As the business grows, so does the requirement for resources and capabilities to support it. Your organization may be self-sufficient in handling all the capabilities or may require outsourcing some services. One such service your organization can outsource is the IT support and consulting service.
Technology is the foundation for business processes and operations in today’s digital age. IT support is crucial in providing and maintaining technology effectively and efficiently.
IT support and consulting covers a wide range of services, including communication, networks, cloud, security and integration. Whichever business you may be dealing with, the right IT support can help you grow your business by leaps and bounds and maintain a competitive advantage as well.
Functions Performed By IT Support And Consulting Services
Source: altconsulting.com
To understand the benefits of IT support and consulting; first, you need to know what functions they perform. They are briefly discussed below:
1. Maintains Networks
Information flows through networks. Communication happens through networks. If networks falter, the business stops, literally. The IT support and consulting team maintains and manages the network infrastructure. This includes servers, workstations, printers and other peripherals, security devices, routers, wireless access points etc.
2. Cloud Computing
Many services are now offered through the cloud. The IT support team manages the cloud and related services.
3. Technical Support
This is one of the most common IT support and consulting services tasks. They assist with technical issues, such as troubleshooting problems related to hardware and software, which employees or clients may face.
4. Manages Data
With the amount of data generated daily, managing it is a huge task. Data can be about the customers, stakeholders, markets, or competitors. IT support and consulting services provide data management services. These include data storage, data backup and recovery, and data security.
5. Provide Cybersecurity
With everything online, cyber threats have also increased multifold. Cybersecurity is an urgent demand of time and technology. Everything is at stake and can be lost without sound security. The IT support team is responsible for providing cybersecurity. For this, it may need to set up firewalls, VPNs, and NATs and undertake other security measures.
Benefits of IT Support & Consulting Services
Source: i2k2.com
1. Expertise At Hand
IT support caters to troubleshooting issues faced by everyone in the organisation. These issues generally slow the speed of employees, and they may have to sit idle till the issues are resolved. So, having an expert team with knowledge, experience, and quick turnaround time ensures efficiency.
There are two working models available around IT support. Business owners can have an in-house team or outsource the IT support team. Any of these models can be adopted as per the company’s vision, work profile and budget. Though, outsourcing is advocated owing to its ease and cost-effectiveness.
2. Focus On Core Business Processes
Having a dedicated team for IT ensures that other employees can focus on their core business processes. Technical issues and technology implementation are taken care of by them.
3. Technologically Updated
The IT support team also ensures the implementation of the latest and updated technologies, including software, devices and processes. The IT team takes care of software updates like regular OS updates, version upgrades, bug fixes or new feature patches. They implement the updates at the organisation or team level.
As IT support handles these upgrades, it not only keeps the business technology updated but also ensures that it does not hassle employees’ productivity.
4. Scalability
Scalability means the ability of a business to grow as per the demand. If businesses have to grow, they have to invest in scalable infrastructure and processes. IT support ensures this.
With the boom of cloud services, the possibility to scale and expand is phenomenal. But, for this, a dedicated team is required. With so many cloud solution providers in the market, which solution to choose and what price to pay has to be decided. The IT team can take up these responsibilities.
Not only cloud but other technologies also need to be bought or renewed from time to time. This is well taken care of by the IT team.
5. Hassle-free Implementation
Not only is deciding what solutions to buy important but implementing them successfully after their purchase is also critical. The IT support and consulting team takes care of implementing newly purchased or renewed solutions.
This may include integrating them with existing technologies and requires technical know-how, which the IT team can provide.
6. Educating And Training Employees
Source: evolllution.com
Another important task that the IT team performs is of training the employees on multiple topics like:
- Hands-on with newly implemented solutions
- Hands-on of upgraded or renewed solutions
- Integrating two or more solutions
- Use of various software, applications, features, APIs and plug-ins
Implementation and integration of a full ERP solution across the organisation can take more than a year. During this transition phase, the IT support team handholds the employees with training and query handling.
IT team is also responsible for educating the employees on various topics like:
- Business mailing and communication standards
- Business presentation standards
- Information handling and sharing protocols
- Avoid engaging in any spurious activities
- Flagging spurious activities
- How to maintain system security
- How to resolve common technical problems
7. Implements And Maintains Security
Providing security starts with implementing preventive measures against cyber threats, attacks, and leaks. The IT team takes care of security at the individual and organisational levels. All external threats are analysed, and enough security measures are deployed.
In the case of threats or attacks, the IT team is responsible for mitigating them. This includes:
- Minimising the leaks and losses due to the attack
- Bringing back systems into a stable state from a vulnerable state
- Assessing losses due to the attack
- Taking countermeasures to prevent similar attacks in future
The IT team also provides access rights to authorised employees. In a growing business, restricting authority is important. Who has access to which, and how much information needs to be regularised and monitored. This is taken care of by the IT support team.
Conclusion
Growing businesses have their own set of challenges which become easier to tackle with a professional IT support and consulting team. Also, they handle all technological matters, which is the core of the business processes. So, if you are a business owner and you aspire to grow your business, which you should, it is eminent to have or hire an IT support and consulting team.
