Welcome

Operating Above the Red Line – The new 80/20 rule

Thank you to all who attended our August Lunch and Learn on “Strategic Investing in IT”. We had such great interest in this subject that we have decided to run a similar seminar in September. The insight we have gained from our client’s real world perspectives combined with the feedback from those who attended the August lunch and learn will make the September event extremely productive.

Business executives continue to tell us that they want their IT resources focused on strategic initiatives that add to the company’s competitive advantage. The old 80/20 rule, where 80% of IT resources are dedicated to tactical initiatives or “keeping the lights on” and only 20% to strategic projects and innovation, is less effective in today’s environment. According to Gartner Research, the organizations that are separating themselves from the pack are flipping this rule 180 degrees and focusing their resources on strategic initiatives.

The IT Value Stack, seen below, does an excellent job of positioning IT initiatives as strategic vs. tactical. Anything above the red line is strategic and makes sense for a business to invest thought and resources. Anything below the line is rapidly becoming utility computing and should be viewed as a sunk cost with an emphasis on turning Capex into Opex.

Please join us September 30 or October 1st for the next topic in our Lunch and Learn series: Operating Above the Red Line – The new 80/20 rule. We will help you answer questions about what you can do today to get the most strategic value out of your IT spending and where you stand on the 80/20 rule.

    Steven Kellam
Executive Vice President

Make Social Networking Work:  7 Tips
by Christopher Elliott
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter connect millions of like-minded people every day through the Web. But did you know they also can help your small business connect with customers?

"Social networking can help promote a small business in two ways," says Susan Barnes, a professor and associate director for at Rochester Institute of Technology's Lab for Social Computing. "Loyal customers can create small networks and provide testimonials for the business and employees can share information with each other through social networks."

More than half of all small-business owners believe social networking sites have a place
in the business world, according to a 2008 survey by SurePayroll. And one in five companies has generated business from a social media site.

What's the appeal of social networking?

Don Quintana joined PlanIT Solutions August 3rd and has enthusiastically jumped into his new role as Business Development Associate. It takes a combination of thick skin and a good sense of humor to do his job – reaching out to new business unacquainted with PlanIT. Don’s primary role is to schedule “IT Reset Meetings” with C-Level Executives in the North Bay. In the short time he’s been here, he’s found great demand from CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and CIOs to “eliminate IT unpredictability.” “Working at PlanIT is a dream come true,” Don says. “I’ve been in this business for nearly 20 years, starting in Silicon Valley. It’s rare to find a single company so committed to exceptional customer service, business analysis, and technical expertise. It’s easy to ‘sell’ such a ‘great’ product as this.” Welcome aboard Don. We look forward to many successful years of working together.

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