Shopping Out IT Gets More Complex
Costs and Competency of In-House Operations
Often Are the Deciding Factors for Small Companies
By RAYMUND FLANDEZ
What technology should you outsource?
That’s a question small companies increasingly face, as information technology becomes more complex and crucial — and in-house expertise falls further and further behind.
“That one IT person cannot be an expert in business applications, security, storage and backup,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, vice president of IT infrastructure solutions for AMI-Partners, a New York-based technology research and consulting firm.
What gets shopped out often depends on what IT functions a company is both willing and able to handle on its own — and what is most cost effective. According to AMI-Partners, small businesses use outsourcing primarily for virus protection, email/messaging, accounting/financials, payroll and online data storage/backup.