At Concept, we don't just provide amazing IT Support and IT Services to businesses in the North East of England, we also like to share some of our knowledge and experience whilst providing guidance & insight. Here you will find the latest information, advice and news from Concept. If there are any topics you would like us to cover, please get in touch.
Technology changes seem to be happening more and more frequently, and many small and medium business owners are hesitant about purchasing technology items. Their fear is that their IT equipment will become outdated within a few months. While keeping up with advancing technologies requires a considerable financial investment, the cost of failing to update your equipment and falling behind is far greater. Fortunately, however, it is not an “all or nothing” kind of situation.
Business owners can be technologically relevant and economical with their company’s finances simultaneously. Working with IT support providers in Sunderland is the most obvious way to achieve the two, but you can achieve even more cost savings using the following measures:
1. Investing a substantial amount up front on quality equipment that is durable.
Rather than buying cheap “clone” PCs for your employees, consider investing a little more in a branded PC that comes with a service agreement and warranty. It is also advisable to look to the future and purchase technology that can grow with the times.
2. Getting a bundled package for internet and telephone service.
Consolidation of your internet and telephone services is a great way to save costs on a monthly basis by paying a single flat rate for the bundled package. Having to deal with only one invoice also saves time. Some of the companies that offer bundled packages include local and long-distance telecommunications, as well as web hosting and high-speed internet firms.
3. Centrally monitoring and managing business applications, documents, files, backups, etc.
Whether you have an in-house IT team or outsource to an IT support provider in Sunderland, you will save a lot of money and time by managing the items in a central location. It will become even less troublesome if the processes are automated, including anti-virus updates, data backups for every workstation, and operating system patches and updates for every workstation. The initial cost for acquiring hardware and software that will allow management from a central server might be high, but t will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
4. Implementing IT policies and procedures that are acceptable for the employees.
Misuse of the internet in the workplace has cost organisations across the country millions of productive hours every year. In fact, SurfControl, an organisation that creates highly sophisticated content filters to block unwanted web content and emails, estimates that each hour a single employee spends on recreational surfing or personal email activity during work hours costs the organisation $25 USD. Besides taking time away from work, surfing the web also exposes the company to harmful viruses. While firewalls and other software can help prevent viruses from doing much damage, it is important to establish policies with repercussions.
5. Performing regular maintenance on your technology instead of a “break-fix” approach.
It is more cost effective to performance routine maintenance and stop problems from occurring than it is to fix them.
These are just five measures that businesses can use to save money, in addition to outsourcing their IT work to IT support providers in Sunderland. But since every company and its circumstances are different, you may find ways to save more money depending on your company’s specific technology needs.