Does Your Business Need IT Support? The Answer is YES!

IT Support is a hot commodity these days. The number of companies with a reliance on IT personnel has been increasing dramatically in recent times. So has the need for qualified IT professionals. So how can an organization ensure it gets the right people for the job?

In today’s tech-hungry business atmosphere, IT support services and unlimited, comprehensive IT assistance are now a standard. However, there is an added wrinkle these days: IT contractors have become a long-term feature of the organization’s bottom line. Emergency and long-term IT support are no longer sufficient in today’s tech-centric business world. What organizations need today are fully managed services that address the day-to-day needs of an organization’s IT systems. This kind of service helps to ensure that IT costs remain reasonable, while keeping operational costs and resources under control.

There are many benefits to employing a managed service provider to provide IT support. The best benefit, in my opinion, is the assurance of an organization receives from a managed service provider that its data is being protected at all times. A typical managed service provider will deploy on-premise firewalls and other security measures designed to protect data in the event of a fire or any other disaster. These measures are designed to be robust enough to defend against external threats while leaving the end-user systems relatively unharmed. This level of end-user protection is rarely found in third-party firewalls and security suites.

Another benefit to using a managed service provider to provide IT support is that IT personnel can collaborate more effectively with the rest of the organization. When the IT department is isolated from the rest of the organization, it is often difficult for IT personnel to get their recommendations considered. On the other hand, when everyone in the organization has access to the same information, IT personnel are able to distribute their advice more effectively. The end result is a more productive and efficient IT department.

There are some benefits to using an in-house IT team when there are multiple users that need to access the same application. One benefit is that in-house IT teams may not be as knowledgeable about the newest technologies available to the third-party software vendors. For example, a new vulnerability discovered in a recently released Adobe product could be exploited by an in-house group without any knowledge of the security implications of the vulnerability. On the other hand, the IT manager that has access to the latest vulnerabilities and patches knows exactly how to patch the latest Adobe product and avoid the risk of exploiting the vulnerability. By exchanging their knowledge and expertise with that of a third-party vendor, an in-house IT team can reduce the risks to the enterprise.

ITIL also offers many benefits to companies that use IT Infrastructure Management (ITIM). By providing a predictable monthly schedule for upgrades and patches, companies can ensure that they have the tools necessary to properly maintain their IT infrastructure. The most basic IT maintenance requires scheduling a daily scheduled automated system scan that can identify and resolve issues that can slow down a company’s ability to get its daily operations running smoothly. Through ITIL, companies can also have the ability to develop an IT Infrastructure Maintenance plan (IMP) that can provide IT departments with the tools necessary to monitor their systems on a consistent basis and prepare them for the unexpected.

Another benefit provided through an ITIL subscription model is the reduction of overheads such as travel time and expense to visit different technicians in various locations. A technician can work from his or her own office, onsite at the company’s facility, or even in a different city or country. The ITIL subscription model guarantees that technicians will be located near the customer location to offer assistance. Subscribers also have the option to call technicians on their own to request services. This feature is commonly referred to as offsite tech support, meaning that a technician will be able to work on problems off-site from his or her own location.

Many companies have reported tremendous savings and efficiency gains by using ITIL and its automated, managed support methodologies. The ITIL process and subscriptions have been used successfully by many leading businesses throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. If your organization is interested in adopting ITIL, it is recommended that you contact a qualified provider today. Most ITIL service providers offer custom managed plans that are designed to meet the unique needs of businesses of all sizes. You can compare the cost of your ITIL plan with those of similar organizations to determine whether the cost of implementing ITIL is the best option for your company. There are numerous different service options available to IT service providers today.