– To Support or not to support – that is the question!
‘Whether ‘tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous business circumstance, or take up arms with high level IT support, and by opposing end them.’
Businesses are coming under increasing pressure to get back to work, and back into the office. The recent lockdown period will have countless finance officers looking at company finances and looking to make swift and drastic cost cuts. Paradoxically IT costs are under more scrutiny than usual. This is a good thing for IT support providers, as they will either provide a good level of service for their price or not.
Astec IT have been busy the last couple of weeks fielding queries about audits for company IT infrastructure, and especially security and connectivity in and out of the office. We welcome the review that most companies are conducting as we feel this plays to the strengths of our company ethos and service provision.
An IT decision maker will have one of two key choices to make. This will be to either invest internally in additional IT Support headcount, or review current IT Support/change suppliers for more favourable terms and SLAs. According to Business Matters Magazine, up to a third of businesses are looking to slash their IT expenditure. But is this wise considering the importance of IT infrastructure to keep employees engaged, and productive even while working remotely?
Recent advances in technology such as cloud computing, has made it easier for most businesses to work seamlessly both in and out of the office. The financial impact of Covid 19 is yet to be fully understood, and hard to determine company to company. The importance of IT support cannot be underestimated, and high-quality support is available. Outsourced IT solutions will be the go-to option for many business owners.
Business owners are more inclined to look at outsourced IT support more favourably now. With good SLA’s in the background, the cut in annual IT costs (as a result of taking up an outsourced option) can help to offset losses in other key areas such as sales and marketing activity. This will be help businesses to survive the current economic climate, as the ‘new normal’ for society begins to take shape.
There are many benefits to an outsourced IT option other than being able to cost-cut, and re-invest in other areas of a company. Astec IT are at the vanguard of our industry, and by working with a diverse range of clients in different sectors – our collective IP enables us to manage any IT issues for your business. Our IT experience is broad which allows us to be innovative and creative in the bespoke solutions we can deliver for our clients daily and strategically in the long term.
Due to the remote nature of outsourced IT services, Astec IT can also be a valuable resource when it comes to moving to the cloud. Cloud computing for business provides a range of benefits, such as increased security, increased storage, ability to work remotely, as well as applications that enhance productivity.
Businesses will also be under greater pressure to provide employees with the ability to work remotely if requested. This in itself will make social distancing easier in current office set ups, as employees are asked to come in a staggered or hived approach. Desk space will never have been so valuable a commodity! Company owners will look to reduce liability as a result of illnesses due to poor social distancing measures, as employment law looks to catch up with new working practices.
It’s fair to say that a normal day at work will never be the same. Business owners who look to strategically increase or enhance their IT support will do well, as they will create stable platforms to deliver critical workflows, that will lead to business survival and growth.
Now would be a great time to contact Astec IT and ascertain what your IT systems are doing for you, and whether they are fit for purpose. We are all at a crossroads in so many facets of our lives. Making sure that your IT systems are working, securely and efficiently, will take a great deal of collective stress out of the equation.