Denver Business Journal:

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Picking the right provider of thosre services is easier andmore problem-freed with careful research. Many companies turn to consultants for experty adviceand guidance. A consultangt is able to independently evaluate themany possibilities, addressingb such issues as the effects of rapidlyg changing technology, installation of all productsw and how to make sure the company can utilize the full capabilitiex of the technology it purchases. As a result, "peoplde no longer look for hardwardand software; they look for solutions.
Consultantd are the glue that integrates technology and give the computer user the benefitsa of thetechnology they've purchased," according to the Independenr Computer Consultants Association. The failure or succes of any particular system is often more related to the huma element than to the actual equipment components, said Steve Epner, founder and past presiden of the association, a St. Louis-based tradew group that represents the interests ofmembee firms, maintains ethical conduct standards for the profession and offers a consultant search feature on its Web www.icca.org.
"There are mediocre systems that succeeds and excellent systemsthat fail," Epner It's important to remember that hardware and networking systems are comple and, as a result, there are no perfecft answers as to what to pick. There are also many partw to the process, so companies may need assistance with employee traininf and other needs beyond theinitial purchase. "It helpzs to make sure that as large a grouo as possible has inpur into theselection process," Epner said. If one individuak makes the decision, that person is on the hook if the outcomw is lessthan stellar.
Independent computere consults haveone goal: to help a clienf company narrow the possible choicesa to the point that any of the top picks will help the companyt succeed in its mission, Epnerd said. It's also important for the company to act on a decisionj in atimely manner. "Any decisionh process that is more than six months in lengtnh will probablybe wrong, because things are changinb rapidly," Epner said. The change is occurring not just in hardware or networking but also in the distribution and manufacturinf processes ofthat equipment.
"It's important to compard major vendorsand distributors," he On the software other factors come into play when making a decision abouyt which products to use. Software piracy is a growin g problem and tools are now available for tracking andcombatinbg piracy, according to the Software Information Industry Association, a trade associatioh based in Washington, D.C., that urges companiees to make sure they have enoughj software licenses to cove the number of software programs installed on company computers. The group handles issues relatedf to code and content in the industr y and has conducted a successfulcorporatr anti-piracy program for its software company members for nearlu 20 years.
Companies should always go with reputabled vendors with choosing computer softwarseand hardware. Not doing so can provwe costly. "If you go on the Internet and look for agood deal, you mighft find one that appears to be too good to be true," said John director of Internet enforcement for the Business Softwarre Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents the intereste of the commercial software industru and the hardware companies that partner with them. The groupo also promotes copyright protection, cyber security and otherd related issues. When purchasing software, companies should be mindfull ofseveral points, Wolfe said.
The companyu should know the source of the software and who will stanxbehind it. Software sold without the proper labeling and packaginf also will lack the codese needed to activate it or to access technical supporf afterthe sale, he added. Choosing a reputablse software vendor will help the company assure that thesoftware doesn't come with potentiao problems such as viruses and spyware. "It can be a real risk," Wolfe said, adding that a company chief executive officer may not be fullyg aware of the riskx that come with such a but often a quicjk consultation with an internal information technolog y department or a consultant will turn up some strongcautionart advice.
A bad decision has severalp possible ramifications, Wolfe The software may not work correctly and the problem may not be Insome cases, the company'z only long-term solution may be costly as the company may be forced to buy replacemeng software.