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Research Shows IT Problems Heating Up for Small Businesses This Summer

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^{Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, July 27th 2011 at 4:51 GMT by Market Wire}  

PALO ALTO, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--According to a recent HP (NYSE:HPQ) survey of more than 500 IT managers at small businesses across the United States, 93 percent of companies have placed cost concerns over the best IT solutions, leading 89 percent of those companies to experience IT-related problems.

"With HPa™s Elite program, we can provide the customer the best product in the industry with our services at a lower total cost to the customer"

The study, conducted by Wakefield Research,⁽¹⁾ uncovered that the top three IT problems reported by cost-conscious companies are low-performing hardware (46 percent), out-of-date hardware (37 percent) and unreliable hardware (23 percent), leading to suboptimal computing efficiency and an overall loss of productivity.

The survey also revealed that 54 percent of small businesses cite summer as the peak season for working remotely. With 58 percent of IT managers stating that they have not invested in network security this year, companies will find they are adding pressure and potentially greater security risks to their already stressed IT networks.

Other key survey findings include:

• Computer processing speed (35 percent) and reliability (19 percent) top IT managersa™ lists for most needed computer improvements. These practical considerations weigh more heavily on managersa™ minds than energy efficiency (9 percent).
• When given the chance to tell their chief executive officers how to solve common concerns, IT managers recommend upgrading to newer and better quality components (29 percent), investing more money into IT systems (21 percent), and spending more time planning and researching the best solutions for their companya™s needs (13 percent).
• Forty-one percent of IT managers think that planning their companya™s IT strategy is the best use of their time, compared to 11 percent of managers who believe their time is best spent on hardware support.
• One-fifth of IT managers complained that their biggest computer problem is a lack of vendor assistance when problems occur.

aThe survey findings confirm that budget-constrained small businesses are playing tug of war when it comes to balancing smart IT purchasing decisions and their budgets,a says Stephen DiFranco, senior vice president and general manager, Personal Systems Group a" Americas, HP. aHP has a portfolio of reliable, high-performing and secure Elite Series PCs that are business tough and tested to the extremes to ensure small businesses get a great return on investment and thrive in the market.a

To help small businesses overcome these IT and productivity challenges, HP offers the [ HP Elite Series PCs ], which offer high-speed performance from Intel® Corea" processors, long battery life, optimized security through [ HP ProtectTools ] and 24/7 dedicated customer support. HP Elite PCs also undergo the [ HP Total Test Process ] to guarantee the highest levels of reliability and durability. As part of the process, they endure more than 100,000 hours of testing, including rigorous military standards testing⁽²⁾ in temperatures ranging from negative 20 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as drops, shocks, pounds and shakes.

Small businesses can rely on products such as the [ HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite ] and [ HP Compaq 8200 Elite ] desktop PCs and [ HP EliteBook p ]- and [ w-series ] notebook PCs to overcome everyday business computing challenges.

HP is dedicated to providing small businesses the highest level of support through its channels partners. The company recently launched the HP Elite [ Smart Buys Program ] to ensure its small and medium-sized business customers receive premium technology and customer support at an everyday HP Smart Buy price.HP also is offering an Elite Service promotion with its Value Added Resellers to allow for better pricing on deployment, management and other key services to provide customers with the best return on their investment and keep their employees productive and efficient.

aWith HPa™s Elite program, we can provide the customer the best product in the industry with our services at a lower total cost to the customer,a says Shaun Steel, general manager at Valcom, an HP Elite partner based in Salt Lake City, Utah. aValcom has seen great response from SMB customers.a

More information about HPa™s Elite products and services is available at [ www.hp.com/go/elite ].

More information on HPa™s activities for small businesses is available via the @[ HP_SmallBiz ] Twitter channel, [ Small Biz Nation ] LinkedIn group, [ HP for Small Business ] Facebook page and at [ 367 Addison Avenue ].

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The worlda™s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP is available at [ http://www.hp.com ].

Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

© 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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