Intel: SMBs burdened by aging PCs

On average, small business workers lose more than one work week per year due to old PCs, according to a recent study commissioned by tech giant Intel.

According to the findings, small businesses are holding onto PCs significantly beyond the recommended refresh date, with more than 36 percent owning PCs that are more than five years old.

These machines require more maintenance, exerting a greater toll on employee productivity and higher equipment costs than the purchase of a new machine.

"Upgrading to new PCs is one of the wisest choices a small business can make," says 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."

Key findings from the research:

• Older PCs negatively impact work performance

On average, employees lose 21 more hours by using a PC that is five years or older due to time needed for repairs, maintenance and security issues as compared to PCs that are less than five years old.

Repair and maintenance is 1.5 times more frequent on PCs that are five years or older.

• Repair costs for older PCs either equal or exceed the purchase price of new PCs

Small businesses are spending an average of $427 to repair a PC that is five years or older. This is 1.3 times the repair cost of PCs that are less than five years old.

• Security risks and other costs will increase in 2014

Forty-seven percent of respondents were unaware that Microsoft is ending service support for the popular Windows XP platform, placing a higher maintenance burden directly on small businesses.

Moreover, since automatic updates will no longer be provided to help protect PCs, valuable business data is more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.

Is your business burdened by aging PCs?