Old Technology and the Danger of Incumbency

Eight questions that will help you decide when it’s time to replace IT management products
With rapid technology growth and constant change we often lose focus on some of the products we purchased years ago, may not really understand their true cost, or really give much thought to better alternatives. This is particularly true in the case of some older management products that have become commoditized.
Every year, companies renew exorbitant maintenance contracts for dormant products from vendors that barely have a trained support rep on the other end of the phone. Such products have often been acquired as a cash cow and parent vendors starve their development, choosing high margins over more customer-centric advantages like taking advantage of new standards and protocols or integration with new architectures or solutions. Ah, the power of incumbency.
As we move into a new year, it’s probably time for a few IT groups to take a hard look at their management tools and maintenance fees to identify areas for improvement. So, in today’s Network Performance Daily post, we offer 8 questions to help you determine when it’s time to make some changes. We’re not advocating that you toss out a product or technology just because it’s a little long in the tooth, but you should take a little time to assess the situation and ask some important questions like:
1. When’s the last time the incumbent product had an update I cared about? Is there a compelling roadmap for future development?
2. Does the incumbent product use older techniques or technologies that overtax the infrastructure or resources? Am I training new talent on potentially irrelevant tools?
3. Is the incumbent product’s parent company just milking me for maintenance revenue?
4. Could I redirect the maintenance cost of the older incumbent product to acquiring a newer, more relevant product that is actively being researched and developed?
5. Does the incumbent product exploit new capabilities in the surrounding environment?
6. Are you at risk of getting outsourced because you employ outdated technologies and associated techniques?
7. If challenged by your management, could you justify the cost of the incumbent product vs. alternatives?
8. What are the roadmaps and potential of the alternatives?
As you wrap up plans for 08, ask yourself – or better yet — ask your sales rep these questions. As you do, write and tell us about your experience. We’d love to hear success stories about IT organizations that were able to reduce IT spending on products that are no longer used. We’d also like to hear the answers given by those vendors who happily claim their share of your IT budget without continuing to invest in their products.