Is your technology strategy at a crossroad?

In the vast majority of businesses, technology is now deeply ingrained in all operational functions and continues to increase in complexity. Ironically, advances such as virtualization make it more complex for small IT departments to manage and provide many of the benefits that are driving great efficiencies across public and private clouds. What are the implications for the IT decision maker?

In short, there are more choices than ever regarding IT functions and efficiency. You can keep the status quo with your own IT team and IT infrastructure, you can outsource it all to all sorts of providers, or you can settle somewhere in between. Savvy IT decision makers are focusing internal IT efforts on development and strategy to fuel growth, and leaving the infrastructure to trusted partners.

The deep recession and current slow growth economy has tightened the purse strings for the C-level executive. Unlike Fortune 500 companies, most businesses are not sitting on stockpiles of cash. They are eking out a profit and conserving the cash as a risk mitigation strategy. Outsourcing some of the expertise required in IT became an economic necessity for most businesses.

The pervasiveness of Internet connectivity, mobility and greater acceptance of remote access and security of your personal data has led to much greater acceptance of 'cloud computing' in the business world. Within ‘the cloud’ there are all kinds of flavors to choose from depending on your needs.

Confused? There is no need to rush a decision. Talk to your peers, research what's out there, test a number of different providers and make a decision after weighing the pros and cons. The best advice is to let your business needs, not your technology needs, drive your decision. Base your business decision on your reliability, flexibility and predictability needs.

Finally ask yourself if technology is a core competency for your business or a business enabler. If it's truly a core competency then keep the expertise in house. If it's an enabler that currently distracts you from focusing on your core business then move down the path of outsourcing.  It’s likely your business is at a crossroad, not the technology.