Importance of Updating Software

Keeping all of your software up-to-date can take a lot of time, but it is worth it.  Here are some of the main reasons to update software. Some of these reasons include security, fixing bugs, getting new features, and compatibility with other software.

1. Security: In software, there can be security flaws that arise where people can get sensitive information or harm your computer. When these flaws are found, companies send out updates to fix them, and if you don't update regularly, your software will continue to have those security flaws. Omitting an update would leave you and your data at risk. Applying the update eliminates the risk associated with that security issue.
2. Bugs: In software, bugs can be a big issue. You might not always realize when a bug is affecting your time on the computer. Bugs are sometimes obvious, but a lot of the time they are not. Most software companies have an ongoing effort to find and fix bugs, whether you observe them or not. That’s why it’s important to update your software. Bug fixes may help your computer run faster and smoother.
3. New features: While some software teams are fixing bugs, other teams are developing new features. As these are ready, they will be added to software releases. This may happen on a systematic or ad hoc basis. It is not absolutely necessary to have the latest and greatest features, but it’s still good to keep up-to-date. You can find out about new features by checking update logs for the software, if you are interested in what’s new.
4. Integration: When you use software that integrates with another system, there is usually a required version for the integration to be successful. If you haven't updated in a while, and fall below the minimum required version, it can cause compatibility errors between different software platforms.

A recent example of the importance of updating software happened with ACT!. ACT! putupdatin out an update to fix a security flaw in their program related to syncing. Since it was a security issue, ACT! stopped users from syncing if they did not have the recent update. To be able to sync, you needed the latest update from ACT!, and that eliminated the concerns about security or syncing. However, if you didn’t update your software right away, none of your users would be able to sync their data between their local database and the main database. The longer you waited to get the update, the more issues you would have due to no one being able to sync. This could create issues for users, who might not being able to find the records they are looking for, resulting in duplicate information being entered.

Most software will update automatically by restarting your computer regularly. However, leaving a computer on for long periods can prevent updates from happening. Some software, like ACT!, requires you to intentionally choose to update it directly. For these programs, it is a good idea to keep an eye on update information to make sure your system is well maintained and current. Your IT team can also assist with keeping your computer and its programs up-to-date.

If you don't know if your CRM needs updating or would like assistance updating it, contact Topline Results. You can email us at info@toplineresults.com  or call 800-880-1960. We’re happy to help!