Top Three Concerns for CFOs and IT Professionals in 2010

    BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI, January 12, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "Most CFOs are still wearing a look of anxiety," according to Logicalis CFO Greg Baker. But there is good news. "About two out of three companies we recently surveyed said their business prospects will be better this quarter than last quarter." As a CFO himself at Logicalis, a leading provider of high-performance technology solutions, Baker offers his take on what CFOs must have on their minds as they enter 2010 and what that means to IT professionals as they work more closely with their finance counterparts to ensure business success this year.

To help IT professionals strengthen communications with their financial counterparts, Logicalis has developed "Making IT Matter: Getting to Yes" a report that discusses the business motivators and strategies involved in receiving CFO-level approval for IT requests. The complimentary guide and an interactive calculator are available at http://www.us.logicalis.com/CFO.

Top CFO/IT Concerns for 2010

Here are the top three things all CFOs and IT professionals must be concerned about for 2010, according to Baker. He says that IT professionals should, "Know what is keeping your CFO awake at night."

1. Cash Flow - Most companies don't stop running because they're unprofitable, but because they've run out of cash. One of the CFO's principle jobs is ensuring there is enough available cash to operate and grow the business.

Baker's IT Tip: "Make sure that you demonstrate how technology projects will impact cash flow. Showcase financing options that can avoid a 'big hit' and use smaller monthly payments instead."

2. Fixed Costs - By now most businesses have made cuts and reduced staffing with a future promise of better profit margins once sales improve. The last thing a CFO wants to see in 2010 are unfamiliar costs slowly creeping back into the business.

Baker's IT Tip: "Prepare for longer approval processes and rethink requests for increased staffing. Instead, look for creative sources to augment your staffing and resource needs, like Software as a Service or Infrastructure as a Service."

3. Sales Data - CFOs are demanding better sales data and increased business intelligence to help them funnel investments into customer service and customer improvement efforts.

Baker's IT Tip: "Get aligned with your CFO on how technology can help your organization serve customers better; that kind of focus is going to win approvals. Focus on how business intelligence can provide the sorts of information CFOs need to make more educated investment decisions."

Baker offers more detail on Logicalis Voice, a podcast discussion that is available at http://www.us.logicalis.com/podcasts/2010-cfo-podcast.mp3

For more information about Logicalis, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

About Logicalis
Logicalis is an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services founded on a superior breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center optimization; application development and integration; and outsourcing and managed services.

With its international headquarters in the UK, Logicalis Group employs over 1,900 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of over 6,500 corporate and public sector customers. To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM and Microsoft.
The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues in excess of $1 billion, from operations in the UK, US, Germany, Latin America and Asia Pacific, and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications service providers, specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, a $4.2 billion revenue business listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges (LSE/JSE: DTC).

For more information about Logicalis, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

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