IT adds value to UK economy

The development of software has become an investment rather than a cost to the UK economy.

The first official measurement of the value of in-house software development has shown an addition of £8.3bn to the UK economy.

The Office of National Statistics showed a 0.6 per cent increase in 2006 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that can be attributed to the long-term economic potential of software developed by IT departments.

The figures have arisen as a result of measuring bespoke applications as an investment instead of a cost – previously only packaged software was recorded this way.

“Proper IT systems should always be viewed as an investment rather than a cost,” comments Derrick Cameron from business IT specialist Eximium. “Our clients tell us that a return on investment can be rapidly achieved. There really is no other way to look at software development – it can be one of the best investments a company makes.”
Professor of Economics at Queen Mary College, Jonathan Haskel, says the new calculations could have a knock-on effect for the economy. “If there is more capacity in the economy resulting from greater investment than previously thought, the Bank of England can run the economy at a faster rate without worrying about inflation”, he says.

This is the first time that the added value to the economy that IT development represents has been officially acknowledged within Government statistics.

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Eximium becomes a McAfee partner

Business IT specialists Eximium have announced a new partnership agreement with international security software provider McAfee.

The Luton based firm are already a registered Microsoft partner and believe that this new relationship with one of the world’s biggest IT security software companies will have a number of benefits for their customers.

“There are a huge number of products on the market and we carefully evaluate anything before we consider re-selling. After extensive testing we were very impressed with the McAfee products ability to cope with viruses and spam, its flexibility, and the fact that it allows us to install and update the product on our clients’ computers quickly and without leaving the office. This means we can offer a faster service but for less money” comments Eximium’s Technical Director, Derrick Cameron.

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Small firms lagging behind in IT race

IT can help drive business growth, but Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are missing out, according to new research.

New research from Cisco suggests that UK businesses that embrace new technologies grow faster and hold on to their employees for longer.

The study showed that smaller businesses still lag behind their larger counterparts in adopting technology.

In particular, wireless network adoption (41 per cent compared to 64 per cent) and remote or home working technology capabilities (46 per cent compared to 67 per cent) were lower in SMEs than in larger businesses.

“With British companies competing for business against a global market, every aspect of their offering is important to ensure they are competitive” comments Derrick Cameron, from business IT specialist Eximium. “Margins are increasingly tight and, with key labour shortages at home, companies are turning to technology to give them the edge they require. However, it is also important to consider carefully what you really want from your systems, and look at how you can achieve your objectives by improving and adapting them – just bringing new technology in is rarely the right answer”.

Business managers’ top concern was finding and retaining the most talented staff, according to the study.

Home working ranked as the lowest influencing factor on IT managers’ technology investment priorities over the next 12 to 18 months.

The survey polled more than 600 business and IT directors across the UK in companies ranging from 20 to 1,000 employees, split into firms with 20-249 employees and larger companies with over 250 employees.

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Eximium joins the Chamber of Commerce for Bedfordshire and Luton

Eximium announced today that it is to join the Chamber of Commerce for Bedfordshire and Luton.

The Chamber exists to promote the interests of local firms and encourage investment into the local economy. Derrick Cameron, Technical Director of Eximium comments “As we are based in the local community it makes sense to join an organisation that helps to promote the area. As well as enjoying the benefits of membership, we are looking forward to working with local firms in the area and being able to put something back into the business community”

Eximium specialise in helping companies resolve their IT problems and also helping firms make the most of their business through the best use of their IT. “We are offering our £500 fact find service free to all Chamber members and we are confident that they will gain a lot from it” adds Cameron.

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