Who is David Laird and who are Datapac?
Founded in 1982 by David Laird, Datapac has become a major name in computer supplies and services in Ireland. The company, which has offices in Dublin, Enniscorthy, Cork and Belfast, supplies hardware systems such as servers, workstations and application servers as well as security products, printing and imaging solutions, accountancy and payroll systems, point of sale systems, routers and DSL internet access. The reseller also offers a number of services including technical support, hardware and software rollouts, technical support and maintenance.
CT: What type of products and services does Datapac offer to small firms?
DL: We offer a comprehensive range for the SME market from outsourced services right through to the provision of computer consumables and everything in-between. Therefore, if a company wants a maintenance contract or if they want provision of infrastructure and hardware or support services we can provide it all. In fact, we consider ourselves to be very much a one-stop shop for small firms. In IT terms, we can put our arm around an organisation and look after all their requirements from A to Z. Doing this works well for our customers because they end up with reliability and continuity of service in both the medium and long term. Increasingly, we’re finding that demand for services is growing all the time whereas demand for supplying PCs is diminishing mainly because there are now a number of different ways to purchase them so we’re moving more and more to a situation where we provide more services for firms covering everything from hardware and software rollouts to ongoing maintenance. In the case of SMEs it is s common for us to provide both products and services and this is something we recommend to such firms because if they don’t have someone looking after their IT they can run into problems.
CT: Are small firms forward thinking in terms of their technology planning?
DL: Generally speaking, small firms don’t plan their IT well. There are of course exceptions to this and we would know some firms that have a great strategy in place, but by and large, SMEs don’t tend to work out their IT needs in advance. Some smaller firms are inclined to buy products separately on a ‘need to’ basis but then they discover later that they need services to back up those products. This method of buying gives firms a hotchpotch of different types of hardware and software which can be difficult to manage. I would argue that IT should be up there with other areas of business such as marketing, product development etc. Technology is now a fundamental part of virtually every business, particularly since the advent of the Web and so it’s crucial to plan it properly in advance. However, firms have a tendency to be re-active rather than pro-active with regards to their IT, although as I said earlier there are serious exceptions to this with some companies able to see the advantages of investing in IT. These firms will be the ones who will reap the benefits. The same can be said for budgeting. In our experience as small firms get bigger they tend to put aside money for extras such as service and support over a products lifecycle but the smaller companies aren’t always aware of the need to do this. This isn’t a smart way to run a business and I think that the main problem lies in the fact that some companies still tend to view IT as a cost rather than an opportunity to gain competitive advantage. As a rule, companies that are running their business well are running their IT well. I often say that if you want to see how well a firm is run in general then have a look at their IT setup because organisations have a strategy in place and are tuned in to it will be organised with other aspects of their business.
CT: How knowledgeable are small firms about technology?
DL: Few firms are willing to take risks with technology. It’s a generalisation but most companies tend to stay with the tried and tested and do what needs to be done rather than what could be done.
CT: What are the basics that companies need to have in place?
DL: The key element for small firms is ensuing that they have continuity of access to e-mail and the Internet. Therefore, they need to have a computer network that is working all the time and then they need to ensure that Internet access is available at all times as well. This may sound very basic but some firms don’t even have this. With some companies their systems are so badly structured that email etc can be down for days at a time. Continuity of service is essential. These days its not acceptable for a company’s telephone system to be down or for employees who are out in the field to not be contactable by mobile phone and nor is it acceptable for firms to be out of contact with regard to e-mail. Firms should also be considering investing in things like CRM (customer relationship management) software in order to progress. If you take manufacturing firms for example, they’ll invest in machinery for the plant and invest in R & D and similarly for any firm, CRM is an essential investment – its not expensive to implement or to maintain and it can save a lot of time and give companies a real advantage.
CT: How can a reseller such as Datapac become a technology partner for a small firm?
DL: We can develop a relationship with an organisation over a long period of time whereby we can make our customers aware of what’s happening in the market and advise them as to what they should and could be doing. We can outline the key advantages of implementing new systems and most importantly, we can ensure that companies have continuity of service of their systems. We can partner with people in terms of their IT and it can benefit them hugely. We have some customers who have been with us for between 10 and 20 years who have gained from having a long-term relationship with us – all their systems are in place and are up to date and these firms can focus on winning business rather than worrying about their technology.
Contact: Datapac (Dublin) 01 406 8080 * Wexford 054 42555 * www.datapac.com
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