Are we spending to much on IT? It’s a question many companies wrestle with on a regular basis — and they don’t have to.
Here are three ways to ensure your company’s tech spending doesn’t run rampant.
Perform a tech inventory audit. Companies can realize some terrific savings simply by taking a close look at the upcoming tech budget and determining what’s no longer needed, what needs to be replaced, etc.
Key: Don’t believe the hype when it comes to buying the latest version of a tech product. According to experts, many organizations opt for expensive upgrades when they aren’t really necessary.
Revisit vendor contracts. Like all service providers, tech vendors understand it’s been rough for businesses this year — and most are willing to go to great lengths to ensure that their relationships remain intact. Try your hand at asking outright for discounts, added services or better terms. If that doesn’t work, letting your vendor know you’re thinking about going with a competitor should help you secure some savings.
Pay for Web-based software on a monthly basis. Rather than dumping a significant amount of money toward an up-front investment, companies have realized significant savings by paying a monthly fee for services such as data backup and anti-virus protection.
Example: RingCentral specializes in taking care of all of small businesses’ communications for a small monthly fee, and Egnyte allows small businesses to outsource their IT needs for a monthly charge.
