CS Computer Repair LLC

So, where is your money best spent — maintaining antiquated systems, or driving new business value? Outdated legacy systems can be expensive to maintain. It's really not much different than maintaining a very old home or vehicle, except that technology ages at a much faster rate. In fact, according to a study on the cost of maintaining legacy systems, ten of the U.S government’s legacy systems cost around $337 million a year to operate and maintain.

For example, CNN Money reported in 2015 that the US Navy could pay Microsoft up to $31 million to maintain their now-defunct operating system, Windows XP. Why? When the OS was discontinued, Microsoft stopped actively developing security updates and patches for it, even as new major flaws and security holes within the system have been discovered and exploited. Yet, the Navy desired the option to maintain its legacy systems, so, Microsoft pretty much had carte blanche to name its number.

If you moved to a notoriously dangerous neighborhood, removed the alarm system and locks, and left the doors and windows wide open, wouldn't you expect to pay a high premium to keep your now-vulnerable home safe? Using old technology systems is no different and can be extremely costly to maintain.

And, that's before you consider the cost of employee time spent fixing old tech and making it work, rather than being productive and focusing on the real business tasks at hand. No one likes to feel like they don't have the right tools to succeed, so keeping antiquated technology in your business can also negatively impact your employee satisfaction and morale. Low employee satisfaction and morale usually equate to high turnover, so you could expect additional costs for recruitment, hiring, and training new staff, as well — all thanks to that old tech.

Plus, the majority of legacy business systems use more power than newer energy-efficient technology, creating unnecessary extra overhead costs for your business.