Time is running out!
Posted on August 19, 2013
With Microsoft doing the dirty and stop selling SBS 2011 at the end of the year (But will still support it for another few years) – It is a good time now to review all of your business IT needs for the next few years.
You need to ask the following questions, with the help of a IT Solution provider (not just your corner store Computer shop)
-
How reliable is my IT equipment at the moment?
-
If I expand/shrink my business in the next few years – is my existing equipment going to handle this change?
-
Do I know every option that is available to me?
-
Am I making INFORMED decisions in regards to all of the information that is available to me?
-
Does owning equipment on premise suit my business?
-
Will having my data in the cloud be an asset or a liability?
-
Have I & will I have reliable/fast internet access – what will be the impact if I don’t have access to my data for a period of time, which is the bigger risk – on premise or in the cloud?
-
What is my industry’s stance when it comes to data security and confidentially?
The answers to these major questions will help pave the way forward in making your business more successful and efficient in the years to come. As usual – you need the correct advice, so seek out a suitable IT Solution provider.
For example – if you have old/unreliable IT equipment and/or you think you may be scaling back your business – maybe going to Office 365 instead of having a full blown server on premise is the way to go.
However if your business is thriving or even expanding and you need a solution that will cope in the foreseeable future – maybe an on premise server is the best solution.
The question needs to be asked – WHY is Microsoft doing this? Why is Microsoft REDUCING the options for Small Businesses?
The “Cloud” has been around for a long time – it’s just come to the forefront since (apparently) everyone has very fast and reliable internet, which gives the likes of Microsoft and and other companies (such as MYOB live accounts) an opportunity to supply a service that they can charge an ongoing fee (instead of a once off fee for a product that you own). Another bonus to these service providers is once you have “invested” in the service for a while (ie Live accounts), there is no easy way to change to another service (which – to some extent could be said for a on premise solution, or if you stop paying for the service – thats it – you cant use that service, whereas if you had purchased the program (MYOB Enterprise, Office 2013 etc) you can stop the subscription for Maintenance and Support and still use the program (just can’t update, request support etc).
Exciting times ahead, just use the right people to make informed decisions and don’t get caught up in the hype!
Comments are currently closed.