There are thieves lurking in the halls of Corporate America. They do not discriminate between large corporations and sole proprietorships; they steal from all sizes and industries, robbing billions of dollars each year.
There are thieves lurking in the halls of Corporate America. They do not discriminate between large corporations and sole proprietorships; they steal from all sizes and industries, robbing billions of dollars each year.

Some companies attempt to stave off these thieves by implementing bigger and better technologies - but these are only stop-gap measures because they will eventually break through and often create irreparable damage.

These thieves drive customers away, instigate lawsuits and bankruptcies, and require countless dollars to recover from the damages - and they do it all in the open, right under the noses of the people that are supposed to be stopping them. They are allowed to run their course, leaving their victims bewildered and struggling to pick up the pieces.

Who are these thieves? They are corrupted computer system files and software instabilities. They are dust and dirt, collecting in sensitive computer components. (System overheating due to poor ventilation and dust collection causes more than 80% of computer hardware failures.) These thieves also appear in the form of user errors - usually due to a lack of awareness rather than true "mistakes." And, the most commonly feared thief - although the least likely threat - is malicious attack and virus infection.

The truth is that a simple solution exists, but the NCSA estimates that less than a third of American businesses even attempt to implement it. Instead, companies spend billions of dollars on equipment that they don't need, which only serves to worsen the problem by creating greater dependency on technology and a false sense of security.

The solution is based upon this obvious fact: computers and information systems are machines, and, just like every other machine, they will perform better, longer and repairs will be less frequent if they are properly maintained. Preventative Maintenance programs are not difficult to establish and implement, provided that a few simple rules are observed. Namely, Preventative Maintenance (1) must follow a prescribed set of procedures; (2) must be performed regularly - typically every 6 to 12 months; (3) must be performed by qualified personnel rather than being entrusted to end users or automated software; (4) must include system file correction and updating; (5) must include a cursory security assessment and analysis; and (6) must include physical inspection, cleaning and documenting.

Preventative Maintenance, when performed properly, has the power to stop these thieves dead in their tracks. Bear in mind that there is a difference between "Maintenance Contract," "Technical Support," and true Preventative Maintenance. What many people think of as maintenance are actually repairs - these are reactive services that are designed to respond to incidents. Preventative Maintenance, on the other hand, is a proactive service that is designed to stop the effects of these thieves before they inflict significant and irreparable damage.

Many companies suffer through the early signs, not realizing that they are merely warning of troubles that are to come. When computers begin to become unstable - such as frequent crashing or freezing, unexplained data loss or corruption, or simply a dramatic loss in performance - many computer users are told that nothing can be done, or that it is nothing to worry about. But these are signs that problems are on the horizon and, eventually, they will have to be dealt with.

What many companies are beginning to recognize is that Preventative Maintenance not only minimizes significant risks, but it also brings with it many advantages: