IT spending is a significant portion of any business’s budget. The costs of maintaining infrastructure and operations can be steep. Factor in the costs of hiring, training and retaining top-tier IT personnel and it can feel like a real challenge to keep the price of doing business down. If you and your business are looking for ways to reduce IT spending, consider these actions to see quick returns.
TSP Costs
Keeping a data center and network operating can be expensive. Since the performance of your network is critical, it cannot be neglected. However, you should not feel trapped by the status quo set by your current telecom service provider (TSP). Competition in this service arena is fierce, giving you significant negotiating power in regards to the cost of your services. Consult with competitor services to see what rates are being offered for comparable service, then see if your business’s current TSP is willing to make any contract changes. You could find yourself with a lower monthly bill after a few simple phone calls.
Consolidate and Virtualize
You can lower your IT costs significantly with the proper use of consolidation and virtualization. Many servers are underutilized, increasing the costs related to equipment that isn’t being fully used. By pursuing server virtualization, you can centralize multiple functions within a single server. This can increase communication between the systems while still allowing different operating systems and servers to communicate effectively with one another.
By reducing the number of servers required for business operations, you may experience a variety of fringe benefits. You will lessen the amount of physical space required to house your network services, possibly allowing for lower-cost real estate options to provide the room necessary, or allowing for expansion without the addition of new physical space. Your temperature control and power needs will also be reduced, bringing down the monthly costs associated with running the equipment.
Cloud Services
Some business may benefit from abandoning the idea of maintaining onsite servers by enlisting the assistance of cloud-based service providers. Your entire database may be transferable to an alternative infrastructure that is designed to provide access whenever, and wherever, it is needed. For a particular fee, you will eliminate the need to manage, update, and house piece of physical equipment. With that, you can lower your personnel costs as you will not require onsite support for equipment that is no longer there.
Hiring and Staffing
The process of hiring new staff members is costly. It will cost you time, and will cost you money, to find the ideal candidates for your business and onboard them. When an IT professional is only required for a short time, such as with a project position, these costs can seem exorbitant for the amount of time the person will be there.
In either case, working with a professional staffing firm is highly effective. Staffing companies can manage your contingent workforce or find you IT professional for full-time jobs. They can advertise your positions, provide screening and testing services, as well as interview potential candidates. This ensures you will only spend time with the best of the best, saving you time and money.
If you are looking to hire, and want to keep your costs down, the professionals at ITStaff can make your goals a reality. Contact ITStaff to see how they can help your hiring process become more cost-efficient today.
