Different Types of IT Support and How They Can Help Your Small Business

With more businesses deploying different types of technology to increase productivity, it can become a monumental challenge to stay current with every IT process that requires support. If you are struggling to keep up with the increased demand for IT, the good news is that there are professional IT support services available that can help you relieve the burden of trying to stay on top of every aspect of your IT infrastructure.

It is important to note that the size of your business will be the key factor which determines the type of IT support you require. If you are a small business it is less likely you have a comprehensive IT support staff. For medium to large sized businesses you may have a partial IT support team or a full-fledged department that may be over extended.

To choose the approach that is best for your business it helps to know what options are available to you when it comes to outsourcing IT support. Many quality IT support services will work with you to plan the best approach however, here is an overview of the different types of IT support services to help you get started.

IT Support for Small Business

While some companies prefer to employ an in-house IT team others find it more cost effective to outsource IT support. This leaves more time for new IT initiatives which support company growth and revenue. Here are some of the ways that you can outsource IT support to a qualified IT support provider:

• Network Setup and Administration: If your small business has less than 50 employees it is likely you may not have the staff resources to setup a network and oversee network administration on a routine basis. In this case, you can seek the services of a qualified network administration to oversee this important aspect of your business for much less than the cost of employing an IT staff around the clock.
• Network Security: Network security can be a significant challenge for small businesses and at the same time it is a necessity in today’s business environment. By outsourcing network security tasks to a quality IT provider you guarantee your network is safe from the latest threats and your network is continually monitored for vulnerabilities. Outsourced IT support for network security also means that your network stays updated with the latest security patches, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems which ensure critical data stays secure.
• Desktop and End-User Support: For small businesses providing ongoing desktop and end-user support can be a costly but necessary part of maintaining business continuity. Tapping into a professional IT support provider in this area provides an affordable way for you to ensure your employees remain productive with proactive monitoring and managing of your desktop environment.
• Data Backup and Recovery: It is a known fact that most small businesses fold up within a year following data loss. Why? Data backup and recovery can be a costly venture and one that most small businesses cannot afford. By using an IT support provider which offers data backup and recovery you can securely backup critical data and obtain access to it in the event disaster strikes. Also, when you use a cloud solution, it is much more cost effective than deploying other offsite methods for protecting small business data.
• Email Services: Most small businesses rely heavily on email for daily communications and quality customer service. Around the clock email productivity and protection is a must but the costs of monitoring the architecture can take a big bite out of small business profits. IT support providers which provide email services can help you to manage, monitor, and protect your email systems at a much lower cost than if you deployed the necessary infrastructure in-house.

As a final note, you should always take the time to do your research to ensure you are working with a reliable and experienced IT provider to avoid any additional costs associated with a poorly managed service.

If you would like to learn more about your options for outsourced IT support, contact Thrive Networks today to speak with one of our experienced professionals.