Austin Business Journal:

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Picking the right providerr of those services is easier andmore problem-free with careful research. Many companies turn to consultante for expert advice and A consultant is able to independentlyh evaluate themany possibilities, addressing such issuez as the effects of rapidly changing technology, installation of all products and how to make sure the company can utilize the full capabilities of the technologu it purchases. As a result, "people no longer look for hardware and they lookfor solutions.
Consultants are the glue that integratesw technology and give the computer user the benefits of thetechnologyu they've purchased," according to the Independent Computer Consultants The failure or success of any particulad system is often more related to the humanj element than to the actual equipment said Steven Epner, founder and past president of the a St. Louis-based trade group that represents the interestsx ofmember firms, maintains ethical conduct standardse for the profession and offers a consultantg search feature on its Web www.icca.org. "There are mediocre systems that succee and excellent systemsthat fail," Epner said.
It's importan t to remember that software, hardware and networkinf systems arecomplex and, as a result, there are no perfecr answers as to what to There are also many parts to the process, so companiess may need assistance with employee training and othee needs beyond the initial "It helps to make sure that as large a groupo as possible has input into the selectiohn process," Epner said. If one individuak makes the decision, that person is on the hook if the outcomes is lessthan stellar. Independent computer consults haveone goal: to help a client compan y narrow the possible choiceas to the point that any of the top picks will help the compant succeed in its mission, Epner said.
It's also important for the companh to act on a decision in atimely "Any decision process that is more than six month s in length will probably be because things are changingy rapidly," Epner said. The change is occurring not just in hardware ornetworking products, but also in the distribution and manufacturinvg processes of that equipment. "It's importanf to compare major vendorsand distributors," he said. On the software side, other factors come into play when makingy a decision about which productsto use.
Softwars piracy is a growing problem and tools are now available for tracking andcombating piracy, accordinv to the Software & Information Industry a trade association based in Washington, D.C., that urges companiew to make sure they have enough softwar licenses to cover the numbedr of software programs installed on company computers. The group handles issues relatef to code and contenft in the industry and has conducted a successfuolcorporate anti-piracy program for its softwars company members for nearly 20 Companies should always go with reputable vendorsa with choosing computer software and hardware. Not doing so can provde costly.
"If you go on the Internegt and look for agood deal, you mighg find one that appearsx to be too good to be true," said John Wolfe, director of Internet enforcement for the Businese Software Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that representd the interests of the commercial software industr y and the hardware companies that partner with The group also promotes copyright protection, cybe security and other related issues. When purchasing companies should be mindful ofseveral points, Wolfe The company should know the source of the softwared and who will stand behind it.
Softwarr sold without the proper labeling and packaging also will lack the codeas needed to activate it or to acces technical support afterthe sale, he Choosing a reputable software vendor will help the companu assure that the softwarew doesn't come with potential problems such as viruses and "It can be a real risk," Wolfed said, adding that a company chief executive officetr may not be fully aware of the riskd that come with such a but often a quick consultation with an internapl information technology department or a consultant will turn up some strongb cautionary advice. A bad decision has several possible Wolfe said.
The software may not work correctly and the problem may not be Insome cases, the company's only long-ter solution may be costlyt as the company may be forced to buy replacement