Here at EC-MSP, we are passionate about all things IT. That’s why we love providing insight and advice through on small business technology through this very blog. As a company continually immersed in IT, however, it can be easy to forget that some things which we take for granted are not as immediately obvious to others. A prime example of this would be the phrase, “IT consultancy,” and the confusion that often surrounds it.
IT consultancy is one of the most fundamental and potentially beneficial services that we offer our customers, but it is not a phrase that is wholly understood by everyone. In this post, therefore, we are going to take a step back and provide an overview of what is meant by the term, and in particular, how this service can be of enormous benefit to any small business.
What Exactly is IT Consultancy?
IT consultancy is a field focused on providing advice and guidance – and then potentially implementing solutions – to help businesses in any niche to get the most out of current technological solutions. In essence, then, the very best IT consulting will involve a provider gaining an accurate knowledge of a business’s needs, desires and ultimate objectives and then helping that business to best utilise IT in order to achieve them
There are numerous areas in which an IT firm may consult for businesses, but some of the most common nowadays include cyber security and data protection, cloud computing or a company’s overall IT infrastructure. On a practical level, then, good IT consultancy can help you to best arrange your office network, select the optimal cloud storage option, or to ensure the safety of your customer’s sensitive data. Aside from these individual benefits, there are a number of overarching advantages that top notch IT consulting can also provide.
Major Advantages of IT Consultancy
First and foremost, an advantage common to all forms of external consultancy is the level of expert knowledge that experienced consultants can bring to the table. Seeking outside help removes the need for a company to rely upon the potentially limited IT expertise of their own staff to ensure the utility and productivity of their systems. In other words, to use one of the examples above: not only will your customers’ valuable data be protected, but by engaging an expert IT consultancy, you can be certain that it will be protected in the safest and most cost-efficient manner possible.
Intrinsically linked to this benefit is that trusting the choice and implementation of your IT solutions to an external provider then serves to free up yours or your staff’s own time for the tasks to which you or they are best suited. Together, then, you can put all of your energy into the actual running of your business, the seeking out of new customers and the efficient delivery of your products or services.
Finally, an oft-overlooked but potentially important advantage of IT consultancy comes from the objectivity it can provide. After all, there may be a latent desire from yourself or your own staff to stick with a system that you’re familiar with, whereas an external expert with experience of other similar solutions will be able to provide an unbiased assessment of the best option.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of just what IT consultancy means and what it can offer to all types of small businesses. If you decide that IT is an area in which your small business could use some help, you need only get in touch with our friendly professionals today to get the process started.
