You’re wrapping up a busy morning of meetings and getting ready for lunch when a small window pops up on your office computer: “Software update available.” You close it and move on with your day.
A week later, as you’re racing to meet a deadline, your laptop breaks down. You’re looking at a black screen as seconds tick by. Many Canadian businesses deal with this problem every day, and it costs them millions of dollars in lost data, productivity, and sales.
While putting off updates might seem like it would save you time, doing so adds risk. Updating your software regularly is essential for keeping your systems safe and your business competitive.
Let’s review what happens when you don’t install updates promptly and how using outdated software might be impacting your business. We’ll also talk about how Joe Apps can keep your systems safe and running smoothly.
What Happens When You Don’t Update Your Computer Software?
Regular updates keep your business safe, efficient, and compatible with new technologies. Ignoring them can lead to:
Security Weaknesses
Researchers or hackers typically find known holes and remedy them with updates. Ignoring these updates leaves systems vulnerable to bad actors who steal important corporate and customer data.
Performance Problems
Hackers can install cryptomining or harmful malware on your computer that slows it down. Older systems can also become less reliable over time and are more prone to break down.
Compatibility Issues
Newer operating systems and programs may not work with older software, making it harder for you to use newer tools and slowing down productivity.
Setting up regular updates is the best way to avoid these problems. Joe Apps’s Remote Support team installs updates, fixes computer problems, and performs maintenance without interrupting your work (or charging you for travel time).
How Outdated Software Hurts Your Business
Outdated software can lead to risks for your business’s finances and reputation, including:
Loss of Income & Damage to Reputation
One attack can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in ransom payments, regulatory fines, and legal fees. Customers may take their business elsewhere if they lose trust following a breach.
Staff Downtime
When computers freeze or systems break, employees spend more time troubleshooting instead of finishing projects, leading to delayed deliverables and poor morale
Unexpected Repair Costs
Regular maintenance is always cheaper than emergency IT repairs or system replacements. Scheduled updates keep systems from breaking down and needing to be replaced.
Working with a responsive support team can help lower these risks. Our Helpdesk Support experts fix problems quickly. Having trouble opening an app or installing a system update? We’re on it.
How Often Should I Update My Office Computer?
Update your operating systems on a regular basis to keep hackers out and fix software performance issues. Take a look at your apps’ update history and write down how often updates happen: monthly, quarterly, or more often.
Programs that link to the Internet are the most at risk and may need to be updated every day. Cloud and subscription-based software applications, like Office 365, typically automatically download new features and security upgrades.
Scheduling automatic software updates for your office’s computers will help make sure you never miss an important patch. Windows, macOS, and most other operating systems include built-in options for automatic updates. While short periods of downtime are sometimes necessary, they are much less disruptive than having to fix a breach.
Our professionals at Joe Apps offer Infrastructure and Cloud Services to keep your systems safe, install security patches, back up data, and handle software updates.
How IT Management Protects Your Business
A good IT management plan keeps your systems running efficiently and your data safe. Joe Apps automatically handles software updates so your team can focus on their work.
Before an update is released, we check to ensure it’s stable and compatible with other software, which prevents your systems from breaking down. Our professionals monitor your network, finding problems before they cause downtime or data loss. We also track version history and provide documentation so you know your software is up to date.
Contact us to set up a meeting and find out how proactive IT management can keep your systems running smoothly and prevent downtime and emergency repairs.
