Jay Butler, Senior Technical Consultant — The economic circumstances of the last several years have forced most of us to make some difficult financial choices in both our personal and professional lives. Our financial institution clients have been faced with shrinking IT budgets that have had a major impact on how IT is managed. Some very innovative solutions have emerged to help reduce IT expenses and set the stage for future savings. IT expenses have also been reduced through some necessary tough decisions that involve increased risk. One trend I’ve noticed over the last several years among our clients is the choice to keep hardware longer than has been customary. With less money in the budget and higher priority requirements elsewhere, hardware has taken a back seat in many cases out of necessity.
For those who must endure the risks associated with keeping older and older hardware, I have a few recommendations to help reduce the risk: