Is All IT Support The Same?
Every IT support company does the same thing, right? They all offer a range of services designed to proactively take care of your information technology.
But the truth is, they’re not all the same. Sure, you might find quite a few with the same services, such as remote monitoring, regular maintenance, and data backup. And naturally, you might come across quite a few of the same promises.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- Available around-the-clock for support
- One-hour response time guaranteed
- Staffed with expert technicians
- Save X% on your IT Support
- All-inclusive support plans
If it does, that’s because a lot of IT companies promise these things, so what makes one company’s IT support different from another? The fact is, it’s all about whether or not they’re able to deliver on their promises while providing a comprehensive range of services – all without sacrificing an exceptional level of client service.
Does The Price Of IT Support Make A Difference In The Quality And Level Of Care?
Absolutely. As mentioned above, you want IT support that’s able to deliver on their promises, and at the end of the day, an IT company’s capabilities will differ entirely depending on how much they charge their customers.
Low cost IT support (charging around $50.00 per user or workstation), does not have the resources to hire premier technicians, implement and maintain internal systems to support their team and clients, support world-class technologies in their managed service plans, implement proper security controls to protect their environment and yours.
What Level Of Expertise Does IT Support Company Offer?
The key to any successful IT support service is the people that make up the team that supports you, the client. Low cost IT companies typically do not have the ability to hire and retain top-level candidates for technical and support roles. You will see a lack of qualified team members show up in the following ways:
- Inability to resolve issues quickly
- Issues that recur on a regular basis
- Complex issues being ignored, or fingers being pointed at other providers or even worse, back at your staff
The fact is that low cost IT support may be capable of supporting generic consumer products and computers, they likely don’t have the expertise needed to manage all other hardware and software within an enterprise environment. Do you need a higher level of expertise?
What Internal Support Systems Does The IT Support Company Offer?
To effectively operate your business, you rely on computer applications and systems – and so does your IT support. To support you properly several systems must be installed, configured and maintained. At a minimum your IT company should utilize the following:
- Professional Services Automation system that provides end to end support for issue submission, tracking, resolution, and analysis
- Remote Monitoring and Management software that securely monitors the health of the devices on your network
- Remote Control systems to allow technicians to securely remote-control computers on your network
- Documentation systems to properly document and track your computing environment
As with any business computer system or application, they are not all created equal. More capable systems will allow your IT support to better manage your technology, reducing downtime, identifying trends in support needs, and so much more. It is important to ask about the capabilities of these support systems to make sure your IT company has systems that will allow them to better serve your business.
What Best In Class Technologies Will The IT Support Company Implement?
You look for the best in class applications for accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), electronic medical records (EMR), etc. Why should you settle for less than best in class technology systems?
Low cost IT support must include the least expensive solutions for anti-virus protection, data backup systems, and security monitoring and investigation because the prices they charge do not support including best in class technologies. A truly effective IT company should be including the following best in class technologies and services:
- At least 1 enterprise-grade anti-virus
- Imaged based onsite and cloud server backups
- Security awareness training for your users
- Network Vulnerability Testing
- Patching of operating systems AND common 3rd party applications like Google Chrome and Adobe
- Advanced anti-SPAM and anti-phishing e-mail protection
- Firewall settings management
- Intrusion detection
- Intrusion prevention
- Encryption at the file level
What Advanced Cybersecurity Practices Will The IT Support Company Implement?
The security of these systems is also extremely important in today’s technology environment. Your IT support must have the technological know-how and resources to implement robust security measures for their internal support systems. If any of these systems are compromised it could lead to hackers having access to your business’ computer systems.
If your business is healthcare-related your IT support must also be HIPAA compliant. If they are not, then you could be liable for any breach that originates from your IT company.
The modern healthcare workplace requires a lot of data sharing with a lot of different people, more so than in other sectors. It exists on more different devices in more dispersed settings. The complexity and breadth of health IT systems have increased – which puts the onus on your staff to help maintain security. The fact is that cybersecurity in healthcare IT is more difficult than other sectors – poorly trained workers only makes this problem worse.
A comprehensive cybersecurity training program will teach your medical staff how to handle a range of potential situations:
- How to identify and address suspicious emails, phishing attempts, social engineering tactics, and more.
- How to use business technology without exposing data and other assets to external threats by accident.
- How to respond when you suspect that an attack is occurring or has occurred.
Are All IT Support Companies The Same?
Absolutely not – you can’t settle for generic IT support. You need an IT company that understands the work you do, and what you need from your IT.
Rea & Associates goes beyond the usual range of services offered by IT companies – we pride ourselves in offering support that has your business and its goals in mind. So many IT companies have tunnel vision – they’re just thinking about keeping the technology running. We understand that real success in IT support is achieved when we strategically align your business goals with our IT services and solutions.
