Kansas City Business Journal:

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Picking the right provider of thos e services is easier andmore problem-free with careful research. Many companie turn to consultants for expert adviceand guidance. A consultanr is able to independently evaluate themany possibilities, addressingv such issues as the effects of rapidl changing technology, installation of all products and how to make sure the companyg can utilize the full capabilities of the technology it purchases. As a "people no longer look for hardware and they lookfor solutions. Consultantss are the glue that integrates technologyh and give the computer user the benefit of thetechnology they've purchased," according to the Independenrt Computer Consultants Association.
The failures or success of any particular system is often more related to the humanj element than to the actualkequipment components, said Stevenj Epner, founder and past president of the association, a St. Louis-basex trade group that represents the interest s ofmember firms, maintainas ethical conduct standards for the profession and offerz a consultant search feature on its Web www.icca.org. "There are mediocre systemss that succeed and excellent systemsthat fail," Epner said. It's important to remember that software, hardwared and networking systems arecomplex and, as a result, there are no perfecrt answers as to what to pick.
Theres are also many parts to the process, so companied may need assistance with employee training and other needs beyond theinitialo purchase. "It helps to make sure that as larged a group as possible has input into theselection process," Epner said. If one individual makes the decision, that persojn is on the hook if the outcome is lessthan stellar. Independent computer consults have one to help a client company narrow the possible choices to the pointg that any of the top picks will help the company succeed in its Epner said. It's also important for the company to act on a decisioj in atimely manner.
"Any decisio process that is more than six montha in length will probably be because things arechanging rapidly," Epner said. The change is occurring not just in hardware ornetworking products, but also in the distribution and manufacturing processe s of that equipment. "It's important to compare majort vendorsand distributors," he said. On the softwarer side, other factors come into play when making a decisioj about which productsto use.
Software piracy is a growinb problem and tools are now availablew for tracking andcombating piracy, according to the Software Information Industry Association, a trade association based in Washington, that urges companies to make sure they have enoughy software licenses to cover the numbe of software programs installed on companty computers. The group handles issues related to code and content in the industry and has conducted a successfulcorporate anti-piracyg program for its software companhy members for nearly 20 years. Companies should always go with reputablse vendors with choosing computer softwareand hardware. Not doint so can prove costly.
"If you go on the Internet and look for agood deal, you might find one that appearsw to be too good to be true,"" said John Wolfe, director of Internet enforcement for the Businese Software Alliance, a D.C.-based organization that represents the interests of the commerciakl software industry and the hardware companies that partnet with them. The group also promotes copyright protection, cyber security and other related issues. When purchasinyg software, companies should be mindfuk ofseveral points, Wolfe The company should know the source of the software and who will stand behind it.
Software sold without the proper labeling and packaging also will lack the codesx needed to activate it or to accessw technical support afterthe sale, he added. Choosinh a reputable software vendor will help the company assure that the software doesn't come with potential problems such as viruses and "It can be a real risk," Wolfr said, adding that a company chief executivse officer may not be fully aware of the risks that come with such a but often a quick consultation with an internakl information technology department or a consultant will turn up some strongg cautionary advice. A bad decision has several possible ramifications, Wolfe said.
The softwarr may not work correctlu and the problem may notbe fixable. In some the company's only long-term solution may be costluy as the company may be forced to buyreplacement