It is unreasonable to assume your staff has the expertise to perform all of your organization’s IT tasks. For example, the complexity of a firewall or messaging system configuration often requires skills and expertise that your internal staff may lack. Rather than expecting staff members to be experts or spending their time to learn the required skills, you can outsource these projects to professionals with the needed experience and credentials. 

You should also consider outsourcing specialized functions, such as application development, security monitoring and network management to organizations that specialize in these areas and are staffed with experts around the clock.

While technology continues to evolve, businesses need to analyze their immediate IT needs and the range of solutions that can yield benefits today and into the future. As you plan your IT budget for 2003, select those technologies that add security and bottom-line value to your business operations.