When I speak with other business owners, I field many variations of the question,"Would managed services benefit my company?"

As with most things, the answer is: It depends. Although we have an inherent desire for simple black-and-white answers, the reality is that some companies benefit from managed IT services and some do not. Let's take a closer look.

Hiring a network support company makes sense doesn't it?  Most small businesses are not experts in networking.  So, one would think this is a logical thing to outsource.

Over the last two years, we have conducted a study of small business computer services pain points.  We interviewed 110 companies ranging from 20 to 100 employees.  Representative interviewees included owners, CEOs, presidents, partners, general managers, CFOs, controllers and similar leadership positions.  The pain points represent those most affecting business outcomes as reported by the interviewee.  Verticals were wide ranging with everything from biotechnology to services organizations to manufacturing and technology.

One of the common questions that I get from owners who need their small business IT infrastructure supported is how can an external company perform support remotely and effectively?

In today’s economically optimistic, but still cautious small business environment, efficiency in information technologies is more important than ever.  And the best way to capitalize on that efficiency is to make sure your small business IT support doesn’t just detect problems in your network, it prevents them.  Here are the five technology initiatives to best ensure maximum productivity.