Success has been achieved in Switzerland—the task now is international expansion. Companies about to take this important step have to live with small budgets and at least partly uncertain future prospects, even when the products and services they offer are outstanding. Especially if they are not a large business with a large company’s resources but are among the ever increasing number of small and medium-size companies that have put their heart and soul into developing a good product and now also want to market it internationally. These companies depend on first-rate IT. Yet they do not wish to make vast investments in the IT infrastructure or maintain their own expensive IT department: the available funds should remain available for expanding the core business, and depending on how business develops, the company should be in a position to adjust its IT to its current needs quickly and at calculable costs.
Services rather than purchasing or outsourcing
The magic word is “IT as a Service.” A partner is in charge of the entire IT infrastructure including applications and basic services, from telephony to backup, covering the entire range from A to Z—installation to operation, management, and maintenance of all systems. To be sure, this does not happen in the well-known form of traditional outsourcing, but on the basis of freely combinable, standardized managed services which are obtained at fixed costs per user and month. For example, the installation and operation of a wireless network, from the procurement of access points all the way to ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting. Or security as a service: the partner ensures the security of the company network, from the installation of firewalls to monitoring. Even cutting-edge communication and collaboration applications are available as services. Find out more about this here.
Cost certainty included
The clearly defined fee covers everything. The company does not have to make any investments whatsoever in its own infrastructure or hire IT experts. The motto is always: “Leasing not buying.” Instead of an initial investment of tens of thousands of francs, which often turns out to be insufficient after all, there is a clearly agreed rate per month. This creates cost certainty. “IT as a Service” far transcends conventional leasing, making it possible to adjust the IT dynamically to the current needs: additional users may be added at any time. In collaboration with the consultant, the deisred IT can be put together and booked. Thanks to short contract terms, the booked services may be amended within a reasonable time, even if needs should be shrinking. Plus, IT is always state-of-the-art: a respectable partner regularly supplies all systems with the latest updates and replaces hardware and software with new versions—but only after they have been put to the acid test and security and stability can be guaranteed.
In addition to basic and infrastructure services, hardware, with which employees work directly, is more and more offered as a service. Yet “IT as a Service” means more than simply leasing PCs, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. If desired, the devices are completely managed by the partner and receive regular updates, are optimally protected against unauthorized intervention, viruses and other malware, and are replaced by new models at contractually defined intervals, about every three to four years. Plus, they are equipped with the most important applications and services, such as Office 365, backup and malware protection, by the partner at the outset.
About Data Quest
Data Quest has been considered one of the leading specialist dealers and ICT service providers for over 25 years. It has approximately 300 employees at 15 branches throughout Switzerland. The Corporate Business Unit provides consultation and support for companies and schools in the evaluation, integration, and operation of the products. With a portfolio of over 25 managed services, the company covers virtually all IT needs of up-and-coming small and medium-size companies—whether in Switzerland or internationally. Data Quest is the technology partner of Switzerland Global Enterprise and provides consultation for expanding Swiss companies on how to grow successfully—as organizations and geographically.
