A New way to think of IT – Ownership FREE!

 Think about your IT costs.  Keep thinking.  Do you add in IT upgrades and fixes to your yearly budget?  How much do you spend on a yearly basis buying new hardware and peripherals (such as printers and web cams) and fixing a variety of network issues?  How much time have you spent away from your day-to-day work to wear the hat of IT Manager even though your official title is Office Manager or President?

Now assess your current IT needs.  Do you have an aging network that is not keeping up with your client demands and needs repairs exceeding your allotted budget?  Or, are you looking to upgrade your network to innovate and move into the cloud, but do not have the manpower or expertise on staff to manage it?

Technology offerings for the small business have seen a tremendous boost in sophistication over the past decade.  With the introduction of Managed Services (remotely monitoring and maintaining a client’s network for a fixed fee) and cloud computing, the SMB can experience many of the same technology capabilities as an enterprise corporation.  This shift away from a “break/fix” model to a “proactive” IT approach allows the business owner some peace of mind that for a monthly fee, their computers, servers, and network infrastructure is being monitored, maintained, and updated.  But what if something happens to your network outside of your contract?  Do you have the cash to pay for it?

I am excited to introduce you to a new technology model that takes all of the guesswork out of wondering whether your network will break and how much it will cost to fix it.  Not to mention, how much time will you lose trying to deal with the issue?

The program is called:  HaaS – Hardware as a Service.  With HaaS, all network hardware such as servers, workstations, firewalls, BDRs, VoIP Solutions, thin clients, switches, and notebooks are owned by your technology services provider but housed on your premise.  Services such as data backup, email, and network monitoring and network updates are all accomplished remotely through the cloud.  The client (you) pays one monthly fee.  In other words, your IT costs become an operating expense versus a capital expense.

Let’s look at some of the key benefits to a HaaS solution:

1. Predictable Budgeting – This program boasts a fixed-fee monthly expense covering all hardware and related services.
2. Operational versus Capital expense –A typical HaaS agreement or contract lasts 3 years.  At the conclusion of the agreement, you can choose to end your contract or renew and upgrade your existing network.  If you choose the latter, all dated equipment will be replaced and your contract will be renewed once again for another 3 years.  Because you do not own any of the equipment, you can move your expenses from a capital expenditure to be taken over years to an operational expense, which you can write off immediately.
3.  Customer Support – Your HaaS contract includes 24×7 remote monitoring and maintenance of all hardware, software and peripherals.  With proactive maintenance on your entire network, your number of IT calls will decrease.
4. Single point of contact  – Because your IT service provider owns all of your hardware, they become your single point of contact when an issue arises.  Your printer jams, call your IT provider.  You want to add additional users to your network, call your IT provider.  Your tablet won’t connect remotely, call…well you get the drill.

I am still amazed as to how far technology has evolved in my lifetime.  Having a network data center, with the latest technology to grow your business, at your location, but not having to own or maintain it is truly a gift to the busy small business owner.  It’s about aligning IT to work for you, not against you.  Are you ready to go ownership-free?

Lisa Shorr,
PC Troubleshooters, www.pctrouble.com

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