6 reasons for businesses to seek IT support

Okta estimates that large enterprises use an average of 175 programs, while small firms use up to 73. They need to be regularly monitored and updated to eliminate features that are not working and to ensure data security. Employees and customers also need to be counseled to make sure programs are running smoothly and don't interfere with business. Organizations are now realizing the importance of technical support and are increasingly turning to IT services. The tech support outsourcing market could grow by $11 billion by 2024 and for good reason. Let's find out how tech support helps businesses.

What does IT support mean for business

Imagine that the head of a company wants to build a data network between branches. It's a big job, and it's hard to do it alone. After all, you have to develop a solution, buy switches, determine security parameters, consult with service providers, integrate the system into the infrastructure, and so on. But how to simplify such a complex task? Outsource it, of course.

It is not uncommon for a program to fail, for employees to be unable to connect to the network, or for an application to be slow. In such cases, specialists turn to assistants - the in-house IT department or outsourced IT support.

IT support is a group of specialists who help employees solve their problems with devices and software. In the business environment, IT support for business is more than help. Engineers monitor the condition of the customer organization's infrastructure and perform a number of valuable tasks:

audit the systems and equipment;
administer servers, computer network, and telephony;
update software and maintain databases;
troubleshooting;
upgrade equipment;
maintain computers;
handle cyberattacks;
set up corporate security;
scale infrastructure depending on business needs;
deploying and configuring new programs and services;
repair equipment;
advise users on technical issues;
user training on the system, etc.

For example, IT support may include setting up a Wi-Fi network and connecting cloud servers and CRM systems. Or setting up computers, IP telephony, and corporate e-mail.

Andersen, an IT outsourcing company, practices three levels of service and support:

Call center services. Technical support by e-mail, messengers, phone, and so on.
Advanced IT support. Incident management, computer hardware repair, software bug fixes, etc.
Infrastructure and development support. IT infrastructure maintenance, product upgrades, new software development, QA support, and other services.

By entrusting IT operations to outsourced IT support services, businesses ensure the uninterrupted operation of their company.

What business needs IT support

Outsourcing IT, support is relevant for businesses of any size and direction, regardless of whether the customer is a doctor, a commercial contractor, or a large law firm. Of course, small businesses can't always afford to hire an IT specialist. But large corporations have ever-growing data volumes and need to service remote offices and branches.

The following organizations are mainly interested in IT support:

Companies that do not have IT specialists.

A company outsources IT support when it realizes that in-house IT services will cost more. Utilze IT outsourcing services, the customer can choose a package of services that fits the business and at an optimal cost. For example, some companies only need technical support and consulting. Others need constant infrastructure monitoring. An outsourced IT partner adapts to the needs of each customer.

Companies most concerned about security.

Recent studies have shown that 78 percent of organizations are not confident that they are adequately protected against cyberattacks. That's a depressing statistic, considering that $2.9 million is lost worldwide every minute due to Internet threats. And 2020 was the fourth most attacked year in history.

The first target of hackers is financial companies, manufacturing, energy firms, and retailers (see infographic 1).

Businesses realize how important it is to keep their data safe. That's why they willingly outsource infrastructure security support to technical experts.

Companies that plan to grow.

When a company expands, the demands on systems and personnel grow. To avoid spending more money on scaling than necessary, organizations turn to IT audits.

Experts assess the current IT system and analyze the organization's strategic plans. They determine:

how and when to scale;
what technologies to use;
how to allocate resources;
what problems can arise when scaling and how to solve them.

Why business needs IT support

Businesses benefit from IT support in the following ways:

Manage data effectively

Companies collect and store important data: customer information, employee salaries, financials, etc. To keep them safe and protect them from theft, you need experienced IT professionals.

System administrators back up and restore important files and applications. They develop a strategy to protect valuable data from various types of cyberattacks and address system vulnerabilities. These measures reduce downtime after failures and protect data systems from unauthorized access or hacking.

Solve complicated tasks

Technical equipment failures and system defects happen in any organization. These can be problems with data encryption, printing failures, password errors, or problems with online banking.

IT support for business solves all technical and software issues:

email hack;
online fraud;
server problems, and so on.

When hardware starts to perform worse and can't handle the volume of data, experts suggest better options for businesses with more memory, faster processors, and high-quality displays. They advise applications and systems that are better suited for business tasks. And make it easy to learn, compare data, or plan for scaling.

Defend against cyber threats

Even the best companies in their industry have fallen victim to cyber-attacks: Twitter, Facebook, Avon, Garmin, and others. Cybersecurity is one of the top business concerns. According to Deep Instinct, malware increased by 358% in 2020 compared to 2019, and ransomware will increase by 435%.

IT support staff regularly monitor the health of computer systems and the network. They check for abnormal activity and automate some security protocols.

Better monitor business operations

The IT support team monitors business systems to make sure they meet the company's needs and better serve customers. It monitors virtual machines, computers, routers, switches, firewalls, and servers.

Engineers use special condition monitoring software. They use it to get analytical data, identify broken items, and prevent failures. That way, they can fix problems before they hurt the business (for example, when servers stop or storage systems fail).

Better customer service

Improving the customer experience is a metric that modern companies strive for. Deloitte estimates that 88% of companies today prioritize the quality of customer service in their contact centers.

With IT support services, customers solve issues 24/7 through convenient communication channels: email, messengers, social networks, chatbots, or by phone.

As a business grows, so does its audience, whose problems must be solved. An outsourced contact center can hire more help desk operators at the request of the business. Or reduce staff during periods when there isn't a heavy service load.

Save money

Companies offering IT support services serve a group of clients at the same time. Therefore, the cost of their work is lower than when hiring one or more in-house specialists.

In addition, support personnel troubleshoot equipment or systems before they fail. This means that the work of the organization won't stop due to an accident, and the firm won't lose money.

According to Atlassian, the average company loses between $5,600 and $9,000 per hour of downtime. For example, 14 hours of downtime cost Facebook $90 million in 2019.

Over time, businesses evolve and invest in new ideas and programs. An IT support specialist can analyze which options are suitable for the business. And suggest the best solutions in terms of functionality and cost.

IT support for the company will help move from old technologies to new ones without interrupting the organization's work. This way, the business won't lose customers or money when it upgrades its computer network or applications.

Conclusion

For your business to thrive in the digital age, it needs professional IT support. It's more reliable and cost-effective than hiring an employee or a team of engineers. Outsourced IT companies hire experts whose expertise can be broader and more diverse than in-house specialists. They offer on-demand IT support services, from call center support to infrastructure monitoring and development.