It happened again: I'm talking to a potential client regarding the age of the office computers and the office manager says, "They're only a couple of years old."

This is not my first rodeo. So, I look across the office at two of the oldest, dustiest computers I've seen in really a while, and ask, "Only two years old?" "Yes", she says, "I'm sure we just bought them a couple of years ago. I'm sure". A quick check of the system's service tag confirms my suspicion; the computers were over six years old. Ancient in computer years!

Which leads me to my point; what is it about computers that distorts time and space? We invariably underestimate the age of our computers. It's consistently so. And since computer old age is one of the leading causes of IT issues we come across, it's critical that we have a reasonable idea of how old the computers in our offices are. Because old computers are major productivity killers.

Independent studies have documented the rapid increase in Total Cost of Ownership for computers that have been in service for more than three years. These studies suggest a number of reasons for the rise. The top two in my experience are: poor configuration/maintenance and failure to keep up with changing software.

A system of networked computers that were improperly configured from the get-go is going to be a source of continuing problems. Over time, as the network evolves to meet changing business requirements, the configuration problems grow due to lack of aggressive, proactive maintenance and then propagate until the reliability of the network is compromised. This leads to lost time and productivity. And lost dollars.

As software is updated, new features are inevitably added (whether we want, need, or use them) that place added demands on a computer's finite resources. Over time, a computer that was blazingly fast when it first came out of the box, begins to crawl along as it struggles to keep up with the demands of software it was never designed to handle. And, once again, productivity and ultimately profitability are the major victims.

So, the age of a computer is critical to its performance and suitability to the task it's supposed to perform. That's why The ITeam's PULSE methodology keeps a laser-like focus on this issue. Failure to accurately track a computer's age will lead to performance & reliability issues that will ultimately harm the financial bottom line of any organization. Our success in this regard is a major contributor to our incredible client retention record. Call us today and find out how PULSE can save you and your bottom line from the costly effects of computers that are just too old to cut it any longer. - Mike