Technology is an essential component of modern business, and a modern reliable IT network is crucial to enable effective communication, customer service and business efficiency. It's widely accepted that IT systems must be implemented correctly and then maintained on a regular basis. However, many businesses, especially new or smaller ones, don't have the resource or experience to carry out ongoing maintenance, with the result that problems can escalate at an alarming rate.

TSG has undertaken a comprehensive IT survey of more than 750 finance and business professionals based throughout the UK, to establish the main areas of IT use, problems and concerns. Not surprisingly, more and more organisations rely on IT to function effectively, and IT failure impacts dramatically on business performance. Statistics from the survey confirm that more than 95 per cent of businesses would be affected by IT systems failure, yet many organisations don't feel confident they have adequate cover to cope when problems occur.

The most significant cost to the businesses is the loss of trade during a period of inactivity caused by an IT crash. The implications are huge, considering the increasing reliance on IT in modern organisations. From finance to fulfilment, marketing, customer services, HR, communications; almost every department in a business needs IT to function effectively.

With the increased use of corporate networks, technology problems affecting one business process or department can have a major knock-on effect to the overall IT infrastructure - something that can halt the whole business workflow. While the cost of fixing the problem is relatively easy to quantify in financial terms, this figure often underestimates the true cost to the business. The commonly overlooked or "unseen" costs include management time, staff morale and customer relationships. Clearly, most problems can be easily resolved by implementing procedures to check and update storage, back-up and security. However, the way in which a business sets up preventive systems depends on the type of IT support each business uses.

In fact, many firms rely on their local software or hardware suppliers, who also provide support by phone or through a site visit. This clearly does not have the advantage of an in-house engineer who can set up and monitor the system, but resources mean it is often the only option.

Fortunately, businesses now have a variety of choices to suit their technical and financial needs. Businesses will consider the available options, assess current and future needs and act accordingly. Deciding on this route is relatively straightforward: either business employ in-house technical support, outsource to an external supplier, or use a combination of both. TSG System Care can offer a range of options, either through a complete outsourced solution, or as a support service to an existing in-house team.

Mark Joynson is regional managing director of IT specialists Technology Services Group. Go to www.tsg.com or call 0845-155-0180