For many businesses, having access to the correct IT software is essential for the smooth running of daily operations. Once software is accessible and running smoothly, however, many organisations fail to update their systems, leaving them open to security threats and potentially jeopardising the longevity of their business operations.
To better understand the dangers of running outdated software, here are 5 risks experienced by ignoring update warnings or using software that is no longer developed or supported by the manufacturer:
- Lack of Data Security
Statistics show that companies who run their operations with outdated software are
twice as likely to suffer a data breach than those operating with up-to-date software.
These breaches occur due to the development of vulnerabilities in the infrastructure, as a result of the dated software. Consequently, cyber criminals find it increasingly easier to use their malware to penetrate and enter company IT systems to access everything a business has to offer. As a result of losing client information, a business can suffer issues such as data leaks and GDPR breaches, which can impact a business’s credibility in the future.
By implementing new software systems, the risk of experiencing a data breach can be greatly minimised. Vendors regularly patch their current software systems to improve their security features. This means what may be a risk to you now, will be of minimal risk when you upgrade to the newest software version.
- Data Loss Due to Software Failures
As well as suffering data loss from security breaches, data can also be lost as a result of outdated system failures. If a company is utilising an old, out-of-date ERP system, and the system was to fail, there is an increased chance that data could be lost completely.
This data is often unretrievable, and as a result it can be detrimental to the future operations of a company; particularly where the data loss involves customer and/or sales data. This loss of data has the potential to impact their bottom line, or even worse, put the company out of business for good.
- Lack of Employee Productivity
Staff productivity is also something you should consider when running outdated software. Legacy software can lead to high levels of frustration among employees due to slow running processes and unexpected system failures.
You should consider how this is impacting your staff members and their productivity. Continuing to run old software can ultimately lead a team to feel de-motivated towards their work and the company itself.
Given that for most companies, employees are the driving force behind their success, updating to newer software whereby staff can perform their job with ease will eventually lead to a happier workforce. This can also help to improve their productivity rates and business growth too.
- Lack of Compatibility with New Technology
A big problem generated by outdated software is related to compatibility. At the time software is created, it is written based on the technologies, systems and hardware that are in operation at that time. In some cases, software can support older technology, but it’s rare that it can support technologies of the future.
With that being said, businesses that wish to operate new technology may run into issues if they do not have the relevant software to align with it. This can also lead to issues with business efficiency and hinder productivity.
We live in an era where technologies are constantly evolving. Inefficient technology is quickly made obsolete, so running new software to keep up-to-date with hardware developments is essential for business continuity.
- High Support Costs
Finally, running your business with out-of-date software can become an extremely costly process. You should first consider each individual issue you encounter as a result of the dated software, and the cost of outsourcing the support needed to resolve it.
An individual issue here and there may not, at first, seem like a major cost, however, when this is all grouped together, the total could have been more significant than originally thought.
In comparison, installing up-to-date software that has an adequate support system in place in case of data loss, and can run in sync with all your technology, may cost a large installation fee, but it may save you thousands in the long run.
Why aren’t businesses updating their software?
More often than not, business owners don’t want to break things that aren’t broken. This is understandable - when you’re not experiencing any immediate problems and you have already invested a lot of money into a system, why change?
Often complacency can lead to a higher cost than that of the original software purchase, due to the inefficiency that an outdated software comes with. Software programs are not designed to last forever – often between 6 and 8 years – so if your current software is exceeding this time frame, it’s probably time to consider an upgrade.
Some companies can also be reluctant to update their existing software due to the impact it can have on staff. An update can involve training weeks and seminars, which can all be time consuming, and take staff away from their primary job role, impacting productivity.
Although it is inevitable that staff will need to designate some time away from their main job for training, it is within the best interest of the company to allow this. Newer IT systems are often more intuitive than their predecessors which allows them to be more user-friendly whilst having all the major updates your company needs. As a result, the adoption rates of the new systems will most likely be higher, and you will see better productivity rates throughout your staff.
Contact Us
If you’d like to speak to us about updating your current business software, please call us on 01423 330335, or email us at
sales@onesys.co.uk.