Small Business Technology News

Small Business Employees Lose A Full Week Of Work Each Year Due To Outdated Technology

Written by Tim Morral
Published: 11/7/2013

Intel research shows that reliance on old computers and other past-their-prime technologies is incurring serous costs in small business workplaces.

If it's not broke, don't fix it, right? For many small business employers, that's the governing philosophy when it comes to computers and other office equipment. Getting rid of old PCs simply isn't a priority, especially when budgets are tight.

Cost of Outdated Computer Technology

But the use of older PCs and outdated technology comes at a cost. And according to a recent study by Intel, the price of relying on substandard devices is higher than most employers think.

In a survey of more than 700 small businesses in the U.S., Brazil, Germany, China, India and Russia, the study revealed several important findings:

  • Performance. Employees lose an average of 21 hours per year when they use PCs that are more than 4 years old, since repair and maintenance issues occur 1.5 times more frequently on older machines.
  • Repair Expenses. The cost of repairing old machines is outpacing the cost of new ones. On average, it costs $427 to repair a PC that is more than 4 years old--which is 1.3 times the repair cost for newer PCs.
  • Security. Nearly half (47%) of respondents were unaware that Microsoft intends to end service support for the Windows XP platform and that the elimination of automatic security updates will leave their companies vulnerable to security risks.

"Upgrading to new PCs is one of the wisest choices a small business can make," said Rick Echevarria, vice president of PC Client Group and general manager of Business Client Platform Division at Intel. "PCs are largely considered the foundation for many of these companies, and this study makes a clear cut case for refreshing them on a regular basis."

Surprisingly, the survey also found that the country with the most small businesses relying on old PCs is the U.S. with 8 percent of smaller companies using technology that is more than five years old. This is higher than the global average of 5 percent and significantly higher than India, where only 1 percent of companies use older, outdated PCs.

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