Organisations in all industries rely heavily on the IT department to ensure that operations are running smoothly in matters of efficiency and security. Many companies, mainly small and medium-sized businesses, lack sufficient funds for an in-house IT team and instead hire an IT support services provider to help them.
But not all hope is lost.
IT service providers offer on-site and remote IT support at flexible prices.
Technology has made remote IT support possible.
In the golden age of IT, tech specialists had to go to their customer’s places of business to diagnose and troubleshoot issues. Now, tech specialists can diagnose and implement fixes to IT issues as long as they have the required access permissions.
This technological evolution helped businesses carry on with operations without the added hassles of on-site IT support.
Although on-site support used to be the beacon of hope for organisations (it still is for specific hardware issues), remote IT support offers more benefits in reducing tech issues in the most efficient way possible.
What is remote IT support?
Remote IT support is a service that lets you outsource your tech needs to an IT service provider. Your IT service provider will then be responsible for managing your organisation’s IT.
It includes services like:
- helpdesk
- system monitoring
- cyber security
- cloud management
- IT consultation
- and others
This service offers convenience to organisations that don't have the resources for an in-house IT team.
And it works in three steps.
First, you connect to your service provider through phone, video, or support app.
Second, you request an IT service. This step is where you'll send the details of your tech concern(s).
Third, they provide all the necessary solutions to remotely diagnose and fix your systems (including maintenance, repairs, patch installations, application assessment, and malware removal).
Sounds too easy, right? Well, that’s because it is!
Organisations get a variety of benefits from remote IT support services. But keep in mind that this may vary depending on the organisation’s size and industry.
Here's a list of what remote support can do for your organisation:
Cost-effective
Organisations use remote IT support over building their own in-house IT team because of its cost-effectiveness.
If your organisation has a limited IT budget, you must be extra vigilant about where your monthly fees get delegated and if you’re getting the services your business needs to function.
Although having an in-house IT department can still get the job done, it can get quite expensive compared to outsourcing. You’ll need to hire multiple people with different specialisations to fulfil the many branches of business IT, acquire larger office space, and include them on the organisation’s payroll.
With remote IT support, you don’t need to worry about those. Your IT service provider will be responsible for hiring, training, and managing their staff. They can handle all or most parts of your IT system remotely, from monitoring vulnerabilities to application installation.
All you need to do is choose a technical service provider and pay a fixed monthly fee based on the amount of support you require. This setup will help you predict expenses, get faster response times, and use company resources in other aspects that need tending. This option is more convenient and less expensive compared to the in-house option.
All in all, remote IT support will save you time, personnel, and money.
Productivity boost
One minor IT disruption might not be a big problem. But what if there is a consistent flux of IT problems that keep your staff from doing their job efficiently?
This problem is not only inconvenient but costly as well.
As we’ve talked about in our fast IT support article, time is a critical component for businesses. If IT problems don’t get fixed right away, it could ultimately affect the organisation’s growth, and may even develop a new set of headaches that would take more time to repair.
You know the old saying: when your IT is down, so is your business.
With remote IT support, you can resolve tech issues and get your business going as if nothing happened.
The best part is you don’t even have to leave your desk to get your computer fixed.
Around-the-clock availability
When you’re with an exceptional remote IT service company, you can reach them for help anytime, whether through a phone call or their support app. Their standby tech specialists will work on your computers ASAP.
This process significantly decreases your downtime compared to having a tech look at it personally on-site.
Not only was the old way inefficient, but it was also time-consuming. (Learn more about Poor IT Support here)
Organisations always strive for efficiency. And you get your issues resolved fast when you have a managed service provider that offers remote IT support wherever and whenever even if you’re working in the office or at home.
All you have to do is ensure your computer is on and connected to a network. Also, don't forget to give your tech the necessary access rights to your device.
One of the best qualities of remote IT support is making arrangements with your provider about allocating support services. But take note that not every IT service provider can offer various service allotments, so make sure to talk with them beforehand.
Cyber security
Organisations, whether large or small, are not immune to cyber threats. Even with that in mind, many companies (usually small to medium-sized businesses) still won't devote their IT resources to a high-quality security solution until it’s too late.
So what happens?
They end up getting breached.
And some even try to outsource, hoping to mitigate the problem as much as possible.
IT support companies provide cyber security services, and they now do it remotely.
One of the best things about hiring remote IT support for your cyber security is they can manage it even beyond your business hours and monitor your systems in real time.
They work on keeping you away from hackers, cyberattacks, and data breaches at any time of the day.
This service can involve:
- software updates
- spam and malware detection
- anti-virus and firewall configuration
- creating a space for employees to report cyber incidents
The bottom line of cyber security is to stop cyber-attacks from taking place or prevent them from infiltrating your systems in real time. And fortunately, this is all possible with remote IT support.
Access to smart IT professionals
Hiring experienced IT professionals is expensive. Although they can bring so much value, small and medium-sized businesses can’t afford them.
Outsourcing to an IT service provider is an affordable way to get your IT systems taken care of by skilled professionals with a wide range of experience. They will help you get to where you want to go with your business IT.
You can access IT experts whenever a critical issue arises. They would be available for both on-site and remote support. Although most inquiries get done remotely, there might be instances that require on-site support, such as hardware issues.
Getting access to experienced IT staff should not only be for large organisations. With remote IT service providers, you can get experts to work on your business at a reasonable price.
Proactive solutions
Proactive monitoring and maintenance play a vital role in keeping your IT from problems like server failure, cyber-attacks, and outdated applications from occurring.
One way to do that is to let your remote IT support provider monitor all your vital resources. Then, implement the appropriate solutions whenever they receive alerts from something that needs immediate attention.
Ideally, they should be able to detect potential IT problems before they cause any negative impact on your business.
Is remote IT support better than on-site IT support?
Remote support can do a lot for your organisation, but that doesn’t mean on-site IT support doesn't have its own merits. Even if you can get things done faster with remote 24/7 IT support and get your issues taken care of wherever and whenever it has limitations, and that is hardware-related issues.
That’s where on-site support comes into the picture.
Both types of support play an integral role in keeping your IT in top shape, and you will need one or the other when the time comes. And to do that, you will need a service provider that can offer both.
When Covid-19 hit, almost all organisations had to change how they operate. It forced businesses to undertake remote working environments, which opened opportunities to widen their operational output and staff productivity. Organisations of all sizes can carry on with operations, achieve business objects, and more with remote IT support services.
Office Solutions IT can help you get an edge with IT to smile about. We offer a wide range of on-site and remote IT support services, from tech support to cloud computing. Get in touch today, and we’ll help you move forward with confidence toward your goals.
