04/ 06/ 2006
by Brian Vaughn
How third-party IT providers can deliver sophisticated business technology conveniently and affordably
Many small businesses, particularly those that lack an information technology (IT) staff, often find themselves at odds with the technology components they need, want and can afford. They crave the technological “bells and whistles” of large corporations, but settle for basic computer and network technology because they believe they cannot afford a robust infrastructure. Unfortunately, such rudimentary IT components often furnish sub-par solutions that give away a company’s status as a small business.
Thankfully, several options are putting sophisticated technological bells and whistles within the reach of emerging businesses. Many small companies are outsourcing varied IT services to third-party managed service providers. These options save small businesses time and money and make business information technology easy to budget, manage and understand.
The e-mail conundrum
Nothing gives away your status as a small business like an e-mail address from your personal Internet service provider. Let’s face it, e-mail addresses such as billsflowers@yahoo.com have no place on a business card. However, many small companies settle for such addresses because they believe that securing a legitimate domain name (e.g. www.billsflowers.com) with multiple corresponding e-mail addresses (e.g, info@billsflowers.com, bill@billsflowers.com, etc.) is costly and complicated. Further, they are scared off by the need to house complex server infrastructure, which can be pricey to procure and maintain on-site.
Thanks to third-party outsourced technology providers, e-mail applications don't have to be daunting or cost-prohibitive. Managed services vendors can inexpensively replace your company’s e-mail system and its addresses with a true corporate domain and messaging platform hosted by the vendor off-site. Because your company shares servers, mail systems and disk space with the vendors’ other clients, you can enjoy reduced hosting, maintenance and management fees.
Solutions for application hosting
Similarly, many small companies grapple with application hosting challenges. Whether it’s a Web site, an accounting application or a project management solution, all of these applications can be “leased” on a monthly basis through a third party. While the cost through the years may turn out to be more expensive, many small firms prefer the outsourced hosting option when compared with the high costs of owning their own server and its associated software.
The outsourced hosting model can mean better customer service for your company in the long-term. If your business, for example, purchases and installs a hardware/software solution on-site, and you suffer technical difficulties several months after it’s paid for, most of your leverage with the vendor who sold it to you was lost with your paid invoice. On the contrary, third-party hosting providers make their money by billing you gradually each month, rather than making a profit from the initial installation. This means they have a much larger incentive to provide you with ongoing customer service to ensure both your retention as a customer and their eventual profitability.
Phone and voice mail systems
As small companies grow, they must deliver more robust phone, workflow and voice mail systems to their employees. But sourcing a solution that you can afford can be intimidating. Here, again, outsourced managed services providers can help.
Similar to e-mail messaging and application hosting, telephone systems and local and long-distance service can now be “rented” on a monthly basis. So instead of procuring their own voice mail system, dial tone and a private branch exchange (PBX)/phone system, small firms can consult a third party and obtain these items more affordably. The secret lies in economies of scale. By bundling multiple customers who share voice mail and PBX systems, outsourced providers arm small firms with sophisticated phone and voice mail systems in a convenient and cost-effective way.
Here’s how it works: Your company buys phone sets for your employees’ desks and then “rents” space every month for a shared PBX or IP telephony system, which covers system maintenance, support, call features and voice mail. Your upfront costs are drastically reduced, while your phone system’s features are enhanced. So with a modest investment, your employees can enjoy new telephony features such as IP Telephony, drag-and-drop dialing and PC-telephony integration (the ability to use the Internet to drastically reduce long-distance service charges and make calls from your PC).
So in these times of limited IT resources, the most advanced business technology is no longer out of reach. Small businesses are finding value in one-stop technology providers that can offer sophisticated IT components affordably and conveniently. Thanks to shared e-mail, application hosting and telephony solutions, you can operate like a Fortune 500 corporation for a fraction of the cost.
Brian Vaughn is executive vice president and chief business officer at Rockville, Md.-based Dataprise, Inc. (www.dataprise.com), an information technology services company specializing in network support and managed services for small and medium-size organizations. Contact him at bvaughn@dataprise.com"
