By Alexander Villafania

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Businesses that use computers older than three years could be spending more just on maintenance than if they invested on new machines, according to a study by chipmaker Intel.

Robert Crooke , Intel general manager for business client group, cited a study by research firm Techaisle.com, which indicated that small-to-medium scale businesses or SMBs that are using three-year old computers have more than 50 percent chance of being attacked by malware.

Crooke also warned that companies using old computers at risk from experiencing system failures and may end up spending at least US$700 per year for each computer.

Comparing these machines with computers that are less than three years old, the risk of system failure is significantly lower. The cost to buy a new PC is also less than the maintenance cost of approximately $700 for machines older than three years old.

He also acknowledged that global companies, including SMBs, are hoping to reduce total cost of ownership for newer machines. Instead, companies want to extend the lifespan of old equipment.

'The significance of this is that companies are looking at IT to keep them afloat during the economic crisis. But by keeping older machines running, they are reducing productivity due to
constant hardware failures and maintenance,' Crooke said in a webcast with Asia Pacific journalists.

A recent Asian Business Monitor report, presented by logistics firm UPS, revealed that more than half of the 1,200 companies surveyed across Asia are looking at information technology investments to help them survive through the economic crisis.

The ABM report noted that Asian SMBs want to maximize their potential through IT while keeping costs down. Hardware vendors like IBM and HP are counting on SMBs to widen their traditional enterprise client base.