Sticking with legacy IT systems is more detrimental to your business than it seems. From poor system performance to rising maintenance costs, here are eight clear signs that outdated technology is keeping your business from reaching its full potential.

If you're like most small- or medium-sized business (SMBs) owners, you're always looking for ways to optimize your company’s resources and improve performance. One area you’re probably neglecting is your business’s IT system and its proper management.

Investing in new IT solutions can boost your team’s productivity, improve your customer service, and fortify your cyber defenses. To maximize the returns you gain from any new IT investment, be careful of these common mistakes.
1. Failing to align new tech with business goals
While many advertisers sell new technologies as the ultimate solution to all your problems, the truth is that not every IT solution is a good fit for all businesses.

Are your IT assets contributing to your business’s profitability and overall growth? If you can't tell whether your IT is helping you turn a profit, it's time to seek the help of professionals who can evaluate your technology's performance and spot any anomalies before it's too late.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony systems are more mobile, have greater functionality, and cost less than traditional landline phones. But like any type of IT, VoIP is vulnerable to disruptions caused by equipment failure, disasters, and cyberattacks.

Investing in new IT solutions can make your team more productive, ensure compliance with industry regulations, and improve the outputs you deliver to your customers, among other outcomes. But if you really want to maximize the returns you gain from any new tech investments, make sure to avoid these common mistakes.

Even the best managed IT services provider (MSP) can overlook certain business continuity plan (BCP) details. This is why businesses should always be on the lookout for the following pitfalls of BCP to ensure that the plan works as it should.
Over-optimistic testing
The initial testing attempt is usually the most important, because it's when MSPs can pinpoint potential pain points in the recovery plan.

Your service provider, tasked with looking after your company’s IT, has kept your business up and running for the past 10 years. Unfortunately, that kind of longevity in developing continuity plans can result in some providers overlooking or underestimating certain issues.

You probably think your Internet of Things (IoT) devices don’t need as much protection as your PCs or laptops. Newsflash: They’re actually even more vulnerable to hacking. In fact, researchers have discovered a terrifying strain of IoT malware that can infect your devices.

Just because your IT provider has a plethora of awards and certifications under its belt doesn't mean that you can blindly hand over your business’s future to them. Often times, there are some aspects in your business continuity plan that tend to be overlooked by your provider.