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By Martin Straub , CPA, CITP
In the past month I had the opportunity to participate in a number of technology events including GWATA’s “Network Technologies for Small Businesses” event and, more recently, a conference targeted towards technology consultants who work primarily with smaller businesses. Listening to speakers and talking with other participants, I noticed a number of emerging trends.
Backup Technology – Good news, backing up your critical data, entire PC or network has become much, much easier. The most difficult thing now may be deciding between the many options. No longer do you need to use floppy disks (does your PC even have a floppy drive?), unreliable tapes, or cumbersome software. Your hardware choices now include DVDs, USB memory sticks and hard drives, and network attached storage devices. Compared to years’ past, all are inexpensive and reliable.
Backup software has also become easier to use and more intuitive. A relatively new technology called “drive imaging” is a great choice for more demanding users and small businesses. Drive imaging allows you to “snapshot” your hard drive at designated points in time and restore back to that exact point – in minutes, and in many cases on a completely different PC or server. It is an extremely powerful tool and a must-have solution for many businesses that demand redundancy.
Finally, an even better option for some businesses may be hosted, off-site backups. Because of cost and bandwidth limitations, this option used to be available only to businesses with large IT budgets. Nowadays, many of our local internet service providers offer this service to businesses and home users. You simply install the software, select the files or folders to be included, and your data is automatically backed up on a regular schedule to an off-site server – securely and reliably.
Servers – It used to be that servers were for more “sophisticated” or larger businesses. Those days are gone. Servers are now common in even the smallest of businesses. Server hardware can now be purchased for little more than the cost of a high-end PC and, once installed, most maintenance tasks can easily be performed without outside support. The number of software suites designed specifically for Small Business Server continues to grow, providing businesses with even more options for maximizing their investment in a server.
Customer Relationship Management Software – In an increasing competitive marketplace, more and more businesses are finding that tracking their prospects and customers’ purchasing patterns is essential to growing their business. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software enables a business to better manage and track communications and transactions with customers. CRM software is not new, but its ease of use and accessibility for smaller businesses has improved significantly over the past few years. Options included hosted solutions such as salesforce.com to desktop and server solutions such as Act!, Goldmine, Outlook Business Contact Manager, and Microsoft CRM.
Integrated Messaging – No, I didn’t mean instant messaging (although that too is still very popular). Integrated messaging is the ability to merge all of your messages (voicemail, faxes, instant messages, email, etc) from disparate sources into a single interface (usually Outlook or some other desktop messaging software). Instead of having to check a mix of different devices, a range of technology options now exist to simplify and consolidate your messages. For small businesses without a phone system, the best option is usually a hosted messaging service. Larger businesses can look to replace or upgrade their existing system with additional integration features.
Vista – Compatibility and performance issues continue to plague Vista users. The first service pack for Vista is scheduled for release within the next three months. If you’re considering a new PC purchase, consider delaying your purchase until this release becomes available.
Mobility – The options for mobile computing and communications has grown to the point that it is almost staggering. The bottom line, however, is that if you want to stay in touch or get work done outside of the traditional office and desk environment, you can be sure that there is a combination of devices and technology that will meet your needs. Smartphones, Blackberries, tablet PCs, GPS’s and wireless options such as WiMax, EVDO, and countless others mean that staying connected is easier than ever.
Software as a Service – It is now becoming commonplace to “use” software instead of installing it on your PC. Vendors have recognized the fact that many businesses don’t want to be burdened with having to purchase, install, and configure software or make the initial up-front investment required to do-so. With the increasing reliability and internet connection speeds, many software applications are now available as hosted solutions – including office productivity suites such as Google Docs, or accounting software such as QuickBooks Online.
Managed Services – Instead of viewing technology as something you buy every few years then repair or replace down the road, with managed services, your technology becomes more like a utility – something that is “on” and works – whenever you need it. Even better, a managed service provider will become more involved with your business so they can recommend the best possible solutions freeing the business to focus on what it does best instead.
With 2008 just around the corner, now is a good time to proactively make your technology plan for the next year and beyond. Be sure to consider these trends and consult with your technology advisor so your business can be prepared.
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