Older PCs can lead to productivity loss, security vulnerabilities: Microsoft study

Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) in South India, using older PCs, are likely to experience reduced work place productivity and security vulnerabilities, according to a Microsoft study.

SMBs using computers that are over four years old and running older operating systems will experience significantly reduced workplace productivity as compared to newer PCs, it said.

The older PCs also expose organisations to security vulnerabilities and IT threats, according to Farhana Haque, Group Director-Devices, Microsoft India. SMBs have experienced older PCs being repaired almost four times than that of new PCs.

This can amount to at least 96 hours' worth of productive time lost, a press release quoting her said.

Recovering data and maintaining business continuity is among the topmost challenges for SMBs in the South.

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In the last year alone, 25 per cent of SMBs surveyed in South India said they had experienced a security breach.

Nearly 40 per cent of SMBs in the southern states are using outdated PCs and 62 per cent, older versions of Windows, the study said.

These findings were revealed in the latest Microsoft study in partnership with global SMB IT market research and analyst organization TechAisle, which polled almost 2,000 SMBs across Asia Pacific.

SMBs in the South, who have embraced a modern workplace strategy, have experienced multiple benefits for businesses and employees, including higher productivity, better security and reduced operating costs.

The study said 89 per cent of the southern SMBs saw improved IT efficiency by adopting newer PCs and 75 per cent of all SMBs agreed that adopting newer PCs enabled better usage experience through cloud and mobility solutions.

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"Technology can be a real enabler for businesses, both small and large, and SMBs need to recognise the value that IT investment can bring to their present and future growth. SMBs employ over 110 million people in India, significantly contributing to India's economic growth", she said.

Microsoft wants to work alongside SMBs in India to help them realise their ambitions and succeed in this competitive marketplace, she said. According to the study, the continued delay in SMBs' adoption of newer technological infrastructure across business functions, was due to factors such as perceived app incompatibility and low awareness of must-have capabilities in new PCs.