Question for computer geeks, netwrk. admins, or anyone

[brotan1x]

Tomato (and sorry I took so long to respond.. I went to the lake for a few days)

What I meant by...

I am sure you have tried to state your case about life cycle management and software licenses with the business.

In my job we always look at the current needs but always weigh in the future needs. The immediate needs may be satisfied by not spending money but what happens when hardware starts to die and the software you are using is no longer compatible or supported by its manufacturers. It is a very good idea to create a technology life cycle plan to manage the work places needs. This way the computers and softwares don't fall to the wayside when you are concerned with support.

Where I work we make it a point to replace each machine 42 months after the purchase. We also purchase the extended warranty. Once the machine hits that 42 month old date the business unit has to option to replace the machine or wait until it dies. We (IT) make the recommendation the business unit replace the machine within the next 12 months as to not lose production time if it fails. The idea being.. If it dies at a critcal point then you lose production time turns to loss of money.

We keep up with software licenses and have deals with specific companies to upgrade our licenses at a discount price as long as we continue our maintenance agreements. This way we stay up to date with the latest software.

The best thing about it is if you keep good records on this stuff you can plan when you need to purchase new equipment and software then submit it in a yearly budget.

A good result is workplace moral.. Less 'end user' complaints about slow equipment... Less driver and software update concerns. Saving money and time in the long run. Lets not forget production time improvements..

Buying on need is a good way to save money.. Planning the future need is the better way to thrive.