As the years go by, the mankind continues to evolve, and the world modernizes itself and its cultures increasingly. In order to keep up with the swiftly shifting tides and to continue to appeal to and reach consumers and customers across the globe, businesses and companies need to adapt to changes in the technological environment. As such, it is no surprise that IT solution providers have become increasingly common.
IT solutions can be defined as methods by which technology is used to improve the conditions of a company’s functioning. In short, clients around the world – usually small to medium enterprises (SMEs), or bigger companies that hold limited or low IT requirements – face problems that can be solved with the use of information technology. Hence the term “IT solution”. Generally, an IT solution provider works with a client or company’s IT landscape, and utilizes and implements technology into that landscape, allowing the company to focus on managing and running their core business without worrying about the technical aspects.
There are many forms of IT solutions and products offered to clients, and many products and packages are designed specifically to cater to each individual company’s unique needs. However, despite the wide variety, there are some solutions that remain constant and are used by a great number of companies.
One of these IT solutions is cloud services. Essentially, cloud computing gathers processing resources and data in one Internet-based “cloud”, allowing for multiple computers and devices to access and make use of them. This includes, but not limited to, storage, servers, applications, and networks. This means no servers, and none of the data need to be stored on your own hard drive. Information can be stored and processed on a cloud and can be accessed from any distance. This is not only convenient for companies in terms of accessibility, but also in terms of cost-cutting; there’s no need to purchase storage or infrastructure. Some even claim that the use of cloud services means that applications can be set up and used more quickly and without the necessity of too much management.
Meanwhile, businesses can choose from different forms of cloud services. One of these is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which is generally an application that businesses can subscribe to and access over the Net. Then, there is Platfrom-as-a-Service (PaaS), in which a company conjures custom applications which all its employees can make use of. The biggest form of this, and the one you probably know most about, is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), which is where super-companies like Google and Amazon provide companies with space they can use. It sounds simple, but cloud computing is an incredibly successful business – it is estimated that it could gross $270 billion by 2020.
Of course, cloud services are not the only form of IT solutions. A large number of IT solution providers specialize in working as Value Added Resellers (VAR), which, as it sounds, is a service that takes a product that already exists and tops it off with extra features or services. For example, a VAR may inspect the existing hardware of a company and install software applications that improve its use or integrate it to become more efficient for the company. A VAR may also customize current products to better suit a company’s needs. But the added service doesn’t have to be a tangible – it can also be provided in the form of consultancy, maintenance, or training.
This brings us to turnkey solutions. In layman’s terms, this is similar to VAR – it’s a system that is readymade to be implemented into products that already exist. How does this work? Let’s take a company with an online store as an example, and assume that this company would like to make it possible for clients to make purchases on the store through a billing system. Creating such a system from scratch can be a pretty long, grueling process, even with all the knowledge required to do so. In order to avoid that, a company can simply purchase a turnkey solution from a third-party that is already fully programmed and can handle the technical side of the process.
Well, now you may be thinking, “Sure, there’s all that technical jargon, but what does it all mean?” Allow me to explain. IT solutions can help you use technology as a means to lead and get ahead in the business race. It can assist you in collecting and compiling relevant data so that you can make better, more informed decisions based on statistics that you barely even have to break a sweat to collect. It allows currently used software and applications to become more integrated and easier to use interchangeably, with minimal effort involved.
And the best part is that, along with the rest of the modern world, IT solutions are versatile and adaptable, meaning they can improve with time and new solutions can be thought up in order to meet newer requirements and solve newer problems. As an example, with the rise of smartphones and other similar mobile devices, a company may feel the need to be able to connect to all users and employees on more interfaces than just computers. An IT solution can keep these end user devices neatly arranged in a row, and as more nifty tech comes into play, there will be more solutions created to work with them, too!
In short, IT solution providers are businesses that are paving the way for other companies to rise using the modern technology that they have been equipped with. They take tools and optimize them for perfect usage, so that a company can receive the most out of them. It’s a big world out there, but with a little help from technology, we’re slowly learning that anything is possible. To make those things happen can be difficult, but with the right specialists and providers, a company can implement an IT solution that works for them without needing to worry about crafting it painstakingly themselves.
With all the unique packages and products available from IT solution providers, now anyone can make use of the wide variety that the Internet has to offer. I guess you could say the future really is now.
