New technology costs money. That’s a straightforward fact that you must contend with in your own way in business. However, while it’s completely up to you how you decide to stay up to date, it’s important to be aware of how exactly outdated technology can cost you.
There are different types of ‘outdated’, from something that has been usurped only recently to examples of clinging onto tools from ten years ago. In either case, there are issues to be aware of, and those issues might have you changing your mind about the next step forward.
Falling Behind
The most obvious consequence might be that your competitors pull away from you in terms of what they’re capable of and what audiences come to expect. While the technology that you use isn’t the sole indicator of how much quality will be behind your output, you might find that even the best employees are limited by outdated technology. Of course, newer technology also means that your employees have to be trained on how to use these tools effectively, which can cost you time – meaning that you have to assess how a given investment will affect your productivity in the short and long term.
It might be that there’s a middle-ground – newer technology than you’re currently using but not so new that it’s the most expensive, top-of-the-line option that you can’t afford. It’s worth recognizing the value of such compromises.
Security Issues
Alternatively, letting your security technology falter could lead to a situation where you’re allowing yourself to be more vulnerable than you otherwise would be. Of all the areas where it’s important to keep up with the technological curve, security might be chief among them. While, at a glance, it’s not an area that has a direct impact on the output of your work, falling prey to a malicious attack can set you back an enormous amount in several areas.
With that in mind, maintaining what you’ve worked hard to achieve up to this point can be just as good as putting a strong foot forward. Looking to services like the Red Canary managed detection and response team can help you work with them to identify potentially problematic vulnerabilities and patch them up, keeping your business as up-to-date as it needs to be.
Impacted Experience
When it comes to your website or app, failing to implement effective newer technologies could lead to an affected customer experience.
This is especially true if you’re in an industry like e-commerce or graphic design, where the perception of your digital presence has a large impact on your success. It might be that these platforms of yours are passable, or even effective by the standards of other industries – but if they aren’t making the kind of impactful first impression that your competitors are leaving, then the customer experience you’re offering might appear second-rate, and that could mean that there’s no reason to choose you over what else is available.
