It is true that all technology was, one day, a form of rupture between an outdated reality and another, modern one. However, in some cases, the glory period of these creations is short-lived and what was supposed to be new becomes outdated — obsolete technology. It is then that the use of outdated equipment and outdated software becomes a major obstacle to digital evolution in companies.
Do you want to learn more about how these outdated features affect business results? So keep reading to check it out!
What is obsolete technology?
Although we have the feeling that all technology is something futuristic and modern, the reality is not quite like that. Agriculture itself, for example, was a technology developed so that people could consolidate themselves in a place in times when nomadism was common.
However, this did not make this activity something eternally useful. In recent times, for example, we are experiencing a growing demand for new solutions within agriculture, so that it continues to be sustainable and have a useful value in the market.
When technologies stop in time and, little by little, lose their usefulness in the face of other advances in the market, they become outdated. This means that they not only lose their value but also get in the way of continuing to exist.
Why is it an obstacle to digital evolution?
When an obsolete technology occupies space in the company but remains dysfunctional, it prevents other important advances from happening there. Software that does not integrate sectors, for example, delays information sharing. A slow computer makes customer service time-consuming. And an outdated database, in turn, leads to bad decisions.
In the case of desktops, they no longer make sense in dynamic teams that need to be in several places in a short time. In these teams, what was supposed to be a promising technology delays the performance of professionals. And in this case, mobile devices are much more useful and better employed.
But this type of problem is present everywhere, whether in outdated software installed in electronic devices, in printers that do not fulfill the functions we demand, in gadgets that could be unified, and so on.
The big problem is that not keeping up with technological advances can leave teams practically lethargic. This prevents the focus from being directed to the activities that really matter and delegates everything possible to automated actions, for example.
On the other hand, letting go of all this obsolescence can help teams become more creative and attentive. With direct contact with state-of-the-art technology, they are able to create solutions that are increasingly aligned with market demands, all in a fluid and innovative way.
What are the main obsolete technologies?
The technology market is crammed with these features that are expendable and replaceable, yet still capture a place of affection in many businesses. Meet the main ones.
1. 3D Glasses
Possibly the last time you went to the movies you had contact with 3D glasses, right? The mechanism is useful for making images even more attractive during movies, but it’s still uncomfortable and impractical — especially for those who wear prescription glasses.
The truth is that technology continued to be developed and today many companies are already creating 3D images with the naked eye. In other words, it won’t be long before 3D glasses become obsolete and fall by the wayside.
2. Passwords
Passwords are not among the disruptive technologies that have recently emerged. However, until a few years ago, they were an efficient means of ensuring our security for many things: bank accounts, financial transactions, email access, etc.
Fortunately, thanks to technological advances, they probably have their days numbered. With resources such as facial recognition, biometrics, and voice recognition, the trend is that all operations that today take place with a password are done by artificial intelligence, through these technologies.
3. Credit card
Does it seem too early to think of a world without a physical credit card? Yeah, know that we can start to get used to the idea. With digital wallets that allow approximation payments and the use of smartwatches, this is the trend.
You probably won’t have to worry about carrying your wallet every time you leave the house. With a single app on your phone or even your watch.
4. External GPS
Do you usually travel using your cell phone’s GPS? You can kiss this feature goodbye. Although many vehicles already come with internal GPS, many users still use independent applications as a way of guiding them on the roads.
However, this is a technology that should not remain on the market for a long time. With the use of artificial intelligence, vehicles of the future will have full GPS capabilities, including the darlings that include alerts about speed limit trackers.
5. Conventional computers
Why, exactly, would you have a computer to carry around when all the resources you need to get your job done can be packed into your smartphone? The idea is that these mobile devices have an increasingly better processing capacity, within a short time.
Thus, absolutely all the resources accessible by the computer will be fully viable by the cell phone. The tendency is for the use of PCs to decrease over time, especially if we consider the support for projecting screens on larger devices, however, with direct smartphone processing.
How can they bring harm to your company?
Whether managing technology teams or any other teams, it is essential that your company is prepared to deal with obsolete technology accurately. A palliative approach can increase operational costs, leave data vulnerable, affect productivity, lead to bugs, and so on.
The demotivation of the team is another problem resulting from this. A Unisys survey, conducted in 2018, showed that the use of outdated technology increases the chances of teams feeling frustrated at work by 1,600%. And people are 1,300% more likely to quit in these cases.
This probability stems from problems such as undue exposure of data, systems with repeated or unusable functionalities, outdated information and records, and other situations that affect the quality of work.
Obviously, all this ends up making it difficult for the company to take advantage of the opportunities that arise, either to develop new solutions or even to assume greater demands.
In many cases, the damage becomes financial. In others, as you’ve seen, it affects the performance of teams, the quality of their deliverables, satisfaction in the work environment, brand reputation, and so on.
Using blockchain technology, for example, can make the company recognized for its reliability and security. Keeping up with other technological trends also makes it possible for new partnerships to be established and other solutions to be created, increasing the satisfaction of the end public.
As you have seen, care must be taken not only with regard to the adoption of technology in the company but also with regard to its constant updating. Avoiding obsolete technology is what will ensure that the business is agile enough to take advantage of the best opportunities.
