Untangling your Tech

There’s nothing worse than having computer problems when you’re trying to run a business. The downtime can range from a frustrating inconvenience to lost revenue if the problem affects the core business.

Many small and medium size businesses can’t afford to have an IT person on staff, so they outsource their IT needs.

While there are many monetary benefits to outsourcing, business owners face some challenges in selecting an IT company. The company’s level of expertise should be high, Jesse Klinefelter, owner of EZ-PC LLC, said. A technician that works on a variety of systems day in and day out becomes good at troubleshooting problems.

Perhaps the most important benefit to outsourcing is peace of mind, said Phil Tysinger, sales and marketing manager for Dynamic Computer Solutions of Topeka. Business owners can focus their energy on running the business instead of worrying about IT issues.

Companies hire IT consultants to perform a variety of services, from repair service on individual work stations to Web and e-mail hosting to managing and maintaining a network.
Many companies call an IT company only if there’s a problem, but Jim Driggers, owner of Network Technologies of Kansas, said proactive companies ask for a service contract with a set number of hours a month. The hours can go toward preventive maintenance, service calls at a reduced rate and hardware and software upgrades at reduced cost.

Ongoing maintenance and support is key. If the network is in good working order, there is less chance of a catastrophic breakdown.

Another benefit of service contracts is that customers develop a relationship with their IT partner, Klinefelter said. When companies are on contract, they don’t have to re-educate a new technician about the business and the system every time they need some help. He added that customers on contract also get lower rates and higher priority in response times.

When looking for an IT partner, business owners need to ask the right questions. They should ask for references, Tysinger said. It’s also important to ask about the company’s disaster recovery plan and how it handles a worst-case scenario, Klinefelter added. Business owners should also ask how long the IT company has been in business, what its typical response time is and about certifications – whether the techs are certified, and if so, which certifications they have. Another key question is how long the technicians have been with the IT company.

“Many business owners like to have one or two consultants assigned to them who know them and their system,” Driggers said. “Too often, IT people come and go.”

Dynamic Computer Solutions of Topeka
Mitch and Fran Miller started Dynamic Computer Solutions in 1984, selling computers mostly to individuals. Now, their customers are almost exclusively small and medium-size businesses. The company has evolved from a computer store that did some service to a service organization that does some hardware, said Phil Tysinger, sales and marketing manager.
“We have 23 employees, so we understand what it is to be a small business in the Midwest,” he said. “We live the same life they do in some respects.”
Dynamic is a systems integrator, which means it deals with internal computer networks, including switches, hubs, routers, desktop computers, laptops, printers – everything to the outside wall of the computer, Tysinger said.
“Our customers want complete service, so we try to offer complete service,” Tysinger said.

EZ-PC
Jesse Klinefelter has 15 years of IT experience. He started his own company five years ago, which he ran out of his home. Three years ago, he decided he needed a storefront, and he merged his business with EZ-PC. He later bought out his partners and now is the sole owner of the company, which has eight employees.
“There are lots of local companies that will help you with repairs,” Klinefelter said. “We go a step beyond that – we not only fix your computers, but we host the services your business needs to function.”
For example, employees of a doctor’s office can log onto a central server at EZ-PC from multiple locations, and the server handles all of the practice’s operations, including scheduling, billing and Medicare claims, from the one central location.
“By outsourcing to EZ-PC, they don’t have to worry about server maintenance, hardware failure or high-cost bandwidth connections from site to site,” Klinefelter said.

Network Technologies of Kansas
Jim Driggers started Network Technologies of Kansas 10 years ago. He was the IT manager for another company, and when that company started struggling and laying people off, Driggers decided to strike out on his own. He found a group of doctors who needed some IT work done, which led to more work. His business grew rapidly, and within six months, he had to hire somebody to help him.
Network Technologies supplies everything from computers to servers and everything in between. Driggers said that about 80 percent of his customers request full service, from fixing computer problems to hosting their Web sites.
“There’s less finger pointing that way, and it’s easier and less expensive to resolve the problem if there’s only one person working on the equipment.” Driggers said.
He said one of his company’s strengths is that his employees – six of them now – are long term. They are experienced in servers and networks, and they can find the problems and fix them quickly, which saves their customers money.

TK