A Few Ways Unpatched Software Can Hamper Your Business

Anyone who uses a computer regularly knows that software can be finicky. Developers continuously update their software to account for changes in security threats and to add new features. For the small business, integrating and developing software can be useful, but it can also be one of the most problematic issues you can face; and, oftentimes it can often go under the radar. Let’s look at a few ways that old software bugs can cause problems for your business.

Sometimes software bugs can be thought of as a minor problem. It can cause a software to act erratically or it can have little or no effect on the operational effectiveness. What it can do, however, is open up problems. For the small business, who has to be mindful of the way every dollar is spent, this can be felt by customers and workers alike.

Customer Dissatisfaction Boils Over

For any business, having a positive reputation is important. A software glitch can cause major problems in this arena. Consider a support portal that doesn’t work the way it was designed. It may not seem like a top priority in the grand scheme of things, but if it is a problem for your customers, it is a problem for your business; especially if it shows up on social media platforms. The truth is, with so much business being done online, that customers talk to one another, and if several people have the same negative experience, you’ll bet that you are going to lose sales as a result of it. 

Minor Software Issues Suggest a Bigger Issue

Outside of a beta test, if your company uses software in the course of doing business, it better work as designed. In fact, a lack of attention to detail, such as several grammatical errors, or a problem with a UI can make a massive difference in the quality of your overall product. Most people operate under the assumption that if your business isn’t run with the care needed to fix small issues, there most likely are larger issues that will pop up eventually.

The Obvious Security Concerns

When software isn’t updated regularly, whether it is a website, an app, or simply operational software, chances are there are vulnerabilities just waiting to be discovered by hackers. People don’t want to do business with companies that could potentially put their personal or financial information at risk. Patching software, and properly testing it is the least you can do to keep it from being a timebomb just waiting to go off.

Letting a Situation Fester Costs Time and Money

Outside of the operational and security concerns, which are extremely important, not having a patch management strategy that keeps software working properly is a big problem for a business; especially if the software is neglected for a while. Your problematic software isn’t just a problem when a customer or vendor finds it, it’s a problem when it doesn’t work right. Software that doesn’t do what it’s designed to do costs your business time and money every time someone uses it and needs to make manual adjustments. The value of software systems is the built-in automation and integration. If you are double-checking, or worse yet, not doing anything about problematic software, you are just throwing money away.

Software is a major part of your business, and as more businesses have applications developed, integrations created, and ultimately involve software systems into more aspects of their business, the more diligent you will have to be to ensure that this software works the way it has to to be a benefit, and that it is patched regularly with the latest threat definitions. 

If you would like to learn more about how to get control over your business' software, give the IT professionals at Horne & Benik a call today at (603) 499-4400.