Large enterprises have it easy. In-house daycare, 24-hour omelet bars, and on-demand hugs from captive koalas. Plus, with dedicated IT departments and teams of on-staff developers, it’s rare for them to face substantive holes in their IT or digital asset development coverage.
It’s the rest of us, the small to medium-sized businesses that have had a hard time adequately covering these two functions in a cost-effective manner. Classically, IT and development have been treated as separate silos and handled by entirely separate companies.
Increasingly though, new technologies are allowing many standard IT functions to be handled in the cloud. This removes the need to invest in expensive equipment or pay exorbitant rates to IT managed service providers to set everything up and maintain it.
Today, smart technology companies are marrying cloud-based business IT services with development services like web design and application integration. These companies can offer small and medium-sized businesses significant savings over the traditional approach. But where can you find such a company?
You can’t see it, but we’re all vigorously raising our hands. We’re the forward-thinking company that can dramatically reduce your IT spend. Here’s how we do it.
IT and Development: Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together
Traditional IT companies will often try to sell you expensive servers to move your IT infrastructure in-house and then have you sign expensive maintenance contracts. But ask them to tie your CRM system into your website’s online orders and they’ll stare at you blankly.
Alternatively, you could hire a development company to modify your website, configure your CRM, and then lash the two together. But ask them to manage the IT infrastructure that runs it all, and they’ll return a similar blank stare.
Thankfully, IT’s chocolate and development’s peanut butter have run headlong into each other in the cloud, creating efficiencies that weren’t possible previously. Small companies no longer need costly servers, network-connected storage devices, or any of the support hardware needed to maintain in-house IT operations.
Services like Google’s G Suite or Microsoft’s Office 365 can move many of the IT services companies rely on into the cloud. Once there, companies enjoy reliable service that isn’t dependent on constantly buying, managing, and upgrading in-house hardware to keep it working properly. For small businesses, the cloud delivers the IT services they need without the cost or the hassle.
How the Cloud Can Save You Money
When you move essential IT services to the cloud you’re taking advantage of economies of scale. Google’s G Suite already takes care of data security, email service, collaboration, OAuth integration and a host of other services for all of their customers. You simply enjoy the benefits.
You no longer need exchange servers, LDAP directories, or VPNs. Everything can be managed inexpensively and is secure and constantly accessible. Backups happen automatically and the cloud holds your data safely offsite.
Additionally, this simpler architecture allows non-traditional technology companies to manage corporate IT needs. This allows for useful synergies, merging IT and development to further save you money.
Now you can have one company build your website, develop a client-facing web application, set up your hosting, manage your domain and DNS configurations, as well as manage the platform where all of this is running. Simultaneously they can ensure email deliverability, tie in your CRM, and get all of your systems humming. All of this for less than what you might pay a traditional managed service provider.
Puget Tech is the Company You’re Looking For
If this sounds interesting to you, give us a call or drop us a line. We’ve helped spearhead the effort to bring IT and development together, and we can do it for you. If you’re currently paying an MSP to manage your in-house hardware, know that you have other options.
Let us give you a free estimate. We can discuss your current situation and help you explore less-expensive alternatives. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also get better, more reliable service.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to sell your unnecessary servers and turn your tech core into something more useful. Marsupial petting zoos need no longer be the solitary domain of large enterprises. You’ll have the space to set up your own! And when you have a baby koala contentedly snuggling into your lap, you’ll know your company has arrived.
