“Managed Services” or “Outsourcing” is a strategic management tool that provides companies with options for enhancing shareholder value, cutting costs, accessing new skills and technologies, and optimising the use of resources through a contractual arrangement with a third party provider. By outsourcing a component of your non-core IT infrastructure, be it, for example, your print environment or the management of you network, your business can reap significant business benefits, efficiencies and a real return on IT investment.

The key reason for outsourcing is that it allows an enterprise to subcontract non-core activities to a professional provider who can deliver a superior level of service and facilities in a more economical manner. Freed-up human and financial resources can be redeployed to more critical business activities. When the right technology is deployed in the right manner by the right company, outsourcing becomes a critical component to an effective business strategy.

The rules of the game have changed irrevocably with this recession and businesses have to change the way they do things - maintaining the status quo is no longer good enough. With this in mind, the reasons to look to a third-party service provider for IT services and solutions are more compelling than ever. The ultimate objective is to free up a business from the IT burden, allowing it to concentrate on core competencies and save money in the process.

So-called selective outsourcing also means the company can avoid the expense of having to pay for internal IT expertise at a time when wage costs should be concentrated on roles that are critical to the main business.

In the current climate a common thread is that businesses need to do more with less. Whether you are a CEO in a large corporate or the owner manager of an SME, the challenge for 2009 will be to get more out of your people and budgets when there is less of both going round. Managed services can address this challenge.

The low hanging fruit of managed services is around infrastructure, with technical support and helpdesk services removing the need for in-house expertise and cutting down on the costs of running the IT environment. Further gains can be found around print and imaging. Ergo has pioneered managed print services in Ireland and continues to lead the way.

Not only does a business get a more visible and cost-effective print service, it gets the opportunity to avail of the latest technologies which deliver improved efficiencies and greater productivity.

This is also true in the data centre where virtualisation has become a stepping stone for consolidation and saving money. We have helped many firms migrate to a virtualised environment as a part of our infrastructure management services. They use our experience to mitigate the risks associated with difficult transitions.

Saving money is of paramount importance, particularly in the current climate, and is integral to what we do, but managed services are of most benefit to a business when they become a strategic engagement developed over a number of years. The objective with Ergo is to leverage technology to transform business processes. We help companies take real cost out of their businesses, using automation in accounting processes, for example, to electronically match paperwork, purchase orders and delivery dockets. Or though the deployment of a software tool like Microsoft SharePoint which can be introduced to change the way people go about their work, creating portals where users can meet and collaborate.

Technology is no longer a utility, it becomes an important asset that can add value the business. Such benefits should be the goal when a company sets out on a managed service strategy, particularly in a downturn where the onus is not just on surviving but ensuring the business is better positioned to steal a lead over competitors when the economy bounces back.

Managed Print Services is a solution designed to assist the business end-user to streamline management and minimize costs associated with printing and imaging. Managed Print Services can help to cut ownership costs, enhance productivity and reduce energy consumption. When you use a Managed Print Service, the company will provide professionals that work with your business to assist in the design, implementation and also assist with managing an imaging and printing infrastructure that is tailored to your specific business requirements.

There can be significant gains in efficiencies and cost savings as well as environmental benefits through implementing managed print services. Because managed print services can have a significant affect on existing work practices IT management must be fully involved with key end users in the service evaluation process to ensure their understanding is sound and acceptance is reached with the minimum incident.

According to Gartner print spend accounts for up to 3% of a company’s annual revenue. It’s not just about the initial purchase price of devices. You have to consider other factors such as the cost of running and maintaining the devices. To reduce printing costs use networked workgroup printers instead of personal printers, restrict who and what can be printed in colour – many printers now come with colour access control software which will do this for you. Introduce digital sending to enable the users to scan to email and the network, reducing the need to print and copy. Set your printers to automatically print on both sides. Use laser printers in place of inkjet as inkjet printers are less reliable, slower, poorer quality and more importantly can be more expensive to run.

According to IDC up to 60% of calls to IT helpdesk are printer related. Whether you’re a large corporate or an SME, the fact remains that printer breakdowns are a real headache and the more that can be done to avoid them, the more productive your staff can be.

There are some basic things you can do yourself on a regular basis to reduce breakdowns such as removing dust, cleaning rollers, replacing and cleaning filters but really you should have some form of maintenance contract. Most printers come as standard with a back to base warranty but this usually means the printer has to be taken away so you could be without your machine for up to 10 days. However, if you opt for an extended warranty or an advanced maintenance pack from a reputable service provide, this can cover onsite repairs with next day or four hour response.

Managed Print Services is where a company will opt to have its output environment, including printing faxing and scanning, managed by a third party service provider. It is a form of support contract but offers many benefits above and beyond this. The complete responsibility for the provision of the facility to print resides with the service provider. This includes the device itself, consumables and maintenance but more importantly strategic advice on how to get the most from your new print set up.

Traditionally Managed Print Services was only considered by larger companies but, more and more, smaller organisations are beginning to recognise that they too can reduce their printing costs by up to 30%. Ergo are the leading provider of Managed Print Services in Ireland and have already helped numerous SMEs achieve the same benefits as larger organisations.