Cost Savers

Want to make telephone calls between your branches for free?

Install an IP switch on the PABX at each site. The cost for such a switch will depend on how many concurrent calls you want to be able to make between the sites but if you plan to use this service a lot, you could save thousands of dollars. Average pricing starts at around $200.

One Monitor serving more than one PC

You don’t necessarily have to have as many monitors as the number of PCs you have, unless each PC is used by different user and on different desks. You can use a KVM switch to view different machines on one monitor. This too can save you a bundle in overhead.

Network Printer without a network card

The cost of a printer with network card, increases the cost. Instead, you can get a small print server. This will reduce your costs exponentially.

Save when buying new PCs

It’s wise to consider buying generic-brand PCs from a known supplier rather the brands like HP, IBM etc. Performance-wise they are similar but the generic ones cost much less. Just make sure you choose a reputable computer dealer.

Save on your company’s Internet bills

If you want to reduce your Internet bills, install a Proxy. Proxy caches the pages you or your users visit. So the next time you want to re-visit the page, Proxy serves you the page. Instead of going to the Internet, you will merely go the Proxy. This will reduce the time you spend on the Internet considerably. And if you install a Linux proxy, it will cost you even less.

Make the desktop standard

Keep the same version of the operating system or email clients running on all computers. This doesn’t mean you have to go and buy upgrades for all of them but make standardizing your applications a goal. This will help reduce user issues, training issues as well as compatibility issues.

Watch how you’re using your storage

Try to avoid storing the maximum capacity on your storage unit or units. Doing so can compromise it’s ability to store the data correctly and the machines tend to run into more problems. You may also want to see if it is possible to downgrade your storage. Do you really need all of that available space? If not then get rid of it. It is also important for you to decide how long a file should be left untouched before you archive it. By archiving the unused files and storing them away you will be keeping your business more organized and efficient.