In this rapidly changing information age, you are continually bombarded with the idea that you need to upgrade your hardware and software, or it will be obsolete. It seems that as soon as you have purchased and installed a new system, or some needed software, a new technology arrives to once again demand more of your hard-earned money.

In order to determine that your equipment is truly obsolete, and therefore, needs to be either replaced or upgraded, you need to ask yourself some questions.

1. Does the current equipment do what you need it to do?
2. Will it run all of the software that you need to use? (Are there software alternatives?)
3. Is your workstation or server fast enough? (Can you add a faster processor or more RAM memory?)
4. Are there network issues that slow down your ability to do your work?(Do you need a hub, a switch or a router to enchance your network?)
5. Do you have adequate storage space for all of your information? (Can you add a larger or another hard drive?)
6. Do you have adequate resources for security and virus protection, and are they working properly? (Are you going to add these sometime, or after you really need them)
7. Do you have a working backup system to protect your valueable information? (Do you have a way to recover in an emergency?)
8. Are all of your employees communicating effectively with you and each other, so that you always have an accurate view of your entire operation?

While you may not be able to control the future of the computing industry, as a whole, you can (and should) plan ahead for your future business computing needs. You need to re-assess your computing needs, from time to time (we recommend twice a year), and insure that you are where you need to be.

As long as computers, communications and networks equipment, equipment, other hardware and software do what you intend for them to do, then they are not obsolete.

© 2004 by Afromerica