Charlotte Business Journal:

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Picking the right provider of thosed services is easier andmore problem-fres with careful research. Many companies turn to consultants for expergt adviceand guidance. A consultant is able to independentl evaluate the many addressing such issues as the effectes of rapidlychanging technology, installation of all productws and how to make sure the company can utilizwe the full capabilities of the technology it purchases. As a "people no longer look for hardwareand software; they look for Consultants are the glue that integrates technologg and give the computer user the benefitws of the technology they've purchased," according to the Independent Computere Consultants Association.
The failure or success of any particulart system is often more related to the human elemeny than to the actualequipment components, said Stevem Epner, founder and past president of the a St. Louis-based trade group that represent s the interests ofmember firms, maintains ethicalp conduct standards for the professionn and offers a consultant search feature on its Web site, There are also many partss to the process, so companiesd may need assistance with employee traininb and other needs beyond theinitialo purchase. "It helps to make sure that as largs a group as possible has input into theselection process," Epner said. If one individual makes the that person is on the hook if the outcomde is lessthan stellar. Independent computer consultxs haveone goal: to help a client companty narrow the possible choices to the poinyt that any of the top picks will help the company succeedx in its mission, Epner It's also important for the company to act on a decisionm in a timely manner.
"Any decision processs that is more than six monthds in length will probablybe wrong, because thinges are changing rapidly," Epner The change is occurring not just in hardware or networking products, but also in the distributiojn and manufacturing processes of that equipment. "It's important to comparwe major vendorsand distributors," he said. On the software other factors come into play when making a decisionh about which productsto use. Softwarwe piracy is a growing problem and tools are now available for trackinyg andcombating piracy, according to the Software Information Industry Association, a trade association based in D.C.
, that urges companies to make sure they have enougb software licenses to cover the number of softwarre programs installed on company The group handles issues related to code and content in the industryu and has conducted a successfuk corporate anti-piracy program for its software companyh members for nearly 20 years. Companies should always go with reputablde vendors with choosing computer software and Not doing so canprove costly. "If you go on the Internetr and look for agood deal, you might find one that appearsw to be too good to be true, said John Wolfe, director of Internet enforcemen for the Business Software a Washington, D.C.
-based organization that represents the interestsw of the commercial softwared industry and the hardware companies that partner with them. The group also promotex copyright protection, cyber security and other related Whenpurchasing software, companies should be mindful of severak points, Wolfe said. The companyh should know the sourc e of the software and who will stanrdbehind it. Software sold without the proped labeling and packaging also will lack the codes needed to activatre it or to access technical support afteerthe sale, he added. Choosing a reputable softward vendor will help the company assure that thesoftware doesn'gt come with potential problems such as virusess and spyware.
"It can be a real risk," Wolfer said, adding that a company chief executive officetr may not be fully aware of the riska that come with sucha decision, but often a quickm consultation with an internalp information technology department or a consultant will turn up some strong cautionary advice. A bad decisioh has several possible ramifications, Wolfe said. The software may not work correctlyy and the problem may not be Insome cases, the company's only long-termn solution may be costly as the company may be forcef to buy replacement software.