4-10-15

2B — April 10 - 23, 2015 — New Jersey — M id A tlantic

Real Estate Journal

www.marejournal.com

N ew J ersey

By Michael Mullin, Integrated Business Systems Why outsourcing your information technology might make sense

are choosing to outsource their IT function through Managed Services. In short, companies like IBS are seeing a surge in demand from clients looking to hire a third-party provider to fill the role of an internal chief information officer. IT outsourcing comes with a number of immediate benefits. Cost Control andReduction Outsourcing converts fixed IT costs into variable costs and allows companies to budget effectively. The company pays for what it uses, as needed. On the other hand, organizations that try to “do” IT in-house

nology professional, how can you really tell if a potential IT employee is qualified? Certifi- cations like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) are important, but so is experience. Outsourcing to a specialized firm ensures the involvement of a team with the proper skills and backgrounds. This is especially important when it comes to solving problems. An in-house IT employee leads an isolated existence – no matter how much they train. Good IT service companies are exposed to multiple systems and net- work configurations. Very few issues can arise that they have not already seen (and solved). Rapid New Technology Implementation A quality outsourced IT ser- vice organization will have the resources to start new projects right away, where handling the same project in-house might involve a company spending weeks or months dedicated to hiring and training the right people, and providing the sup- port they need. They also can help businesses vet new tech- nology products to identify the advancements that will bring real ROI, rather than just bells and whistles, and advise them on an appropriate timeframe and budget for adoption. RenewedCore-businessFocus Businesses have finite re- sources, and managers have limited time and attention. Outsourcing can help compa- nies focus on their core business by eliminating the distractions associated with complex IT decisions. In other words, com- panies do what they do well, and an experienced IT services provider enables them to stay centered. Risk Reduction, Compli- ance and Security Is your firewall up to date? Do you have a DMZ installed? Do you audit your workstations and servers? Has your company implemented PCI security stan- dards and work to maintain those standards? Every busi- ness investment carries a cer- tain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regu- lations, financial conditions and technologies all change very quickly. For example, the many available forms of trans- acting business and collecting payment electronically today necessitates impeccable due diligence to ensure the privacy of client data, sensitive com- continued on page 13B

oday ’ s inf ormat i on technology infrastruc- ture is incredibly com-

whose businesses are not tech- related successfully stay on top of what they need in order to keep their systems current, let alone advanced enough to create competitive advantage? In many cases they cannot. And with everything from the escalating risks associated with business-critical functions like collecting and protecting customer payment data, to confusion over what the im- minent support end-of-life for several popular Windows busi- ness products, to the pros and cons of cloud computing, it is no wonder that many companies

often invest significant time in related research, development and implementation – all of which increase costs. Addition- ally, hiring and training an IT staff can be expensive, and temporary employees may not live up to expectations. Out- sourcing lets businesses focus their human resources where they need them most. They no longer have to financially sup- port employees dedicated to the IT function, nor do they have to worry about training. Certification, Qualifica- tion and Experience Unless you are a trained tech-

plicated, and its rapid rate of change is nothing short of mind-bog- gling. Even those of us in the technol- ogy industry a r e c h a l -

Mike Mullin

lenged to understand and pri- oritize which of the many mov- ing pieces are worth grabbing and adopting. How, then, can small- and mid-size companies

Enterprise IT Made Simple

Operating a functional and secure IT infrastructure is a critical priority for your business.

It is important to us, too!

Accounting • Property Operations • Managed Services We do it all.

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker