Heat and technology don’t mix. We’re talking about things like PCs, servers, and everything inside of them. A lot of manufacturers try to make sure the heat generated by hardware has a way to escape, but their precautions aren’t always enough. And what about heat from the outside? This is where problems can really get out of control.
Right now, we’re in the dog days of summer. The temperatures are high and air conditioners are running at full capacity in an attempt to keep us cool. As you run your business, your technology is running and generating its own heat, as well. If these systems can’t keep cool, the end result can be disastrous.
Why Every Business Should Take Heat Seriously
Smaller devices like laptops, tablets, and more compact desktop computers are especially susceptible to heat damage simply because they are not as efficient at removing heat internally. As they heat up, their performance degrades. If they get hot enough, it can cause irreparable damage. Most devices will automatically shut down if they get too hot – and you really want to do all you can to avoid reaching that point (and losing your work in the process).
Overheating can also cause damage to specific components. There have been reports of graphics cards catching on fire due to heat and heat-caused electrical issues. Heat can also destroy CPUs. While CPUs are designed to withstand the high temperatures created by processing data, they have their limits. If the computer is forced to overwork as it tries to stay cool, the end result can be a melted CPU!
To make matters worse, as heat intrudes on your devices, they will struggle to function correctly. For example, you may start to notice slowdowns when using your laptop. Programs may take forever to load, and they may even freeze, leaving you with no way to get your work done.
For any business, this can be devastating. When your clients rely on you day in and day out, the last thing you need is for your systems to fail. Suddenly, productivity falls through the floor, and you’re left scrambling as you try to figure out what to do next. It can bring your business—as well as your clients’ operations—to a standstill.
But it doesn’t end there! If your systems overheat – either due to internal issues (such as inadequate heat dissipation), external issues (like summer temperatures), or a combination of both – you could lose valuable data. Many people may not realize that heat is a common cause of data loss. Heat can damage hard drives and solid-state disk drives. If you don’t have an off-site backup (whether it’s local or cloud-based), that data may be lost forever.
And if you lose that data, it can be incredibly costly to get your business back up and running. As is the case with data breaches and cyber-attacks, it’s not only data that gets lost, but also time, money, and trust.
What Can You Do?
First, it’s important to assess your cooling needs. Does your business have adequate air conditioning? If you have a data or server room, does it have adequate air conditioning? Look at individual devices – do they have adequate cooling capabilities, or do they need to be supplemented?
Second, assess your data security needs. Do you keep all of your data on-site? In the event of an emergency, and if your data is compromised, do you have a contingency plan? Do you regularly back up your data?
There are a lot of questions to consider, but they’re all important. Your data and the health of your business is top priority. If you have questions about your technology cooling needs – as well as data protection and backup – reach out to your IT provider to discuss your concerns. If you aren’t already working with a professional IT team, give us a call or send us an email today—our team of experts will be happy to help.