Inside Small Business » 2008

IT Series Part 1 – Today’s Business Computing

Inside Small Business | November 29th, 2008

David Grenda, founder, Grenda Computer Consulting
Part 1 in a series or articles on IT and Small Business.

It almost seems ridiculous to state the obvious fact that computers are an absolute in today’s business environment. There was a time when having technology gave your enterprise an advantage. Now you must have technology simply to compete. To make matters worse, the technology that has become so critical to the ongoing success of almost any enterprise is for the most part a mystery to the business owner. In my consulting practice, I see this mystery present a great frustration for decision makers. Having your enterprise depend so critically on equipment and processes you don’t fully (or even partially) understand can keep you awake at night.

Computers these days are almost always instantly connected to the internet. Almost any software program you purchase now assumes this and sets itself up to communicate with its “home base” for updates. Multiply this by a dozen or so programs and you have a chatty computer. End users are surfing the internet and encountering new breeds of malicious problems that seem to always be one step ahead of the anti-virus protection companies. It can take only a matter of weeks for the performance of a brand new computer to be ruined because it has been infected with such programs.

It once was possible to simply have email, spreadsheets, and a word processor cover most of what you need a computer to do for you. Now, many industries are using large and complex software systems that you either need to install or lose that edge to your competition. This only deepens the anxiety of depending on these mysterious machines.

Today’s computing environment is getting more complex, not simpler. Play with the new Windows Vista and you’ll see what I mean. The computers that are such an important part of your enterprise cannot be ignored. Just as you can see a piece of equipment on your production floor and know how critical it is, so goes the world of your computers.

You may expect such sage observations from a guy who makes his living as a computer consultant, but I’m very serious. I’ve seen many businesses face the brink of closure because they were stopped dead by technology problems they ignored, or worse got unqualified but well meaning (like one of your teenagers) help to resolve.

Having qualified computer support is a critical part of the equation. In the next few installments I will be discussing these issues. I will provide you the information necessary to evaluate your options, and proceed with a support plan that fits the constraints of your enterprise.

* David Grenda is the founder of Grenda Computer Consulting LLC. His firm provides a full range of IT support services and telecom support services to business of all sizes, including the Fortune 500. Among his 24 years of professional accomplishments, he has been featured in BusinessWeek magazine and received numerous professional recognitions. GCC’s guiding principle is that technology is a tool in a solution, not the solution itself. “We measure our success in years of client relationships”.