Information Technology (IT) has become a necessary component of today’s business culture.  If you own a business with more than 5 employees, it almost becomes a necessity.   In some form or fashion, you’re going to have to come up with a game plan to maintain and replace your current systems.  What works best?  Let’s talk about that.

If you’re a business with less than 100 computer using employees, you may find a lean philosophy will maximize IT efficiency as well as effectiveness.   Why?  Here are several reasons.

1. Computer usage has become a common part of American culture.  Almost all sectors of professional life involve the use of a computer. When it comes to small IT tasks, just about any computer hobbyist at a company could manage and maintain software and hardware inventory, the ability to change a forgotten password, and add a printer to a workstation.  Depending on time availability of that employee, he or she could also handle email accounts and basic web site changes.
2. Microsoft Windows is very stable.  I know, I know… you’ll always have a small percentage of PCs that will tend to crash.   This is more about the law of averages than the quality of Windows.  Generally speaking, a well made, properly installed Windows XP or Vista (and soon to be Windows 7) PC with up to date antivirus and antispyware software will be very solid.  The small stuff is usually easy to fix but what happens when you get a virus or spyware on your computer?  That’s when you need an IT professional.
3. Difficult server, router, and security tasks are infrequent.   Don’t get me wrong, the need for expert IT professionals is still necessary and vital to the health of any business, but in order for an IT person to be proficient and up to date requires both constant training as well as exposure to these types of problems.
4. Attrition of employees.  Generally speaking, good employees tend to be here today, gone tomorrow.  Just about every employee is looking to increase his or her leverage in the current job market.   Hey, if you could get a better paying job, with more benefits, and a better boss – wouldn’t you leave?  Of course you would.   Well paid professionals that outsource (in my experience) tend to stick around for much longer periods of time.
5. The high cost of professional training and equipment.  Training and professional trouble shooting equipment range in the thousands.
6. Managing and providing HR benefits.

What then do businesses need to outsource?

1. File, print, email, web, and SQL server installation and maintenance
2. Routers and firewalls
3. Security implementation policies and procedures
4. Remote computing access
5. Budget planning and new business solutions
6. Workstation hardware and software policies

After owning my own IT Company for 11+ years now, I have found that companies that outsource their top level IT needs save money.