The Diminished Value of I.T. ?

The rules and technology changed! Many are saying all I.T. and communications companies are the same. Seen one … seen them all. Is that true today? Given the choice between Provider A and Provider B, there is no differentiating value? Are you about to make an I.T. commitment to a new server, a new phone system, or cloud computing? And you think all of these choices provide about the same value? 

Not knowing your true costs in this economy could lead to lost opportunities!

With thousands of VoIP, Hosting, and I.T. companies in North America, getting a tech business started is easier than ever!  Numerous reseller programs exists that require no training.  Direct Mail Campaigns, prepared by equipment manufacturers, could be headed to thousands of potential customers today - all with your new logo on them.

True story: I received the same postcard from six different companies last week.

If I.T. and Next Generation Communications present little or no strategic value to your business, I would agree that all companies and vendors are equal.  The real answer, of course, is that many I.T.  and Next Generation Communication Companies put in the hard work, time, and effort to provide your business with useful evaluations and information based upon years of experience and education.  Your business can then, in turn, continuously improve decision making related to processes, communications, and productivity knowing the underlying knowledge was created from a credible source.

Is your trusted adviser sufficiently motivated to find the right solution for your business?

A talented and experienced technology company will be able to help business owners and decision makers choose the best solutions for the needs of the organization.  If your technology adviser lacks experience, training, financial stability, and accountability – what does the conversation sound like when you are faced with a capital expense solution of $120,000 versus an operating expense solution of $1,200 per month?  Shared versus Dedicated?  Premise versus Hosted?  What kind of financial impact exists over the next three to six years? 

In most organizations, capital investment is limited.  All companies want to direct their limited  investment opportunities towards revenue generating projects.  A wrong move leads to lost opportunity.  (Be prepared – shameless plug coming up)  Since 1995,  Georgia Business Net has been advising and providing trusted solutions to organizations large and small throughout nine states in the southeast.  We want to work with you and your partners with a goal of being your LAST technology solution provider.

Help with IPv6 - What's the plan?

We all have to prepare for IPv6. I am going to try to make this article for the masses, but the fact is, we are talking about IP Addresses. This subject inherently is technical. Devices that are speaking IPv6 are still rare, therefore our talk today is not urgent. Nevertheless, I've had four IPv6 conversations in the last two weeks. (That's probably four more than last year) With this little bit of buzz, and in an effort to help you prepare, let's discuss a good plan going forward. For the non-technical reader, IPv6 is the next generation Internet Protocol address. Currently while browsing, we find each other on the Internet with Internet Protocol version 4 addresses. Version 4 IP Addresses are represented by 32 bits, while version 6 has 128 bits. The Internet will run out of IP Addresses for each of our devices one day, and therefore we need more address space. This conversion to 128 bit addresses is the solution. All equipment that requires Internet Access needs to speak in this new format. Here's the message we are sending our clients today:

The time has arrived to have the "what if we had to switch to IPv6?" meeting.

As a leader in your organization, it is time to raise awareness at all levels about this issue. Every purchase, every plan, every budget could be affected if a conversion was required.

Justify the cost of whether or not you require IPv6 compatibility today or can it wait?

In many cases, your technology purchases are inexpensive and replacing them for IPv6 will be inexpensive also. In other cases, buying for this compatibility doesn't cost much more. In that case, buy for the future, its nearly free! My word of caution relates to the expensive purchases for equipment that you will use for the next three to five years. For these purchases, ask questions:

Is it compatible today?

If not compatible today, is it a free and easy software upgrade later to be compatible?

If the upgrade isn't free and easy, how much is it going to cost? How does that cost compare to buying another vendor's equipment that is compatible today? Or buying new "again" when it is time to make the IPv6 conversion?

In summary, all you need to do today is be aware of this change. Be smart and remind yourself of this change as you make big technology plans and purchases.

If you have questions, email us, Georgia Business Net is here to help.

support@gabn.net

For some extended reading, Infoworld published a little news on this topic this week:
Source / Article: http://bit.ly/IPv6gabn