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4 ways institutions and small businesses can lower IT costs

By Kevin Banks, IVT Founder and President

Hampton, Virginia, Dec. 17, 2008 -- With the economic downturn projected to last late into 2009, institutions and small businesses are tightening their belts like never before. Finding the right balance between necessary IT and budget-saving actions will determine who goes into 2010 strong and who limps in playing catch-up.

Technology will continue to rapidly change throughout 2009. The question is, how much do you need to invest to maintain your competitive edge, or to gain ground in your industry?

Here are four information technology tips to help you navigate through 2009.

Outsourcing IT may be less expensive than employing a full staff
Scarcity breeds clarity, so if you've been thinking of downsizing your staff and outsourcing your IT, now is the time to do it. More and more businesses are outsourcing their IT operations because doing so saves much-needed dollars and puts the IT responsibility into the hands of professionals who must perform well if they desire to stay in business.

The most important aspect of outsourcing your IT is to find an IT company with a reputation for functioning as a business unit of the organizations they serve. This approach ensures you have a trusted partner rather than a disconnected vendor, and provides your company with superior IT leadership and services.

Preventive maintenance can replace expensive, costly problems
Preventive maintenance is the same for IT equipment and networks as it is for cars and machinery. Those who take a proactive approach to maintenance have less headaches and lower monthly expenses than those who play Russian roulette and act once the big crash occurs. There are shortcuts in business, but preventive maintenance is not where to attempt them.

Many network administrators are unaware that problems exist until the impact causes a disruption to vital applications and services. Find an IT company that can proactively monitor your critical network services and datacenter operations in real time 24x7x365. This preventive maintenance approach monitors your network and operations from a dashboard system and alerts you to potential problems before they become catastrophic.

Consolidate Internet and telephone services
If another draining expense on your company budget is the phone bill, consider consolidating your phone services with the Internet. Called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), this service combines the Internet and telephone services to provide phone communications worldwide. No more long-distance fees. VoIP also reduces communication and infrastructure costs by routing phone calls over existing data networks, and avoiding duplicate network systems.

VoIP is gaining in popularity, but many companies avoid it because of the staff support requirement. However, you can avoid the staff support if you outsource this service to an IT company that will manage your VoIP telephony infrastructure. When going this route, make sure the IT company you chose is capable of managing your IP telephony infrastructure and can provide 24/7 monitoring and response VoIP services. This includes office moves, add-ons, changes, and troubleshooting. You'll want an end-to-end VoIP provider that will compliment your business, not hinder it.

Have an IT plan
Running your company with an ad hoc approach to IT is costly. Now is the time to wring out unneeded IT expenses by aligning your IT initiatives with your business objectives. Your IT should be streamlining your operations and procedures, not creating bottlenecks in your business process. Find an IT company that has the experience and engineers to conduct a thorough audit and present a solid IT Plan.

About IVT
IVT is a network solutions company headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, that specializes in IT consulting, IT outsourcing, network consulting, network management, technical support, information systems engineering, information security, information technology, wireless mobility solutions, remote access security, datacenter operations management, data disaster recovery, and Microsoft and Cisco Network Solutions.  IVT serves clients nationwide including Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Atlanta, Georgia, Maryland, and the Washington DC Metro Area.

For a no-cost phone consultation, feel free to call us at (800) 350-2403 or email services@ivtechcorp.com.