The True Costs of Failing to Replace End-of-Life Technology
If you’re putting off upgrading hardware and software that has reached end of life (EOL) because you think it’s too expensive or too disruptive, you’re putting your organization at significant risk.?
Just because it still “works,” if it’s no longer being supported by the manufacturer, you’re essentially rolling out the welcome mat for security breaches, compliance issues, and operational inefficiencies. And that’s in addition to the tech debt that’s accruing as more and more technology lands in the to-be-upgraded pile.
Impacting Security
Hardware and software that has reached EOL no longer receives updates or patches, increasing its vulnerability to cyber attacks. Bad actors look for these vulnerabilities so they can exploit them and gain access to your data, causing costly downtime, reputational damage, and expensive recovery and reparation.?
Out of Compliance
Continuing to run EOL technology puts your organization out of compliance with many industry and government regulations and standards, which may result in fines, legal repercussions, and lost business.
Introducing Inefficiencies
Outdated technology not only lacks the most current features and functionality, it also may not be compatible with newer systems. This disconnect can cause bottlenecks that decrease productivity, degrade performance, and impact customer satisfaction.
Increasing Tech Debt
Replacing one solution when it reaches EOL is expensive. Replacing five simultaneously is exorbitant. Scheduling proactive upgrades before your technology reaches EOL will help prevent a major hit to your IT budget.
Recommended Best Practices???
Following a few EOL best practices will help keep your technology current, which in turn reduces security risks and eliminates the massive hit to your budget when you have to replace multiple systems at once.
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Upcoming EOL At-a-Glance
Keeping your technology up to date not only improves your security posture, it also prevents potentially disruptive and expensive compliance, productivity, and financial issues. Below we’ve compiled a list of some significant EOL dates so you can proactively work the cost of updates into your upcoming budgets. Please note that this list is not exhaustive but is a look at the most common upgrades based on our customer environments. To have a tailored discussion about your environment, speak with an expert.
Relevant Resources
This is very true.