More technology vendors are bundling managed services with their products. The reasons are clear: Technology products are increasingly complex, and many organizations lack the expertise to adopt and use them effectively. The persistent tech shortage exacerbates these challenges.
The days are growing shorter, leaves are changing color and there’s a chill in the air — all sure signs that we’re in the thick of budgeting season. It’s a crucial time of year for IT organizations to evaluate evolving business and technology trends and ensure that the most critical and strategic projects receive adequate funding and attention.
Small to midsized businesses (SMBs) are the bedrock of the global economy, representing 99 percent of all businesses worldwide and generating approximately 70 percent of the global gross domestic product. While they are often the most vulnerable in times of economic uncertainty, most remain committed to making judicious technology investments that build long-term business resilience.
Tick tock. Time is running out on organizations that have not yet upgraded from Office 2013. On April 11, Microsoft is ending support for that version of the popular business productivity suite. Although all applications included in Office 2013 will remain functional after the shutoff date, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, feature updates or security patches.
As we discussed in our last post, cooperative procurement contacts help government agencies, educational institutions and some nonprofit organizations save time and money on technology acquisitions by aggregating purchasing power. Analysts say state and local governments save more than $300 billion of taxpayer dollars each year through increased purchasing efficiencies.
Government agencies, educational institutions and other public sector organizations face dueling priorities when it comes to their technology requirements — expand digital initiatives and simultaneously reduce spending. Cooperative purchasing arrangements help resolve the dilemma.
In an age of rapid digitalization, CEOs, CFOs and other members of the C-suite are committed to using technology to increase operational efficiency, improve customer experiences and drive revenues. More than 75 percent of executives surveyed for the Forbes 2021 CxO Growth Survey said they plan to “double down” on technology investments over the next two years.
As your organization grows, technology needs grow. Even if you’re reducing your physical infrastructure footprint, you’ve probably added applications, software and services from different vendors.
Plus, new solutions are constantly being introduced and added to your technology mix, while many older tools never really go away.
An employee goes to IT with a special request. Maybe they need an application reconfigured or want to use an entirely new application, device or operating system. IT fulfills the request to make the employee happy and everyone goes about their business.
For years, technology was considered no more important than the copy machine, a manufacturing tool, or a company vehicle. Computers were utilitarian pieces of equipment that were required to get work done. IT budgeting focused on maintaining existing tools and replacing them when they were on their last legs.
