AI advisory
Why are our technology costs going up if we are not using AI?
Because the security floor rose permanently, AI data centre demand is pushing up hardware, cloud and software pricing across the industry, and compliance now carries real documentation overhead. None of those require you to use AI.
Answered by Ryan Sanders, Partnership Director
Consumer AI tools send whatever you paste out of the building. Enterprise editions keep it in your tenant. The policy has to say which is which.
An AI policy in two pages Gold Star survey"Great, great, great. Fast, prompt, knowledgeable. Thank you!"
Senada, insurance brokerageMore from the survey wallFour pressures, none of which you opted into
The security baseline moved and is not coming back down. AI infrastructure demand is raising hardware, cloud and subscription pricing across the whole industry. Enterprise AI tools priced to win adoption will cost more as those platforms mature. And state privacy laws, federal requirements and licensing board rules add documentation and audit work even for a business doing everything right.
Not engaging is not opting out
A business that never opens an AI tool still absorbs the energy, hardware and infrastructure costs of everyone else running one, and still faces attacks built with these tools. It carries the cost and the risk without any of the benefit. That is the worst position of the three available.
What we will not do
Blame AI for an increase that is really something else. When a renewal goes up we will tell you which of these it is, or that it is us, and show the working. We are absorbing the same pressures ourselves as a small business, and we would rather explain it in a meeting than let it arrive on a quote unexplained.
What you can control
Whether you are paying these costs and getting something back. A written policy, a clear picture of what staff already use, and one tool deployed properly costs very little and turns a pure expense into something with a return attached.
If a vendor tells you your setup is fine, ask them to put it in writing. The answer changes once it has to be written.
The ERP under a desk Small businessSunk cost is real. A backup server you bought last year deserves a plan before it goes in a dumpster because a move made it convenient.
Server or cloud, honestlyPeople also ask
Which AI tools are our employees using right now?
Almost certainly more than leadership thinks. Between a staff survey, what is switched on by default in your tenant, and what your industry software has quietly added, we can establish a real starting point instead of an assumed clean one.
The full answerWhat is AI advisory, and what do we actually get?
An assessment of where AI fits your business, which platforms are safe for your data, a written policy, training, and software when you need it. It runs as a program with a named advisor, not a one-off meeting, and a login to our advisory library comes with it.
The full answerWhich AI tool should our company use?
It depends on where your data is allowed to go, what you already pay for, and what you want it to do. For most offices already in Microsoft 365, the honest first answer is the one you are already licensed for, configured properly.
The full answer
"As always, efficient, non-intrusive and complete!"
Kurt, concrete supplierMore from the survey wall- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Another great job by Midwest IT. Our company just loves your fast response to our issues."
Client, 2024 surveyTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.