The 3 IT Expenses Dubai Businesses Overpay Every Month (And How to Stop)
After analyzing IT budgets for Dubai companies ranging from 10 to 200 employees, I found the same three expenses consistently inflated. Here's what they are and exactly how to fix them.
1. Overpriced Server Maintenance Contracts
The Problem: Local IT companies charge AED 3,000-8,000 monthly for server maintenance that mostly involves waiting for things to break.
What you're actually paying for:
- Reactive support (they fix things after they break)
- Basic monitoring that misses 80% of potential issues
- Outdated backup solutions that may not work when needed
- No actual cost reduction strategy
The Fix:
Move to cloud solutions (Microsoft 365/Azure) where maintenance is included. One Dubai logistics company saved AED 5,500/month immediately by eliminating their server contract.
2. Multiple Inefficient Software Subscriptions
The Problem: Companies pay for separate email, file storage, project management, and communication tools that don't work together.
Common duplicate expenses:
- Separate email hosting + file storage + chat tools
- Multiple project management apps for different teams
- Redundant backup solutions
- Different security software for each device
The Fix:
Consolidate with Microsoft 365 Business Premium (AED 65-85/user monthly). Includes email, file storage, Teams, security, and compliance in one package. A trading company reduced their software costs by 40% while getting better features.
3. Reactive Instead of Proactive IT Support
The Problem: Paying for IT support that only responds when things break costs you more in downtime and lost productivity than the actual support fees.
Hidden costs of reactive support:
- Employee downtime during IT failures
- Lost business during email/website outages
- Data recovery costs after preventable failures
- Stress and decreased team productivity
The Fix:
Switch to proactive monitoring that prevents 90% of issues before they happen. We include 24/7 monitoring, security patches, and regular health checks in our managed IT plans. One client eliminated 15 hours of monthly downtime.
Typical Monthly Savings for Dubai Businesses
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