Danger in Outdated IT software and systems - TEM and Call Accounting Technology Blog - TeleManagement Technologies, Inc.

Outdated IT Departments Lose Credibility – and Money!

​If you manage an IT/telecom department, chances are you’ve been struggling to keep up with all the demands of a new generation of users as well as how to implement new technologies.

And yet, ironically, your efforts may be hampered by outdated technologies and processes within your own department. It’s a disconnect that may be costing you credibility and money.

Does this sound like your department? If so, what can you do about it?

CIO Magazine shared some insights in a recent article about the damage being done to businesses due to outdated technologies. Not all relate directly to the IT department. However, a few we’ve noted deserve some attention.

Legacy systems

You know when you have them because you’re finding yourself spending a lot of time and effort on workarounds. There is a good reason that suppliers sunset support on older systems; they are obsolete. So it takes up too much time to address the glitchy errors that are more likely to occur as these systems age.

Siloed applications

There is no longer an excuse for the lack of seamless integration between systems. Open APIs and cloud-based applications that work together have been around awhile. Working in silos keeps valuable information locked behind applications. Sharing that information often requires manual entry which is not only a waste of time but prone to error.

Outdated collaborative tools

Given today’s hybrid work environment, a lack of modern collaborative tools disrupts workflows and processes. Moreover, it can impair the contributions of each staff member, making it more difficult to share concepts, plans and ideas. Never before have collaborative tools been easier to acquire and kick into action. Doing so now will make your current employees and future ones more successful.

And, if you don’t mind, we’ll add one more to the list (an important one!):

Many IT departments continue to operate on a shoestring budget, unaware that there are thousands of dollars ready to be reclaimed due to things like outdated evergreen contracts, billing errors, and paying for services and equipment they have long stopped using. That means that, along with updating your existing technologies should be efforts made to take a deeper look at your billing each month. There are plenty of areas that can be tightened up. You just need to know where to look!

If your IT department is sitting behind the curve in the areas above, you may be exposing yourself and your team to a level of management scrutiny that could prove damaging to the future of your department. There are some who even believe that IT departments are becoming obsolete, now that we have access to high quality, integrated cloud-based applications which are automatically updated and accessible 24/7.

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We believe that IT is more needed now than ever. But you need to demonstrate your value every day.

If you run an IT department, you have a great opportunity to become an indispensable information hub for your organization. But first, you need to make sure your department is up to date with a solid data infrastructure that is ready to plug into the future.

As always, we invite you to contact us so that we can help you optimize your IT/telecom spend and help get your department in great shape to tackle all challenges ahead.