When paying for business computer services, it's a good idea to understand how the lifecycle of your devices can play a role. This applies to the number and nature of the calls for business computer support, long-term costs, security risks, and usability issues. Let's look at how long the cycle is and what you need to do along the way.

The Standard Lifecycle

Most businesses should consider retiring their systems after they've been in service for somewhere between three and five years. It is also a good idea to standardize the process, pulling devices out of service while they're still functional. You can usually claim depreciation on the value of the computers. Also, a system sold in this period can usually be sold online to recover a little bit of the machine's value.

Year Zero

You have a brand new machine. The first order of business is to get in top working shape. A business computer support technician can run software to remove any pre-installed items that will bog the system down. Likewise, they can help you install your standard applications, usually stuff like Microsoft Office, an email suite, and a web browser. It's also prudent to set up an automated cloud storage system so your files are safely stowed away so you can restore them if there's a catastrophic failure.

Subsequent Years

An annual checkup should be conducted, even if you don't think there are any problems. This should include verifying that all licensed software is still up to date, and you should check for issues like viruses and malware with a deep scan.

It's also a smart idea to have a technician go through the authorized users on the machine to confirm that the privileges granted to them are appropriate. Similarly, you'll want to have credentials for all former employees removed from all devices.

Software updates are also critical. Do not assume the automated update system will keep everything on track. An annual checkup will turn up any software that needs a manual update, reducing potential security and usability issues.

The Decommissioning Process

Sometime after the third year but before the fifth, you should completely decommission the system. Your first goal is to make sure suitable replacements for all removed machines are in place and fully tested. Then, you'll want to verify that all necessary files are still backed up on the cloud storage solution. If everything is squared away, the technician will overwrite the storage media on the old computer with ones and zeroes using an aggressive multipass system to prevent data recovery.

If you want your business computers to last, remember the services they will need throughout the years. Talk to a business computer services for help.