Hanging Onto Old Software: Watch Out for These Complications

In today’s fast-evolving technological world, it’s only natural to look for comforting signs of familiarity. For some, that means preferring old-school keyboards to modern touchscreen input, or keeping that reliable old printer or server going matter what. For still others, familiarity resides in a familiar software program – but this kind of familiarity often breeds contempt. Here are some potential complications of hanging onto old software.

Lack of new security updates invites hackers. At some point, a venerable old software program will stop receiving security updates as its makers move on to new and improved options. Even if your application still runs within your current OS, this lack of security makes your business vulnerable to hacking attempts and an ever-increasing catalog of malware.

Old software may be non-compliant software. Software that has lost its ability to protect itself against the bad guys may no longer meet the specific compliance requirements of your profession or industry. If you shudder to think what a HIPAA violation or other critical non-compliance error could do to your company, you need to stop using the software in question.

Newer, more capable alternatives may leave you lagging behind. Programs that receive frequent updates benefit from more than just greater security and professional compliance adherence – they also just plain work better. As programs evolve, their makers add new functionality to keep up with the demands of today’s working world. These updates also address past glitches and bugs, streamlining the program’s performance from one update to the next. If your team is limping along with the old stuff, don’t be too surprised if your more up-to-date competitors slip ahead of you in terms of productivity.

The Austin IT business support team at Gravity Systems can equip your business with state-of-the-art alternatives to your old, obsolete software. Contact us to learn more.