Following on from last week’s post, we take a look at what IT support companies can actually do for you.
Despite living in an age of technology, IT can still be a source of stress and confusion, especially given the rapid pace at which new technology arises. Even the most confident of people can find it difficult to deal with the technology they use daily when a problem occurs. Turning to an IT support company alleviates that pressure when a problem occurs and can also be a preventative measure taken to cut problems off before they occur.
So, what does an IT support company do?
In plain terms, an IT support company provides engineers who offer support with the information technology that your business uses from computers and mobiles to servers and website support, reducing both costs and downtime.
What do you need to look for in an IT support company?
Some of the major things to consider when looking for an IT support company are as follows:
- Location – generally IT support companies can and do work remotely. They are a separate entity from your company and work offsite. However, dependent on what services you outsource, it is important to consider that you may find yourself in a situation where there are emergencies that need an engineer to attend to your business. The closer the company is to you, the less time and therefore money you will lose.
- Skill set – if you are outsourcing your IT support it may make better sense for you to ensure you choose an all-inclusive company to make the process more streamlined and keep costs down. Ensure they are providing all the services you will need, not just at present but in the future.
- Availability – you need to be fully aware of the time it takes an IT support provider to respond to an emergency. Consider whether you will need a provider who is available 24/7.
- Support – what type of support do they offer? Are they a real person at the end of the phone who knows your business needs?
- Third-party provider – often an IT support company will subcontract work, but it is important for you to know who those providers are and what expectations you can have of them.
- Personalisation – Will they offer you a dedicated engineer or manager? Who will be your point of call and how can you contact them?
What types of services can an IT support company provide?
Each company offers different services but here are a number that you can look for in an IT support company:
- Managed IT support services – this refers to the entire infrastructure of the IT that your company uses. It ranges from software installation and application to monitoring and updating your IT systems including data analysis and cloud support.
- Design and implementation – this is a service whereby your engineering team will look at your business as a whole and design and implement new systems to your infrastructure to improve your business productivity. This type of service helps you keep ahead of the competition and keep up with new changes in technology.
- IT training – this is an important aspect for most businesses as there is little benefit to being up to date with the latest technology if your employees can’t use it to the best of its functionality. It also protects your business against cyber-attacks and security or data breaches.
- IT audits – most business owners know how time-consuming an audit can be. Regular audits protect your business as they allow you to identify any weaknesses before a problem occurs. An IT support company can help complete regular audits of your hardware, systems, and processes.
In summary, an IT support company can provide you with a range of services to help you manage the IT software and hardware that you need for your business. They can both fix and prevent problems so that you don’t have to lose the time and money on it.
It is without a doubt that every business will need some form of IT support at one point or another, the key to keeping ahead of your competitors is to have a support service in place that will work with you to fix problems, prevent further issues from occurring and updating your IT.
Need an IT support service? Contact us here today to see how we can help you!
