Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, IT support services are one of the pillars of success in today’s business environment. Without proper IT services, you won’t be able to stand against your competitors.
But, not every business knows what sort of IT support they need. Especially the newer businesses. This isn’t surprising, considering it’s not their area of expertise. As technology advances, more and more services emerge.
So, which IT services are crucial for your business? Are they enough? Here are our answers to all your questions!
10 Essential IT Support Services Every Business Should Use
Giant corporations or businesses already have some sort of experience with IT services, but what about smaller businesses?
They’re new to all, and the IT world can be overwhelming for newcomers. But this list is not limited to them. Everyone from small to medium to large businesses needs to have these services. So, here are the top 10 managed IT services for your business –
Hardware Support
If software is the soul, hardware is the body, and no soul can function without a body. So, the very first IT support you need is hardware installation and maintenance. This typically includes installing and setting up computers, printers, networking systems, and storage devices.
Hardware support also includes troubleshooting and repairs. If you face any problem with the system, the IT department will find the root of the issue and try to fix it. This part is crucial since electronic devices can malfunction at any time, but your business can’t afford to waste even a moment.
They can also help you with purchasing new hardware. The market is saturated with good and bad products, so it’s easy to get lost. With the IT department’s help, you can get the right hardware at the right price.
Software Support
Software support and maintenance are equally important as hardware support. A piece of hardware will only function as well as its software.
IT teams will ensure the software is up and running 24/7. They will also scan for issues and areas of improvement. Finally, they provide OTA (on the air) updates for your software, so you always get the latest features and bug fixes.
The IT support team will also apply system optimisation. This means your networking system will load less, letting you do more work. Optimising the system will ensure reduced waiting time.
IT Help Desk
Australia is facing the rise of remote workers. Recent research shows that almost 37% of Australians work from remote locations. With different time zones, working hours and locations, your business needs round-the-clock IT help desk support.
With 24/7 help desk support, your employees will get a single point of contact. This means no more waiting in line for some random person. They can quickly contact their help desk and troubleshoot and resolve problems. Less waiting means your employees can be more productive.
Some IT help desk services also provide proactive monitoring. This means they’ll continuously keep an eye on your network for potential cyber-attacks or malfunctions. If they notice something unusual, they’ll report it to you and try to eliminate it.
Cyber Security
Speaking of cyber attacks, getting top-of-the-line hardware and networking systems won’t mean anything when they are vulnerable to attacks. Australia gets hit by network security attacks every day. Do you think you’re safe? No one is!
You can access the latest and greatest hardware, but hackers do. Online security and data encryption are The only things standing between your precious business data and a potential data breach. This is why you need cybersecurity solutions.
Data breach is a nightmare, especially for smaller businesses. If you ever face a cyber attack, your customers will stop trusting you with their data. You might as well just stop the business because no business survives without consumer trust.
Even the Victorian Environmental Protection Authority faced a data breach recently, which cost them over 2000 personal data. Take cyber security seriously before it’s too late.
Data Storage
Cyber attacks aren’t the only thing you should be worried about. Anything electronic can fail, so it’s always best to have a contingency plan. This is where data backup and recovery comes in.
Hard disks have moving parts, and moving parts will eventually malfunction. You can also lose data because of natural disasters and human error. You wouldn’t want to lose your sensitive business data, would you?
This is why disaster recovery plans are necessary. Your IT department will back up your data in the cloud. You’ll always have one or more copies of your data securely stored. If anything unfortunate occurs, they’ll recover and restore your data.
Cloud Computing
Since we’re on the topic of cloud, it’s a great time to mention cloud computing integration. Almost all businesses are slowly but surely shifting to the cloud. ABS has reported that 55% of businesses use cloud computing, and that was in 2020. You can only imagine how it’s going now.
And why wouldn’t they use cloud computing? It’s the absolute best! Your employees can store, access, and remotely send data, applications, and files.
You only need a smartphone/laptop and an internet connection to access the cloud. This is why you should get remote access solutions from your IT support service!
Network Infrastructure
As your business grows, so does the network traffic. Since the entire business is connected to a single network, it can get messy quickly. This is why network infrastructure management is crucial.
IT support service providers will check the network or install programs to automate the process. You’ll get bandwidth control to allocate the right speed to every device connected to the network.
They will also track the network devices such as switches and routers. This ensures smooth internet speed all across the servers. They also install firewalls to prevent your employees from accessing malicious sites.
Mobile Device Management
With the rise of technology and portability, the number of smartphone and laptop users is increasing rapidly. Almost 79% of Australians now use mobile devices.
Many employees and business owners now use mobile devices to access their businesses or work. This is why mobile device management (MDM) is crucial.
MDM installs security measures on your mobile devices so that they can be monitored. MDM applications can track the mobile device. They can also provide application security, which means you can only install trusted apps.
MDM also includes endpoint protection. This means they will install antivirus applications and cloud security and filter suspicious sites/URLs on your mobile device.
Web or App Development
If it wasn’t already obvious, the only way to survive in this advanced age of technology is shifting to online. Take your scalable IT infrastructure to the next level by developing user-friendly apps or websites.
The more presence you have online, the better you can reach your customers. By creating Android/iPhone apps and websites, you let the customers know more about your business.
It doesn’t end there. The IT department helps further by optimising, repairing, and troubleshooting those apps and sites. They can also update them to your liking.
IT Consulting Services
As we’ve said earlier, the IT world can be overwhelming for many. Whether you’re new to this or want to improve your business, it’s always best to take IT consulting services. Since these IT support providers have been in the field for a long time, their suggestions have helped a lot.
From strategic IT planning to IT project management to business continuity planning, they can help you with so much more. They also provide end-user training.
This way, your employees can learn a thing or two from the professionals and help you tackle difficulties. It’s always better to have skilled IT employees in your business, right?
Final Words
IT support services work like an ecosystem. All the services we talked about work together to keep your business secure. Many people don’t know it, but IT services also boost productivity. But how do you find the best IT services?
That’s a bit tricky, but we can make it simpler. From developing custom apps and sites to 24/7 remote IT support to handling network infrastructure to data backup/recovery, we at ITtechbox can do it. With our team of skilled IT experts, you can be sure no harm will come to your sensitive data.