We just completed a painstaking process of assisting a multitude of clients update their communications software to a version that supports TLS 1.2, due to an impending deadline. We were hit smack in the face by the reality that most companies don’t continue to invest in IT as a core business philosophy, rather they wait until they’re forced to make a change.
The world is evolving, technology is evolving, how business is done is evolving. We have spent the last 18-months living through a pandemic that required companies to make extreme pivots just to remain relevant. And yet, we still have to “sell” the value of remaining current on software, using newly published features, or implementing the latest security standards. Technology should be viewed in the same way we view our staff. You pay your staff every year, you invest in their education, and you ensure they have the tools to perform their jobs successfully. Why is it then that companies don’t see value in paying for software maintenance and keeping their technology updated to the latest standards and versions? Why don’t they use the newest releases and leverage the newest features?
I call this the “set it & forget it” mentality, sort of like what you do with a clock. In actuality we all should really subscribe to the gardener’s credo, “plant it, water it, prune it, repeat” when it comes to our technology platforms. The costs, in time, money, and productivity, of waiting until you have to update your technology are many times greater than the costs you’d pay over time to nurture those platforms that your company runs on.
Avoid becoming the fertilizer – be a technology gardener.
Related Reading:
- The 4+1 Way Software Maintenance Protects Your Business
- Keeping Up with Changing eCommerce Technology
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