You wouldn’t open a call centre without hiring people to answer the phone. You wouldn’t buy a car and expect it to drive itself (unless it was a Tesla). So why would you invest in technology, without hiring a professional IT support team?
Businesses today need technology, including small businesses. This means they also need professional IT support. It is an essential role in any organisation, big or small. This article will show you just how important professional IT support really is.
Four reasons IT support is so important
Here are four of the biggest reasons why having professional IT support is so important to your organisation.
- Data storage and management. A professional IT support team will help your business store and manage important data. The role of your IT team will be to make sure your data is stored in a secure environment and to make sure it is easily accessible (but only to the people with permission to view it). If you don’t have the support of a professional IT team, you could easily end up storing data in a vulnerable location or even giving access to somebody without the right permissions, which can be a big issue where data protection is concerned.
- Protection against cyber criminals. Do you know how to detect and avoid the full spectrum of malware and viruses? You probably have some knowledge, but it’s pretty safe to say that an IT support team has more. They can help defend your IT infrastructure against digital threats, which is increasingly important in a world where cybercrime is only becoming a bigger and bigger problem.
- Effective solutions to tricky problems. You might know how to work your company’s systems, but do you know what to do if something goes horribly wrong? A professional IT support team can analyse most technical troubles and deliver highly-skilled solutions. Even if you are using software that comes with customer support, it can help to have a dedicated IT team on-hand – they may be able to fix the issue for you faster than the software provider’s support team can pick up the phone.
- Seamless communication. An IT support team can help you configure your systems and technologies to ensure seamless communication channels between colleagues, customers and stakeholders alike. From configuring your company’s email servers, to getting you set up with collaboration, email marketing and video conferencing software, your IT support team will help you put the pieces into place that let you get on with your work.
What to look for in a great IT support team
If you are thinking of outsourcing your IT support needs, then here are some qualities to look out for. Follow this advice to ensure you end up with a reliable and competent team that can really help your business:
- Sometimes, IT issues need dealing with yesterday, and therefore you need a responsive IT team. Look for a service that gives you a guaranteed response time, and a single point of contact.
- Cost shouldn’t be your top priority in choosing an IT support provider, but you should definitely keep it in the equation. Get quotes from a handful of providers who you can trust to do a good job, and see how each fits into your budget.
- Ask any IT support provider to show you what qualifies them to keep your systems running smoothly.
Whether you are hiring in-house or outsourcing, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of an IT support team. The success of your business relies on it.
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