August 17, 2006

Before Outsourcing Technology Check out the Tech Service Marketplace via OnForce

When your printer breaks down, server hard disk fails or you need software to install wouldn't it be nice to have an idea of the cost other people are paying for these services? OnForce has a network of over 10,000 service providers who are rated by their customers. With this data and more OnForce is able to provide an amazing picture of technology spending.

If you look at its live technology chart on OnForce.com you'll see that the average work order is $114.72, while the average data recovery service is $120.59 in the US overall.

In Manhattan (NYC) the average service fee is $106.16 while in Ohio it's $128.20. I was curious about "CRM" in California but got nothing. I type in "server" for California and the average service fee was $375.94.

So, if you need to find a technology consultant for your small (or big) business you can use OnForce and see a rating of the technology consultants your are considering - like eBay does with is sellers. You can also choose to go with the recommended partners of one of the technology companies like Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo, IBM or Gateway. Another alternative is to use Best Buy's Geek Squad, CompUSA or CDW.

Check out "Your IT Guy/Girl" for more information on working with a consultant.

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