The Life Of Your Equipment
Not only will regular maintenance help you get more use out of your existing equipment, but it will also help extend the life of your equipment.
By regularly checking your systems (or partnering with an IT team to help you with this) and catching problems early, you can avoid having to replace them prematurely. In other words, they'll last longer.
And that can save you a lot of money in the long run. Instead of having to replace your systems every few years, you can keep them running smoothly for much longer.
The Final Say: Proactive IT Maintenance Saves Money
As you can see, there are many benefits to a more proactive approach when it comes to your IT. Regularly checking your systems and catching problems early can avoid costly downtime, data breaches, and security breaches.
And by keeping your systems running smoothly, you can get more use out of your existing equipment and extend its life. So if you're not already doing proactive IT maintenance, now is the time to start. Your business will be glad you did.
AIS is a leading provider of IT services for small and medium businesses. We offer a wide range of services, including proactive IT maintenance, network security, data backup and recovery, and more. To learn more about our services, contact us today. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have. We’re here to give you peace of mind to help you win more business.
