How Entrepreneurs Are Upgrading Tech For AI Growth

Forbes

04-06-2025

Modernizing tech infrastructure
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Old tech used to be an inconvenience. But now it's a liability. In an AI-driven world, every crash or slowdown doesn't merely waste valuable time. It costs you innovation, speed, and your competitive edge. Imagine, for example, pitching to a major potential client while your outdated system freezes mid-demo. A hiccup like that can shift a win into a loss, all because your tech couldn't keep up.
Smart entrepreneurs are seeing the truth: If their PCs can't support AI, their business can't either. What used to be a routine IT upgrade is now a strategic move—and a competitive advantage. The ones who invest in modern infrastructure are improving performance, strengthening security, and scaling faster. They're not playing catch-up; they're taking the lead.
Below are three key steps entrepreneurs are taking to modernize their tech infrastructure and position their businesses for AI-powered growth.
Entrepreneurs at the forefront of AI adoption aren't waiting for systems to break before replacing them. They're proactively swapping outdated PCs and legacy tools for AI-powered machines and intelligent automation platforms designed for today's demanding workloads.
This shift turns the PC refresh cycle into a competitive edge. This shift turns the PC refresh cycle into a competitive edge. As such, leaders are investing in systems that can handle today's demands and evolve with tomorrow's breakthroughs. Shiny new devices aren't the goal. What matters is building an environment where AI can thrive and people can excel.
As Carla Rodríguez, VP & GM of Client Software Ecosystem, Client Computing at Intel Corporation, puts it: 'Today's business leaders are challenged with driving fast-paced innovation yet relying on outdated technology. A well-planned PC refresh cycle, coupled with AI-enabled software, is here to accept that challenge. With the latest AI PCs powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors and Intel vPro® coupled with Laplink's PCmover Enterprise, businesses can accelerate employee productivity at an unprecedented pace.'
More than a speed boost, these upgrades are changing the way teams function, choose, and protect in a connected world.
It's one thing to want to integrate AI. It's another to be technically and strategically ready for it. Too many entrepreneurs dive into AI pilot programs or automation rollouts only to find their infrastructure buckling under the pressure.
The problem isn't the vision, but the foundation. Next-gen AI workloads demand high-performance computing, robust memory, and secure environments. Without that baseline, tools underdeliver and security gaps widen.
A recent review of AI adoption published in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge confirms this: Foundational readiness—including infrastructure, data availability, and skilled teams—directly influences success. Smaller firms often face steeper hurdles, from limited resources to tech gaps, making it harder to turn AI ambition into tangible outcomes. For entrepreneurs, this means ambition alone isn't enough; readiness is what determines whether AI becomes a real driver of innovation or just another underutilized tool.
Entrepreneurs leading the pack are investing in scalable platforms from the ground up, ensuring that as AI matures, their businesses can support more complex models, deeper insights, and safer operations.
Behind every innovative company is an engine of quiet efficiency, driving progress where it counts most. Entrepreneurs who prioritize seamless device deployment, cloud-based management, and automated data migration are freeing up time, budget, and brainpower.
These upgrades aren't patchwork fixes—they're fuel. With the right tools, startups and small businesses aren't stuck juggling migrations or scrambling through setup delays. Apps, files, and settings transfer seamlessly, new hires hit the ground running, and IT teams finally get to trade firefighting for forward thinking.
Gartner underscores this shift in its Market Guide for Unified Endpoint Management Tools, noting that unified endpoint management (UEM) has reached mainstream adoption and is essential for managing, securing, and enabling the hybrid workplace. The report highlights that single-OS-centric tools fragment operations, increase cybersecurity risks, and create inconsistent digital employee experiences. In contrast, organizations that consolidate their endpoint management tools into a single solution report significantly better outcomes, scoring 70% higher on the Gartner Digital Workplace Maturity Assessment.
As hybrid work becomes standard terrain rather than a trend, entrepreneurs equipped with secure, cross-platform tools are better positioned to minimize friction, safeguard operations, and unlock time and resources for strategic growth and innovation.
In this new era, efficiency isn't just about cutting costs—it's a launchpad for smarter, AI-driven innovation.
Entrepreneurs who modernize early aren't simply upgrading—they're future-proofing. They understand that infrastructure isn't background noise; it's the backbone of their AI strategy, their cybersecurity stance, and their ability to scale.
This is the moment to move. Smart investments today unlock speed, protection, and long-term gains. Whether you're scaling fast or rebuilding for what's next, one thing's clear: if your tech can't keep up, your business won't either.