IT Support

Great Lakes Computer is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau.  There are many misconceptions about what the BBB does for consumers and for businesses, and we found this blog article on their consumer blog very interesting and helpful:

Consumer Misconceptions about the Better Business Bureau:  “A big part of what we do is to provide tips on how to make more informed and conscientious decisions regarding purchases, identity theft, and online safety…” Read more…

While you are at the BBB site, check out Great Lakes Computer’s A+ BBB ranking.  We are proud of our complaint free status!  We also put together a video for the BBB you may want to check out on our Youtube channel.

 

Legacy systems repair and maintenance: the IBM AS/400

The dawn of the information age has brought with it a number of new challenges to small businesses for computer repair and system maintenance. One of these is the legacy system, a phrase that applies to hardware as well as software. As technology advances, systems that were state of the art when purchased will inevitably become out of date. Ideally, businesses would have the most advanced technology at all times, but this is rarely the case for small businesses, which must be strict with costs.

SMBs are often faced with the challenge of keeping a legacy system in good repair long after the system can no longer be purchased new. Unfortunately for these cost-conscious businesses, the company that produced the system may have a vested interest in seeing it fall by the wayside, since that can open up the route to a new sale. Being asked to invest large sums into a new system instead of relatively smaller sums into maintenance and repair is clearly not ideal for small businesses.

In this situation, one excellent solution is for SMBs to rely on third-party repair services with experience and expertise in dealing with legacy systems such as the IBM AS/400, a computer first introduced in the late 1980s. The IBM AS/400 quickly revolutionized the world of small business. Almost 500,000 units were sold by the time the system was phased out in the year 2000 in favor of IBM’s eServer iSeries.

In some cases, maintaining a legacy system such as the IBM AS/400 is feasible only through a third-party repair firm. An OEM, of course, can designate a date as the EOSL, or end of service life, which represents an end to any commitment to keeping a legacy system running. An independent third-party repair company is the most viable option at this point. Such a company will have no vested interest in upselling an SMB to another system, and, of course, they will have no reason to discourage repair.

Access to a reliable third-party repair firm can mean that a legacy system, much like the Energizer Bunny of years past, can keep going and going and going.

Contact Great Lakes Computer today for information about our detailed and customized preventative maintenance and repair plans.

Key reasons to maintain legacy systems

The world of IT is in a state of constant flux. According to technology research company Gartner, the years to come will continue to bring innovations such as hybrid cloud IT solutions, in-memory computing, and even personal cloud computing. All of these have the potential to greatly impact how IT needs are met in the workplace, but according to Gartner’s David Cearley, businesses will need to evaluate each change on their own to determine which ones to adapt.

In some cases, it will be better for businesses to continue to use their legacy systems rather than jumping on each and every bandwagon as it comes along. After all, companies that continually shift with the winds of IT change end up spending a good deal of their capital on systems that are in use for a relatively short duration. Hanging onto a legacy system for as long as possible can sometimes be the best way to achieve an outstanding return on IT investment.

Legacy systems for specialized functions

This is not to say, however, that SMBs never need to change with the times. They most certainly do, but this does not always mean abandoning a legacy system. Consider the case of an SMB running payroll out of a legacy system. The company may want to continue with this paradigm even after it adds a Web server to the network and begin to establish a presence on the Internet. The new system does not necessarily have to take over all the functions of the old.

Maintaining a legacy system

Maintaining a legacy system, such as the IBM AS400 and Midrange Servers, in operation will require some forethought, however. The OEM may prefer that companies transition to state-of-the-art systems and may actually encourage this practice by refusing to continue supporting the older computers in its roster. Some SMBs may feel at this point that the time to let the legacy system go has come, but this may not be the case at all. Continued maintenance and repair services are still available for many legacy systems through independent third-party contractors who are happy to help keep them in service for years after the OEM has abandoned them.

Data may be key

An interesting note to the legacy systems issue is the fact that for some companies, keeping a legacy system operational can benefit the company even when the system is no longer in active use. The legacy system may contain historical data that can be useful in a number of ways – but it may be cost-prohibitive to export and convert such data to current formats. A legacy system, well maintained by a third party repair firm, can therefore stand alongside a state-of-the-art server, with both contributing to the well-being of the company.

Great Lakes Computer can provide a free competitive quote for a customized maintenance program.  Contact us today for more information.