Desktops, laptops, routers, switches, there’s more hardware in an average small business now than some large enterprises had 15 years  ago. Which is why, now more than ever, it’s critical that the hardware you use to run the infrastructure in your business is from a quality vendor, with the necessary support needed to ensure it’s covered in the event of a failure or support issue.

Take desktops for example. Although there are many options for purchasing desktops, such as custom built systems, and a variety of brands at big box retail stores, there’s really only a few manufacturers that cater to the business market .What’s a business computer look like? It’s designed to run every day and handle multiple tasks in a variety of environments. Also the warranty and support you receive from these manufacturers is designed  to ensure minimal business impact in the event of a  hardware failure. With retail computers designed for home use you usually have to take the computer back to the store and you’re without it for a few days at least.

Custom built computers and servers are no different. Individualized parts, all with their own warranty, only put your business at risk of downtime and additional dollars in the event of a hardware failure.

Networking equipment is no different. Routers and switches and other pieces of critical hardware that manage the ever growing amount of data that passes through your network need to be reliable, scalable and have the adequate hardware support and warranty available in the event of a hardware failure.

The next time you look at replacing hardware think a little about the usage of this equipment, and how important it actually is having quality hardware designed for a business environment.