Shouldn't I be afraid to "give up" my data? When first considering remote IT outsourcing, most people are uneasy with the thought of their data no longer residing onsite. It's a valid concern. You know who's in your office and who has physical access to your servers. At any time, you can put the backup tape in your briefcase and take it home with you. Clearly, there's a sense of security in all this. And at first glance, it appears as if you're giving this up with IT outsourcing.

The sense of security that most people feel when data is housed onsite is based more on perception than on reality. Any number of things can happen to your onsite data, from the computer tech copying private data to a hacker infiltrating your DSL or T1 line undetected. Because you cannot control everyone with access to your data or focus all your attention on security, the safety of onsite data storage is merely an illusion.

Protecting your data is serious business and should be evaluated logically rather than emotionally. The list of issues is long:

• Viruses
• Hard drive failures
• Intruders
• Privacy
• Accessibility

...and the list goes on and on.

It's easy to assume that your data is safest only when you can touch and feel it, ruling out the security of remote IT outsourcing your data. But data is similar to other valuables - it makes more sense to let experts provide your IT security. That's what they get paid to do.

External IT is armed with the latest security technologies to securely house your data. Hundreds of companies store data in private client storage areas within the External IT Data Center. They do so knowing that their data will always remain private, secure, and virus-free. Similar to the way a bank operates, we always maintain your strict privacy. Security is always foremost, and you can be confident that your digital assets are safe and sound.

What if my office's Internet connection goes down? Most people experience very positive results with their Internet provider. Your line may only go down for very short periods of time once every 3 to 4 months. Occasionally, people experience poor results and their line goes down regularly. In these cases, it makes sense to switch Internet providers or carriers.

With External IT, your Internet connection is your only responsibility. Therefore, it's your only point of failure. There's no way around it. If you don't have Internet access, you won't be able to run your applications and access your data with our remote IT outsourcing.

Fortunately, this is a simple problem to overcome: Be sure to establish a backup way to get on the Internet. Even clients who haven't had an issue with their line for 12 to 18 months are wise to at least have an active dial-up account in case of an emergency.

Our clients who initially expressed this concern quickly see that the benefits of outsourcing their IT department with External IT far exceed the disadvantages.

What type of backup connection do I need? Your backup method should be based on the number of users at your location.

• A small office that normally uses DSL will typically have a dial-up account in the event that their DSL line goes down. Additional cost: $10-15 per month.
• A larger office that normally uses a T1 line will typically have a cable modem or a DSL line as a backup. Additional cost: $50-$120 per month.

What about software licensing and upgrades? The majority of our clients already own licenses for the software they use. Generally, we request some proof or letter stating that the licenses are owned. After that, we can manage and deliver all of your applications. Clients who do not have sufficient software licenses have two options:

• Buy them outright
• Pay us monthly if the vendor offers it

Microsoft, the largest software vendor, offers all of their software titles on a monthly rental basis. We do not profit from software licensing. Whether you purchase or rent, only our cost gets passed on to you.

Regarding upgrades, we generally obtain the latest software versions as soon they become available. We do not remove previous versions so you always have the option of using an older version. Again, as long as you have the proper licenses, we're able to provide the software to you immediately.

What about speed? You may be questioning the speed of in-house IT vs. outsourced IT. Isn't remote IT outsourcing slower because the applications are not running locally? The answer is emphatically - NO!

With local software hosting, every time an icon is double-clicked, 3 to 5 seconds pass before the application is fully open and is ready to use.

External IT cuts this average time to less than 2 seconds. The first application you run requires the establishment of a connection to the External IT Data Center. This occurs automatically and takes approximately 5 to 10 seconds, depending on the connection. Once that connection is established, applications open faster than they would on a normal locally run desktop.

Using the applications is entirely seamless. You can't tell the difference between onsite hosting and remote IT outsourcing of your applications. On a 56k connection, you may experience an occasional delay but nothing that would interfere with your productivity.

The best way to alleviate any doubts is to try it. Request to have a demo account set up for your use.

How do I cancel the service? Because we don't require any long-term commitments from our clients, you can cancel at any time without any penalty. If you have concerns about the risks of IT outsourcing, rest assured. We've made it a risk-free process where you are in control at all times.

We take the risk by offering you a 45-day trial period at no cost. If, for any reason, you decide that the service is not for you, we guarantee that we'll put everything back the way we found it - at no charge. If you choose to continue using External IT, you will be billed monthly. You are still able to cancel at any time.