How IT Managed Services Can Help Businesses
IT support is the support that supports users of computer based services or technologies. IT support is also referred to as technical support, help desk, or network support. The scope of IT support services is huge, and they are broadly divided into two sectors: IT support services offered by organizations and IT support services offered by independent service providers or developers. This article looks at the history of computers and IT support services, which have emerged as the crucial supporting player in today’s market.
Back in the 1990s, there was no choice but for computer systems and software manufacturers to offer managed services through third-party vendors such as Microsoft. Managed services were sold as add-on cards to already installed computer systems. These add-ons required a licensed copy of Windows for use with the managed service provider (MSU). In this way, computer systems could only be installed with other MSU licensed products. As a result, users had to choose among Microsoft’s or another third party product, if they wanted to install an alternative OS.
With Windows becoming the de facto standard for computer systems, Microsoft quickly tapped into the managed services market. To compete in the market, they developed their own products – after all, they knew what customers wanted. However, they also quickly realized that to take advantage of the competitive advantage, they had to create more than one product. Microsoft Lync, SharePoint, and Internet Explorer were competing against each other – each offering a unique approach to the managed services world. In fact, some IT support professionals still use a Microsoft Lync phone in order to contact other IT support professionals. But these established players quickly noticed that the key to making money was to create more than one product – to leverage on existing demand, while simultaneously developing new products that would solve unique problems and meet unique needs.
In short, Microsoft understood that the best way to win in the managed services space was to focus on the needs of businesses and address their unique needs and concerns. Microsoft Lync, for example, is designed to be used on an individual computer by a single employee. On the other hand, Microsoft SharePoint is designed to be used by a team of employees, even if only one person has access to it at any given time. By contrast, a break-fix repair tool is primarily used by IT support technicians as a method to quickly resolve problems on-site.
In many ways, Microsoft SharePoint is the logical extension of Microsoft Lync. Both services have been designed to allow business owners and their IT service providers to collaborate on documents. Because of this feature, many IT service providers find SharePoint a better solution than Lync. For instance, a business owner may need to create a website for their company using Microsoft SharePoint, and then be able to access this information through a variety of browsers, whether they are on their company’s network, a web cam or even mobile devices.
In contrast, a break-fix IT service provider may be required to work on the company’s network and then go to the company’s employees on the web to provide a solution to a problem. The problem may be something simple that the IT service provider is not aware of. For instance, a problem that occurs with a form might only be noticed because the form is filled out incorrectly. In such a scenario, the break-fix IT support software could detect the problem and correct the issue before it is presented to the end-user.
When a business owner decides to use a Microsoft Lync or SharePoint web-based platform as opposed to a more traditional on-site managed services solution, they also have to make the decision about whether or not these types of solutions will suit their company. In many cases, a business owner will find that although both types of solutions can be used effectively, some features do not work well together, and in some cases, there might even be negative aspects to using these two types of programs. Furthermore, some businesses might find that these two options do not meet all of their needs. In this instance, a third party provider may prove to be the best option for their needs.
IT Support is a critical aspect of any type of business operation and cannot be ignored by an organization. Therefore, when selecting a managed services solution or a break-fix IT service provider, organizations must take time to consider all of their options and carefully consider which one best suits their business’ needs. Once all of these factors are taken into consideration, organizations will be able to make the best decision about IT Support.