Editor's note

Work smarter, not harder

In today's economically challenging environment, managers are required to stretch their dollars--be it in marketing, IT or training--in order to minimize costs and maximize results.

So how do you get the desired results with less effort, less expense and less headaches?

Doing more with less is about working smarter--not harder. For example, if your business needs have changed, you could discuss with your vendor and see if you could renegotiate the terms of your contract to better suit your new requirements.

For software, Gartner's Pranav Kumar says one of the best times to negotiate for a better deal is when you upgrade to a new major version.

In this month's SMB IT Essentials special report, we look at how firms can overcome resource constraints and get more "bang" from their IT buck with the right approach and strategy.

After doing its sums, IT public relations specialist the EBA Group has chosen to migrate to Linux because of its security and cost advantages. META Group's Damien Wong explains the importance of business-driven processes in IT deployment, while CNETAsia journalist Zen Lee uncovers the pitfalls of outsourcing and how SMBs can do it right.

We also discuss the benefits of IP telephony in reducing telecommunications costs as well as the importance of having a task center to reduce the time that employees spend on copying, scanning, faxing and printing.

And as we've learned, sometimes you have to lose some to win big.

Senior journalist Aloysius Choong talks to ComSOC Technology's James Jeong and discovers that knowing when to cut your losses is as important as knowing when to make the right investments.