UK businesses waste more than 20 hours a month on IT problems

A survey released today by BT Business has revealed that many UK businesses are wasting more than 20 hours a month on frustrating IT issues and are spending up to £5,000 a year trying to
fix them.

The survey revealed that 36 per cent of businesses in the UK are experiencing IT problems everyday - 66 per cent are experiencing them more than once a week.

Productivity is being seriously affected by these problems with 33 per cent stating more than 20 hours a month is wasted looking for a solution.

The majority of the businesses questioned have up to 100 employees. The survey showed that IT problems are seriously affecting their productivity and their profits. More than half cited slow computers as the most frustrating problem, with 23 per cent saying loss of e-mail was a
regular nightmare.

The survey showed that 69 per cent of companies have a dedicated in-house IT support team yet are still spending more than £5,000 a month fixing IT problems.

These statistics were gleaned from business owners and employees around the UK who took part in BT Business’ “Office Warfare” game. Fast-paced, fun and online, the game allowed players to take out their IT frustrations using an arsenal of different “weapons”, including a fire extinguisher, stapler and CDs, to fight the IT gremlins. Throughout the game users answered questions about how often they experienced IT problems and what they were.

In today’s business world, small businesses depend on reliable IT infrastructure and systems to compete and thrive, whether it is communicating with clients, managing suppliers or delivering services for customers. The always-on demand for e-mail, the internet, computer applications, and critical areas such as managing customer data and thinking about business continuity can become extremely costly when IT problems arise.

BT Business IT Manager is a nationwide service for small and medium-sized businesses that gives them the equivalent of their own IT manager at a fraction of the cost of employing one. BT’s IT Support Manager for PCs, for example, costs just £10 per month per PC and has a customer satisfaction rating of 99 per cent.

Customers can pick and mix from a range of options and get a level of service to suit their business. This could range from advice over-the-phone, remotely running software applications and updates, to installing PCs or networks or providing a more complex long-term solution. There is even an option to proactively monitor a company’s network to spot potential for danger and prevent problems from occurring.

Simon Scott, director of IT manager, BT Business, said: “In today’s business world, where companies are dependent on IT to run their business, so much of the working day can be wasted if you don’t have the right support to prevent and solve problems when systems don’t perform properly. By offering a simple, cost-effective solution like BT Business IT Manager we help companies by managing their IT whilst they focus on what they do best, managing their business.”

For further information about BT Business IT Manager, customers should visit: www.bt.com/ITmanager or call 0800 022 3072.

Notes to editors

The survey questioned over 1,000 employees from UK based businesses. The competition is now closed, but you can still play the game at: www.btofficewarfare.com.

BT Business IT Manager includes:
• The ability to select any combination from hardware supply and installation to IT support and consultancy services.
• IT provision, management and advice for hardware, installation and support.
• Access to IT specialists who will resolve computer or IT problems.
• Network and PC installation.
• Single point of contact for support plus one bill with flexible finance options.