Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Are You Ready for Summer

It’s summer time! Schools are out and the temperatures are rising. While most people look forward to  vacations and fun in the sun, a lot of us look forward to staying inside and turning on the AC. Each year the demand of electricity increases with the increase of power-consuming electronic devices. This puts a strain on our power grid and the results are potential power interruption that could affect any electronic device. As the temperatures rise, so does the need to keep your electronic devices operating in cool atmosphere. Here are some good practices to keep your hard-working computers and registers running in optimal condition.


Battery Backup (UPS): If you do not remember when you purchased your current battery backup devices, it is time to replace them. UPS’s are critical equipment to prevent any electrical surge from damaging your electronic devices. A slight electrical disruption could have a big impact on your electronics including networking devices. UPS’s are an inexpensive investment that protects your entire front-end and back-office operation.

System Backup: This is one of the most overlooked tasks in operating a POS system. As with any computerized systems, your POS is not immune to failure. The IBM POS systems have automated backups as well as the ability to provide manual, off-site backup capability. We always recommend that you run manual backup procedures and make removable backups periodically so you are protected from hardware failure.

Systems Environment: The IBM POS system is retail hardened. They are built to withstand the toughest retail environment. Even with that, it is still a good practice to keep the environment of your POS system as clean as possible. Keep in mind not to block air vents around the system and make sure there is sufficient air circulation. Clean vents of built-up dusts and keep in mind the temperature of the room where you place your computers.

These are some of the good practices to do any time of the year. Performing these checks and implementing will help ensure your POS system runs cool all summer long.