Infrastructure consulting, which entails providing consulting services to clients to help them evaluate and implement efficient IT infrastructure, is a discretionary part of spending that clients typically cut down on during a slowdown.

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David Gustovich, founder and CEO, IQity Solutions: One of the primary advantages of cloud computing is for small and medium sized enterprises to instantly obtain the benefits of a complete, scalable IT infrastructure without having to implement and administer it directly.

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By focusing on top-line value to readily implement new solutions while reducing costs and the infrastructure footprint at the same time, a new IT leader can set a course for double-barreled value creation that earns him or her status as a true peer to the rest of the c-suite of executives.

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