Carroll County Times Articles
Outsourcing IT Can Save Money
by David Hodgdon – June 14, 2009
Is your computer network sucking the life out of your business? You're not alone. Here are five powerful business-building reasons to outsource your computer support to a local information technology company or consultant.
# Outsourcing lets you focus on core business practices. If you have 10 or more computers, it is always less expensive to outsource the tasks necessary to keep your network secure and running smoothly. See for yourself. Track everyone's time (including yours) spent solving computer problems for two weeks. Multiply it by their hourly rate (including your time, which is not $0). You will be shocked by the cost.
# Computer maintenance done in house is soon forgotten. A consultant is brought in to fix your problems. He or she leaves behind a support plan that is followed perfectly for a few weeks. But things are working well and these tasks fall to the bottom of the priority list. Soon you are weeks down the road, critical updates haven't been applied, the backup hasn't been checked, you forgot to ... and so on. Your computer network slowly degrades until you have another crisis resulting in expensive repairs, lost data and idle employees. This cycle happens again and again, causing most business owners to see technology as a necessary evil rather than a business asset.
# Use technology to improve your business practices and bottom line. Not only will outsourcing keep your network running smoothly, the IT provider will learn your business practices and recommend ways to use technology for improved efficiency and business growth. For example, with affordable VPN technology, you can work from anywhere in the world just like being in the office.
# Outsourcing allows access to highly knowledgeable experts when you need them. When the economy was booming, many businesses hired an employee to manage their network. Unfortunately, most could only afford a technician with limited experience resulting in unfulfilled expectations. Those that could afford high-end talent saw these employees leave for more challenging jobs in less than a year. Outsourcing solves both of these problems providing you with the expertise needed for a fraction of the cost of an entry-level technician.
# Outsourcing provides a rapid response to problems and help-desk questions. Managed services contracts eliminate the need to wait hours or days for someone with the right experience to solve your problems. Today's consultants have specialized tools that monitor your network and instantly solve problems often before you know you have one. If you have a question, they can quickly connect to your computer and show you the answer, reducing employee frustration and time.
About the Author
David Hodgdon is an IT consultant, the owner of Hassle Free IT Services (www.HFITservices.com) of Westminster and a member of the Carroll Technology Council. Call him with your computer questions at 410-861-5615 or e-mail david@HFITservices.com. Businesses with at least 10 computers receive two free hours of tech support.
