That shiny new auto — your pride and joy — which was first photographed at the dealership and countless road trips thereafter has started to show its age. At some point you start to notice the hiccups in the engine and feel the speed bumps in road. The power windows fail and the check engine light blinks intermittently but it still gets you from Point A to Point B.
So, you continue to drive. Worst case you’re left stranded on a bare patch of interstate in a central valley headed to nowhere. Inconvenient, annoying, but manageable.
Trouble is many enterprise companies are operating under the same principle. That shiny new back-end system that was rolled out with great fanfare in 1998 has been a workhorse. It’s been on epic road trips and put on some serious miles.
Yet, the risks running your pre-Y2K software aren’t the same as driving that hot PT Cruiser. The downside is greater than an inevitable roadside detour and the fix is a lot more than a tow from the local AAA. Truth is that tried might be true but it might not be good for you or your career — especially when software performance is risky and costs are constantly adding up.
Check out the graphic below to see if it might be time for a software trade in.
If the risks outweigh the rewards then it might be time to make a change, which is a whole lot better in the long run than switching out your engine block or — worse yet — driving off a cliff.
About the Author
Parker Trewin is a global brand builder, communications specialist and content strategist with over 15 years of high tech experience. His efforts have led to industry-wide recognition that includes CoDIES, Stevies, Edison, MarCom Platinum, and BMA Gold awards as well as placement of thousands of articles in such notable outlets as the Wall Street Journal, the London Times, Businessweek, The New York Times, Computerworld.de, TechCrunch, Lifehacker and Huffington Post.
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