INFONETICS has developed a reputation for offering new hardware technology at reasonable pricing without the need to replace softwares or peripheral devices. This is due, in large part, to INFONETICS early adoption of standard PC hardware technology. Many customers report that their former software vendor required a near complete repurchase of operating systems, software and licenses every five to seven years as technology changed.
Server Hardware Upgrade Cycle
INFONETICS does recommend the upgrade of a server, or at the very least its hard drive, every three to six years. Modern hard drive technology certainly is good for three years, with many models being warranted for at least that period. By the fifth year of continuous operation questions about reliability surface, with hard drive failure likely to occur by the sixth year. Fortunately, new servers become available, with speed and capacities many times greater than previous generations, at least every five years, and are quite reasonably priced. And with INFONETICS, its not necessary to repurchase our software, and generally speaking peripherals do not need to be replaced.
Desktop Hardware Upgrade Cycle
Desktop PC’s and peripherals generally require less frequent replacement or upgrade. Due to the less critical nature of a users desktop PC, its failure causes considerably less difficulty than that of a server. Forward looking IT departments will have a planned obsolescence program that sees all desktop equipment replaced on a five to seven year basis, though we are well aware of a number of dumb terminals and INFOTERM/PC’s that have reached their tenth year and continue strong.
Software Upgrade Cycle
INFONETICS recommends customers upgrade their main INFONETICS software on an at least annual basis. This will ensure you are benefiting from the latest programming enhancements and bug fixes. Enhancements and new features are available free, with only a small fee for our time installing the software on your server. Upgrades generally take 1-2 hours, and are performed off-hours to minimize downtime for your users. In the case of our Linux servers, we’re now offering an automatic annual software upgrade, coincident with the anniversary of your RedHat Linux update service renewal.
For any type of upgrade, be it server, desktop or software, call your INFONETICS account specialist.