White Knight

As many small to medium sized businesses look for ways to become cost efficient and profitable, an increasingly popular method is arising called SaaS (Software as a Solution). The result is an affordable, all encompassing solution for a business’s computer and information technology needs.

What is SaaS and how can it benefit my business? As mentioned in Dynamic Business, “SaaS is an on-demand, scalable software solution that provides applications via a private network (or the internet) for a monthly subscription fee”.  Today, companies that outsource their IT operations receive a more cost effective, simplified computer troubleshooting model. Tailor made Packages are available that include website management and maintenance, Broadband or Wireless Internet Connectivity, Networking Maintenance and many other options of computer technology and its peripherals.

As more and more businesses discover the many benefits of SaaS, an interesting trend is forming that shows companies are moving away from the traditional model (that includes on site IT department and its associated personnel) in favour of an outside agency to handle all aspects of their computer needs.  In fact, Springboard Research forecasts an expected growth of 65% per annum in Australia and New Zealand alone.

The time saving benefits of outsourcing IT

A recent article released in the All Covered Learning Center, outsourcing a company’s IT operations uses “. . . non-company resources to complete internal business tasks”. This translates to mean onerous and time consuming components of managing a company’s IT requirement can be lifted from the shoulders of existing personnel, allowing them to use their valuable time to perform tasks that more directly benefit the company’s success.

Many companies have a resident IT ‘guru of sorts’, who runs from cubicle to cubicle performing routine maintenance and troubleshooting problems. He or she may also be responsible for running the business’s website or its ecommerce site. However, this same individual often has a regular, separate, full time job to do.

Rather than burden an existing employee with the task of performing ecommerce design or other forms of computer maintenance, many companies are opting to outsource these functions altogether. Doing so is a definite time saver, and allows existing employees to focus on excelling in the job that they are actually there to do - a real win-win for business owners.

How businesses can afford to outsource their IT operations

Out sourcing IT operations has come a long way since it’s inception when it was only available to large businesses. If you’d ever dream of implementing it within small to medium business you have to take out a loan just to afford the maintenance costs.

As with any technology as businesses and individuals embrace it, the overall cost goes down.  This is now fed through to SaaS technologies. Small to midsized businesses can now afford to outsource the bulk of their IT operations to outside agencies, and adopt SaaS techniques. More than ever before, the traditional model of onsite IT personnel is being influenced by the massive list of affordable options available to many businesses.

SaaS is a great example of this phenomenon at work. As succinctly noted on the  sales force website, in the past “companies were required to buy, build, and maintain their IT infrastructures despite exponential costs.” Indeed, one of the biggest hurdles for many companies attempting to catch up with modern technology is the cost of setting everything up in house.

Through SaaS outsourcing solutions, everything can be managed remotely, outside of the actual physical building where a company is housed. The maintenance and running of all manner of computer services including security functions are ably handled through SaaS alternatives, making it a very affordable option.

The savings associated with outsourcing IT operations

Keeping one or more full time employees to take care of IT operations can be an expensive proposition. IT staff tend to experience stretches of time without very much to do - whilst the businesses continues to pay their full time salaries. It is no surprise then, as noted in Outsourcing.com, 64% of business executives who were polled about why they chose outsourcing as a solution, named saving money as their top consideration. After all, in business the bottom line is critical.

Outsourcing IT operations for things like custom web design and all other manner of a company’s computer needs is a very savvy way to cut costs. The business that uses outsourcing only calls upon the IT company on a need to need basis, avoiding the need to pay a full time salary and associated benefits.

Businesses that make the change often feel that their money is better spent on outsourced IT operations, since it isn’t being wasted by long periods of little to no activity. After all, why pay a person full time wages when their expertise is only needed occasionally or invest massive amounts of capital to set up your own infrastructure?

Outsourced IT solutions are now an affordable option for small to medium business the take care of these issues quite handily and free up businesses money to invest in strategies that offer a higher return.