Checkpoint: Keeping Your Software Platforms Up to Date
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, companies rely heavily on their software platforms to drive business operations and maintain competitive advantages. However, many organizations fall into the trap of neglecting software updates, which can lead to a host of problems. This blog explores why keeping software platforms up to date is crucial, the consequences of neglect, and the common reasons companies fail to stay current.
Many customers are running advanced business process automation platforms and enterprise content management within their computing stack. And, each are providing mission-critical functions to support the business.
Let’s first explore some important reasons companies should strive to make sure they keep their software current:
Security Enhancements
One of the most compelling reasons to update software regularly is security. Cyber threats are continuously evolving, and outdated software can become a prime target for attackers. Updates often include patches that address known vulnerabilities, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Compliance with Regulations
Many industries are governed by strict regulations regarding data protection and software use. Staying compliant with these regulations often requires keeping software platforms updated. Failure to do so can lead to legal repercussions, fines, and damage to a company’s reputation.
Enhanced Performance and Features
Software updates typically introduce new features and improvements that enhance usability and performance. By keeping platforms current, companies can take advantage of the latest technology, improving productivity and efficiency. Outdated software may hinder performance and limit access to critical functionalities.
Avoiding Costly Extended Maintenance Fees
Many software vendors offer extended support for older versions of their products, but this support often comes with hefty fees. Companies that delay updates may find themselves paying significantly more in maintenance costs than if they had chosen to upgrade regularly. Additionally, as software ages, finding support or fixes for issues becomes increasingly difficult and expensive, or not available at all.
As you can see, this is oftentimes about reducing risk, and avoiding unnecessary costs, both to your business. And, like anything these days, there are consequences of neglecting software platform updates:
Increased Vulnerability
Neglecting updates increases the risk of cyberattacks, as vulnerabilities in outdated software can be exploited. The cost of a data breach—both financially and reputationally—far exceeds the cost of regular software updates.
Loss of Competitive Edge
Staying ahead in business often hinges on technology. Companies that fail to update their software may miss out on innovative features and efficiencies that competitors are leveraging, leading to lost market share.
Operational Disruptions
Running outdated software can lead to compatibility issues with newer applications or systems. This can disrupt operations, resulting in costly downtime and loss of productivity.
Having been in IT all of my career and working with many very large organizations over the years, I have to say that I've always been surprised just how customers knowingly end up putting themselves in risky situations. Don’t get me wrong - many do a good job at staying current, however many do not. And the old term "penny-wise and pound-foolish" often comes to mind - not staying compliant may end up saving some $, however it simply creates unnecessary risk to the business.
What if the system goes down and you are not on a supported version, nor one that will receive fixes and patches any longer?
What platform improvements and efficiencies are in the latest versions that could help make your operation more efficient?
Will upgrading to the most current platform increase performance and user satisfaction?
Are you satisfied budget-wise with paying exorbitant, extended annual maintenance fees as an insurance policy just in case anything goes wrong?
Based on my experience, there are a number of reasons why companies neglect staying ahead with their software updates. For example:
Budget Constraints
In many cases, companies prioritize immediate financial concerns over long-term investments like software updates. Limited budgets may lead organizations to defer updates, viewing them as non-essential expenditures.
Lack of Awareness
Some companies may simply be unaware of the importance of keeping software current. Without a dedicated IT team or clear policies regarding software maintenance, updates can easily slip through the cracks.
Fear of Disruption
Updating software can sometimes require significant changes to existing workflows, leading to fears of disruptions or a steep learning curve for employees. This can deter decision-makers from moving forward with updates.
Lack of Technical Platform, Application Skills & Attrition
Typically, older versions of software platforms were developed and deployed long ago, in a land far away, by technicians that are either no longer with your firm, or not associated any longer with the system. This is very common, and with it comes angst and fear that nobody knows the implementation, therefore "set it and forget it ….we better not touch it".
Overconfidence in Existing Systems
Some organizations believe that their current software is "good enough" and may underestimate the risks associated with running outdated versions. This complacency can lead to significant problems down the line.
Another aspect to make sure you stay in front of is clearly understanding the support shelf-life of the current vendor platform you currently have deployed. For example, some vendors maintain what they call "sustainment". This is essentially a period of time/boundary based on when that version was first generally available, through a future date that ends your normal support. That is the sustainment, or support period. If the platform version goes "off sustainment", or outside this boundary, this typically means the vendor MAY still provide platform support, but WILL NOT issue any fixes or patches if something falls over in your production environment. Here is where your risk really can increase as a business. And, if you want to continue past the sustainment period, and you simply MUST have the ability to still get fixes, patches, and such - there may be a path, but its costly. You will then typically get charged what vendors call "extended maintenance", which is additional annual fees on top of the license costs you are already paying. This can get very expensive!
Its also worth mentioning that oftentimes just upgrading your software platform is not enough. Many implementations also must assess impacts, potential changes, and remediations that may be required to business applications built on top, plus any custom integration libraries (DLLs) that may exist. These are typically required due to changes and deprecations to features and functions between the old software version being used, and the newer versions that have followed along the vendor's software roadmap.
Properly analyzing and assessing these items are key components of a sound and effective upgrade plan.
And, another important consideration is doing the proper analysis to understand and plot any and all software inter-relationships and inter-dependencies. Does the underlying operating system and/or SQL database be upgraded? Is there custom code and/or DLLs in use that need to be reviewed and potentially updated to support a successful upgrade? And, fully understanding the vendor-supported versions and what-is-what is paramount to ensuring everything is level and copacetic.
In conclusion, keeping software platforms up to date is not just a technical necessity; it’s a strategic imperative for companies seeking to protect their data, remain compliant, reduce risk, and optimize performance. By understanding the risks of neglect and the common barriers to updates, organizations can take proactive steps to ensure their software remains current, ultimately saving time and money in the long run. Investing in regular updates is an investment in a company’s future success.
Why put yourself at unnecessary risk? Let’s get current!
The ClearCadence Advantage
As experts in Business Process Automation, Content Management, and Integration, ClearCadence has been the clear choice for our clients regarding their digital business strategy and solutions.
We possess extensive experience delivering successful software platform upgrades. Utilizing our structured delivery methodology, we perform the right level of analysis of your existing computing infrastructure while taking inventory of details such as server and application counts, size, complexity, level of customizations, interfaces, and list any remediations that might be required to support a successful upgrade. We then develop and provide an organized, step-wise Upgrade Plan which is then utilized to perform your actual upgrades in a uniform and low risk manner. The plan also takes into account any pre-requisites and dependencies that need to be taken into consideration.
David Dye, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCadence, has over 30-years experience developing, managing, growing, and maturing successful professional services practices and providing Digital Business Process Automation solutions.
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