Daily Archives: March 5, 2020

Are you planning to head to the big box store to get a router for your business? That choice could end up costing you more than you realize. When you’re purchasing networking or computer equipment for your business it can be tempting to only compare prices and choose cheaper, consumer-grade components. But rather than saving money, using hardware that wasn’t designed for business use could result in higher costs and other risks that you didn’t anticipate. There are distinct differences in the technology solutions – routers, printers, computers, etc. – that are sold for consumer use and those sold for business use. These differences can include everything from lifespan and warranty to features and security. What’s at risk if you don’t choose the right class of technology equipment for your business? You risk not only increased IT costs and data breaches, but also unexpected downtime which can result in productivity and business opportunity losses. The average cost of downtime is $5,600 per minute. Understanding the difference between enterprise-grade and consumer-grade hardware can make all the difference in the reliability and efficiency of your technology infrastructure. Why You Need IT Equipment Made for Business Networks  When hardware manufacturers are creating routers and PCs, they design them differently for consumer use than they do for business use. Knowing the benefits of buying enterprise-grade gear can keep you from making a costly mistake. Here are some of the main differences between business and consumer hardware components. Lifespan Consumer-grade equipment is not designed for 8-hour per day, 5-day per week use. Computer PCs are generally built with cheaper parts, so they’ll fall within a competitive consumer price range, but are not built to last as long as business systems or take as much daily use. Enterprise-grade PCs are built with higher quality components and are made to last […]