The True Costs Of Inadequate IT Support For Business Computer Networks
Many businesses know the value of computer networks. A network can allow employees to access necessary operational information, and it can also enable employees to share data with each other. Interoffice communications is also much faster and more efficient, compared to the use of hard copy memos. This is why IT support must always do their best in order to prevent any mishaps from occurring.
Hours lost
When a computer network breaks down, this almost always leads to a loss of productivity. Many normal operations are disrupted, which can affect revenue. On average, IT services personnel will require about six hours in order to get the network operating again, and those hours can never be recovered. And things can be much worse for those without in-house IT support; travel time for computer repair personnel can be significant, and many IT consultants will need a day or two before they arrive to fix the problem.
Statistical danger signals
*For the next twelve months, for every five medium to small businesses that oversee their own computer networks and who use the Internet for more than email purposes, two of them will be attacked by a hacker. On average, one of those two would be complete unaware that there was even a hacker intrusion in the first place.
*For every given five year period, one out of five medium to small businesses will be struck by a serious computer network failure that will result in the loss of important company data.
*Businesses undergo an average of more than 500 hours of network downtime every year. The total cost of these hours of downtime is about four percent of the company’s annual revenue.
*For businesses which have suffered a truly disastrous computer network failure and as a result have lost access to their data for at least ten days, half of them will file for bankruptcy immediately after the setback. Within a year of the network failure, more than nine out of ten of them will eventually file for bankruptcy.
The monetary cost of repairs
On average, a single IT consultant will charge more than a hundred dollars per hour for services rendered. There will also be a fee for making the trip and an additional surcharge if the work is for emergency purposes. Since the repair takes an average of six hours, this will cost the company more than dollars for every IT personnel sent to fix the network failure, though with the additional fees the actual figure is much closer to the thousand dollar mark. Statistically, a company may suffer an average of three failures every year, which translates to almost $3000 dollars in fees for a single IT expert.
These computations are the barest minimum, as some failures require more than a single technician to repair the damages. It also does not take into account any additional expenses for the hardware and software.
With all these dangers, it makes sense that a business should take all appropriate measures to prevent failures from ever happening. With a bit of planning and proper maintenance, computer networks will work more reliably, and save the business from unnecessary expenses and losses.