Newsletter December 2007
Fall continues its steady march toward winter.
By: Stephen Malelu
Thanksgiving is behind us, and Christmas is just around the corner. For many businesses, it is time to finalize budgets and make those year-end tax-saving capital investments. Most people faced with planning an IT budget would prefer root canal, and for good reason. It takes Carnac the Magnificent to forecast what will be happening in technology. Not even Bill Gates can keep up with all the new directions the Information Age is pushing us. It’s understandable, then, that most small and medium-sized businesses have only the barest outlines of a budget. Or, they have taken last year’s expenses, added a bit for inflation, and hoped for the best. Certainly this is better than nothing, yet without an IT budget that reflects the strategic plans of your business, you could end up wasting thousands of dollars on hardware, software, and training you don’t need. Or; in the worst case , not have the necessary IT infrastructure to support the key initiatives that keep your business competitive.
At Convergence, we are eager to help you sort through the chaos and deliver an IT plan and budget that will help your business thrive and adapt to the changes and chances of the modern world. Our Technical Services Directors, backed by a support team that knows your network inside and out, stand ready to help in whatever capacity is appropriate to your needs. We would like to offer the following suggestions as part of the planning process:
- Keep your strategic vision in front of you. IT must meet the business needs of your company, and be justified in terms of return on investment, potential added revenue, and supporting your business processes. Many technologies have proven efficiencies you can incorporate to streamline your business and reduce your long-term budget. Your Convergence Technical Services Director has the tools and experience to help you here.
- Explore options. There is rarely one, clear, best way to implement any plan, project or support program. Sometimes the necessity of the moment will demand a good solution, with solid, secure technology, rather than a “best solution” with cutting edge software and hardware that has a short track record of success.
Your budget is a tool for you to grow your business. It should not dictate you’re spending. If you have a good business case for a new Exchange server, but you didn’t plan for it, don’t let the budget numbers get in the way of what you need to be successful. - Anticipate obstacles. When planning any substantive change in your business, the road can get bumpy. This will need to be factored into your budget as well. If you are planning to roll out a new desktop computer or software this coming year, it may require training, additional support time and some patience with temporarily reduced efficiency.
- Remember to budget for any license renewals and updates, such as Symantec Antivirus, Backup Exec, Microsoft Software Assurance, or hardware warranties that need to be extended. No one wants to find out the main board of a critical server is out and hear that the four-hour guaranteed response time from Dell had expired last month.
For most of us, nothing will make the budgeting process fun, but with the right planning, your IT budget can be a powerful tool to help your business grow and prosper. Together with your partners at Convergence, we can align your technology investments with your strategic plans and business processes and make your New Year the most successful yet.
If you would like to receive more information simply contact us.
What People Are Saying
- “Your technician was wonderful on this issue. He went above and beyond the call of duty and sent me an email with specific details and tips. The upgrade went without a hitch thanks to his foresight. He is a great technician and always one of our favorites because he always gets to the bottom of the issue and is very knowledgeable.”
- Pam Jensen, Crestline Construction Company