Authored by Brandon Mulnix, Director of Commercial Accounts
The Monday Morning Blues
Have you ever looked at your computer on a Monday morning and groaned at the sight of a nagging update notification? If you’re like me, you probably hit that update button without a second thought once you finally got sick of the notifications. It’s not that you understand what’s being updated, but there’s that nagging fear that if you don’t, your system will be vulnerable to hackers. We’ve all developed this update habit, even with our phones. And let’s be honest, how often do we actually notice those “new features” they promise?
Software Updates Have Changed The Game
While updates can seem like a necessary evil, they are actually extremely critical in a technology-driven competitive market where it is easy to fall behind and lose your competitive edge.
In the past, you had to purchase a new software product every time the latest and greatest came out. You often would wait as long as you could because you didn’t want to start the learning curve all over again with the newest version. Eventually it would be apparent how far behind you were and you would bite the bullet and get the upgrade.
Now, the emergence of software updates have allowed hardware to last longer, as most improvements don’t constantly require new hardware. With technology moving so quickly, one of the best ways to keep up with the market is simply to regularly update your software.
When it Comes to Your Farm Controller, Updates Are a Whole Different Ball Game
For farm controllers, updates aren’t just a minor inconvenience. They require careful planning to avoid disruptions. Even worse, there’s the risk that the system won’t restart correctly after the update, leading to a cascade of problems. Farm controllers typically need updates every quarter to ensure optimal performance and security. At Prism, we plan the update around your schedule with these important factors in mind:
- We only recommend updates that we have tested to ensure your control operating system still functions as it should.
- We are available in case something happens to revert back to the Windows version that properly runs your system.
- In order to update, we need to do a system reboot and we want to make sure that happens at the optimal time for your operation.
Schedule Your Update And Keep Your Operation Competitive And Protected
There are several important reasons to keep your software updated:
- Security: Software updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that have been discovered. If you don’t update, your system could be vulnerable to malware or other attacks. See our latest article on Cyber Security to learn more.
- Performance: Updates can improve the speed and stability of your software. They may also include bug fixes and other improvements.
- New features: As technology continues to improve, new features come out to make your operation more efficient. For our SaaS customers, the newest feature we’ve rolled out is BAT2 Scales now being compatible*
If you have our SaaS Product haven’t updated your software, start off 2025 by visiting our SaaS Updates Page by clicking here. Once there, you can click the “Schedule Your Update” button to schedule a time our team can carefully help you implement this quarter’s update*.
Next time you see that software update notification for your system, I hope you view it as a strategic and competitive move to keep up with the fast moving market. Overall, keeping your software updated is essential for ensuring the security, performance, and functionality of your devices and applications to keep your farm on the cutting edge.
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Don’t Have SaaS?
We created SaaS to help our farmers keep up with the latest and greatest technology so they can have the control they need to feed the world.
We worked hard to create a package that has jam-packed value for a great price. When you join SaaS not only do you get the latest NOAH and REF technology updates, you also get these advantages:
- Your system is kept secure from cyber threats
- We will monitor your hardware for you to maintain optimal performance
- Your data is regularly backed up
- If your hardware goes down, we will replace it within 48 hours
- And more!
Don’t miss out! If you want to learn more about why SaaS will improve your operation, contact your commercial account manager or shoot us an email sales@prismcontrols.com.
*(Some control configuration may be necessary)