“How long should we keep these computers?” is a frequent question for the Responsive consultants. The obvious, but hard to pin down answer is “as long as possible without risking unnecessary downtime or data integrity”. In other words, the mechanical nature of computers is similar to other tools and equipment. A car may last 250,000 miles or less than 100,000. Some aspect of this determination depends on environment, some on the materials used, and the rest is unknown. We try to follow some simple guidelines. When your computer isn’t responding to your requests in a timely enough fashion, we’ll look at what can easily be upgraded to effect better response time. If not, a new computer may appear to be the better investment. For mission critical systems we try to schedule long term replacements over a standard cycle of, for example, three years. This reduces concerns over potential drive failure and makes budgeting a little clearer. To discuss your computer systems’ age and obsolescence with a Responsive consultant, call 866.RNS.8300.
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