IT downtime is something that almost every business will experience at some point. It is a nuisance when it happens and it has lasting consequences even after problems are fixed. A computer outage of even one hour can cost a company thousands of dollars in lost productivity, lost sales and a negative public image arising from people being frustrated at not being able to access the site.
This infographic from ERS IT Solutions contains a host of damning statistics that highlight the extent of the damage that IT downtime can cause to businesses. Research from Gartner shows the value of maintaining a reliable IT system in a business, with a well-managed computer ultimately saving 37% against the cost of trying to fix problems with an unmanaged device. Unmanaged computers cost a yearly average of $5,000 each, while 80% of a company’s IT costs are put towards expenses which arise after the equipment is purchased.
Every year, an average of 545 working hours is lost to a company because of IT downtime. That would be equal to a company not being able to do business for almost 23 days, or nearly a month. Think about how unsustainable an organisation would be if their IT systems were down for the best part of a month.
Facts such as these make it clear just how crippling even a small amount of IT downtime could be. Efficient, reliable technology is now a must for any business, whether it’s a village sole trader or a multi billion-dollar global corporation. Check out the infographic below for further facts on IT downtime.