IT Doesn't Matter

As Nicholas Carr discussed in the article, businesses often spend a vast amount of money every year on replacing older model PCs with new ones. Though, only simple applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and Web browsing are needed for everyday usage. Companies feel the need to constantly upgrade their softwares and hardwares to the lasted version, yet it is not necessary.

I am currently working for an insurance company. My agent often like to replace a perfectly fine computer with a brand new one each year though the only application I use are e-mails and Web browsing. He feels that it is a future investment that will benefit his business in the long run. The new computer does look nicer and more sophisticated but other than the nice presentation, I don’t see how it can affect sales or bring in new business.

Vendors’ strategies are a big part of why companies are passive about spending on IT. They have great ways of marketing these new features that comes with upgrading softwares, computer, and applications. Companies of course don’t want to feel like their left behind on IT so they are forced into these excessive and unnecessary spending by the suppliers.

On my first year of college, I was working for photography studio, we used to use the photo editing software, Photoshop, to edit wedding photos for customers. The version we use is just the basic version but it provided all the tools we need to deliver quality pictures for our customers. But Photoshop would come out with newly great updates with amazing features that makes you feel you really need to get the updated version to compete with the rival businesses. We upgraded once then realized the new features might look cool but we didn’t really put them to use. Sacrificing a few new cool but useless features can save the business quite a lot of money in the long run.

Smart companies will spend on IT with caution and wait to make purchases or simply use open sources, while waiting for their competitors to spend lavishly on IT thinking they’re ahead of the game.