| Get Back In the Driver’s Seat Do you remember when owning a car used to be simple? 20 years ago we felt competent enough to do a lot more with our cars than just fill them up with gas. It wasn’t even uncommon for the average guy to carry out some solid repairs without ever calling a mechanic. Today, it is rare to see anyone opening the hood at all. The complexity of automotive technology has grown so much that it is now easier and more cost effective to just let experts handle it and focus on enjoying the drive. Business computing is heading in the same direction. The convergence of information and communications is leading to the demand for availability “any time, any place, any where”. At the same time the competitive nature of almost every modern market is being transformed by escalating demand and unrelenting margin pressure. Add to this the increasing complexity and variety of computing technologies, and the task of successfully managing the information infrastructure can prove to be almost overwhelming, particularly for the small business owner. As businesses tighten their belts and shed functions that aren’t directly related to the core business, the demand for the outsourcing of key technological services continues to increase. Managed services used to be the domain of only the largest of enterprises, however, the ever increasing rate of technological innovation and product complexity is now driving companies of reducing sizes to seek out service providers that can meet their technological needs. The transition of a company’s IT infrastructure from a back office support system to the source of sustainable competitive advantage has resulted in managed services quickly moving front and center in service provider offerings. As such, the goal of a managed services provider today is to allow companies to focus on their core competencies, the things that they do best, while helping them to reduce or consolidate capital expenditures. To the small business, the hard financial benefits of Managed Services are realized on both sides of the P & L. Costs are impacted by consolidation of vendors and reduction in staff and Revenues are enhanced through increased ability to introduce new services faster. Beyond these immediate financial benefits however, the strategic benefits are of even greater advantage to the small business. Imagine being able to depend on guaranteed up-time, tight security, higher productivity and improved customer satisfaction. All of this at lower cost to the organization In short, the growing trend to partner with Managed Service providers is already allowing many small business owners to get out from under the hood of their operations, and back in the drivers seat where they belong. You might want to consider joining them on the highway. |