"In my opinion, the economic downturn will increase growth in service support," Nadiu said, adding that IT managers will face increased workloads if their businesses cut-back on IT staff.

It could cost up to US$600 for an average one-off service for a server, he said.

About half of service calls are how-to configuration requests, of which a "large amount" pertain to configuration of Microsoft Vista, Office, and wireless networks, which take twice as long to resolve as other support requests. Naidu said while these calls must relate to a covered Dell product, they are "flexible" and will remain on the call until the problem is resolved.

An April survey of 203 SMB IT decision-makers across Australia and New Zealand, sponsored by Dell, found less than half of respondents were concerned with "keeping up with current trends". Nadiu said many businesses are choosing to "sit tight" and maintain existing infrastructure during the recession.

Most respondents want IT to improve efficiency and increase productivity this year, and reduce overheads and cut costs.