It’s never been easier to find computer hardware to power your business.
Ask yourself this question, though: Are you in the business of managing and maintaining all the technology that runs your business? Or should you focus on working on and operating your business?
The answer to us is simple. Find a trusted partner with similar values, who answers the phone, and has your back (especially if something goes wrong)… And have that IT Partner supply hardware for your business… it’s something they spend a lot of time being good at!
Britec is based in Calgary, and with 32 years of serving Canadian businesses.. we’ve learned a few things. Below are some of the key ways we like to approach hardware. Use them for yourself, or, give us a call if you’d ever like to chat.
What is in this article?
- Don’t just focus on the hardware purchase! Focus on before & after!
- Avoid buying a flashy gaming system (racing stripes don’t make it faster for running business software)
- Plan for the intended use of the machines
- Know the “refresh cycle” of your business computers
Don’t be focused on the purchase! Focus on what comes before and after!
The right business computer systems are not just about buying new computers or hardware. Getting the right price will come, but your want to start with a thorough pre-analysis to ensure your hardware will work with your network, can be secured from threats like ransomware or phishing, will run the business applications you need, and be easy to procure (at scale if needed) as well as install and manage after the time of purchase.
Did you know that many “consumer” or “brown box” computer systems don’t offer warranty services for businesses? It is also important to know the fine print of warranty or even extended warranty of computer systems or hardware that you buy. Computer store salespeople are there to get sales, not analyze the complex needs of your business – so exercise caution.
Avoid buying a flashy gaming system! (They are not ISV-certified.)
While it could work for a solopreneur without any infrastructure… the concerns of a small, medium, or large sized business dictate that you focus on systems engineered for business use. This typically means using ISV (Independent Software Vendor) Certified Equipment.
Using ISV, or working with an IT hardware partner that knows what they are doing will ensure that your hardware & computers run reliably, interact with your software smoothly, and typically are easier to manage (and have superior warranty and support).
For all that is good in the world… do not run your business on Windows 10 Home
Many retail or deal-site computers come with Windows 10 Home and not Windows 10 Pro. To be clear:
- Home = basic home use..
- Pro = business use
(Ask us sometime about a client we started working with who had over 30 compromised machines, all running Windows 10 Home. It greatly increased the cost and time to get back up and running. Plus they had to upgrade to Pro anyway.)
Trust us. Please use Windows 10 Pro for any business use.
Plan for “intended use”
Intended use is simple. It helps you plan the outcomes of your business hardware in a strategic way – which maximizes their use before retirement, keeps management costs low, and allows for recycling or replacement of devices when the time comes.
- What are your present business computing needs? (Or the needs of different teams in your organization.)
- Are there any future needs that can be planned or accounted for 1 or 2 years out?
- How will your team need to interact with machines now and in the future? (For example, remote work is very important right now.)
- What operating systems is needed to support both your software AND the preferences/experience of your employees?
Have a workstation refresh cycle
Depending on the needs of your team, you need to have a plan to replace outdated equipment. This can vary depending on industry.
For typical office work, a workstation has a 5-7 year refresh or replacement cycle. That isn’t always the case though, if you are doing work such as video editing or autoCAD – there is typically a shorter replacement cycle due to the computer power needed to effectively do that work.
Ultimately we recommend working with an a an IT Partner to map out, supply, and manage your computer hardware needs.
Focus on your running your business, and find the right partner to keep your systems running. In the end you’ll save money (and time.. which also equates to money).
Britec can help. Contact us here.
