Midlands Business Insider IT feature - 24/9/2009

BRETT CRITCHLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ORCHID IT

At a time when many businesses may be more inclined to hang on to their cash and wait until the recovery comes before investing in an upgrade to their IT systems, getting the right IT infrastructure in place could actually save you money in the long term - that’s the message from Brett Critchley, founder and managing director of Derby-based Orchid IT, the Midlands’ leading suppliers of IT support and services:

“Whilst it might not seem like the best time for small businesses to invest in IT, many IT vendors are offering substantial deals on their products and even services at the moment. Providing you have the cash to spend, then there are some good deals to be had.

Cash flow has been the watchword for most businesses this year, so if the funds aren’t available and there is a business requirement for investing in IT, then leasing would be a good option – and again, there are deals to be had at present.

Here at Orchid, we are finding that businesses of all sizes are willing to invest in the area of IT, but only if they feel that they can lever a tangible business benefit from it.

Whilst there has been a decrease in the spend on IT hardware, there has been a marked increase in the number of businesses taking out product warranties. A relatively small investment in an extended warranty is clearly cheaper than buying new kit and gives businesses the peace of mind that their operation will be relatively unaffected if the worst does happen and their IT systems fail.

Mobile e-mail is another growth area. The current economic climate is forcing people to work harder and longer hours to make sure that their businesses can survive.
With flexible working and mobile communications on the increase, we are installing more and more Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices.

Orchid’s new mobile communications division ensures that companies have the most cost effective mobile solution, with the right phones and the most appropriate mobile tariffs for their needs. And once you have the right the devices, setting up a mobile communications system is simple.

More and more businesses now need to be equipped for remote working and have the ability to work from a remote location, whether it’s a home office or while they are on holiday.

People want the ability to use all their standard applications and have access to all the company’s systems – just as if they were at their desk. Installing a terminal server will enable this to happen and the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Document collaboration is another growth area for Orchid. A common issue that we come across is the way that businesses use and share information. Staff frequently use the wrong quote forms and templates and save information to non backed up-devices. This means that they can’t share information effectively and have no single way of doing a task that is universal for the company.

Orchid has recently become a reseller for Microsoft SharePoint, a fantastic new platform, which provides the answers to all these issues and more. Such has been the level of interest in the new solution that we are currently holding a series of seminars with Microsoft to promote the many benefits to businesses.

Regardless of the economic climate, it is always important to ensure that your IT systems are performing to their full potential. Poor IT can result in poor productivity, so it’s beneficial to review your system on a regular basis, and upgrade when necessary.

A solid, well-supported IT infrastructure is vitally important for small businesses for when the economy is both weak and strong.