You know how important it is to have the technology in your office running smoothly, but being able to fit the cost of a full-fledged IT staff into your budget may not be possible. Fortunately, this is not an all-or-nothing situation, and you have a range of alternatives to choose from.

Following the flock of services that have taken to the Web, technical support is now available online. Known for quick response times and inexpensive rates, a handful of online "help desks" have been gaining popularity the past year.

For about $10 to $50 per month, you can register with services that offer 24/7 live tech support. Through text chat (think instant messaging), a technical expert can help you with repairs, maintenance, and software configuration.

What's lacking is one-on-one communication - with most of these services you are limited to online interaction. Although they may offer phone support, you're charged for each call. But online does not necessarily mean out of touch. While you won't have a person physically in your office to work out all the kinks, some services can actually gain access your computer via the Internet and make changes to your PC remotely.

Or you can turn to an application service provider (ASP) for a more comprehensive solution. ASPs host software online and rent it to end users. Along with hosting, ASPs take care of maintenance, upgrades, and configuration of the software, and they offer additional services such as consulting, training, and customer support.

The newest spin-off in this rent-an-app field is the MSP (managed service provider). They take this idea one step further by providing and setting up computers in your office as well as offering tech support via the phone or an office visit.

Pricing is all over the map, but if you rent high-end software and take advantage of additional services, ASPs can easily cost hundreds of dollars per month for each user. MSPs are still in their infancy stage, but pricing is in the area of $200 per month per computer along with a setup fee.

Besides not being able to easily pinpoint cost, security continues to be a lingering concern. Despite security measures taken by ASPs, the idea of moving private information outside company walls can be a little scary.

Turning to a consultant may be the most appealing option if you appreciate face-to-face contact. But this personal attention comes with a hefty price tag.

Consultants can be called in an emergency or scheduled to handle a specific project or come in periodically to check on things. Hiring a consultant can easily cost $150 an hour. It's the closest thing to having an in-house IT professional without actually having someone on payroll.

Keep in mind that just because you can't afford an IT staff doesn't mean that you can't have access to support. With the Internet, it can seem like you can virtually do anything.

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