As a business owner in London, you are aware of the role of IT in boosting organisational efficiency and productivity. Businesses of all sizes can tap into the power of IT to ensure better system security and streamlined operations. For most small businesses, having an in-house tech team to run the IT department is far-fetched because of the cost implications.
Yet, they must take care of issues such as software freezes, regular maintenance of servers and hacker threats that are continually increasing. These businesses can enhance capacity and security by going for the services of IT support companies typically at a fraction of the cost of having a full-fledged IT department.
However, businesses that don’t have a professional understanding of the value of the IT function may not know what services they can outsource. Here are some of the IT support services that small businesses cannot go without and are worth considering outsourcing to specialists., particularly in London where the majority of UK IT outsourcing providers are based.
1. Technical help desk support
For a long time, it has been obvious that businesses with computers, printers or some form of information technology employed IT professionals into their IT department. This team was mostly responsible for maintenance, fixing and upgrading systems as deemed necessary.
This has changed and many businesses can do without an in-house team of IT experts. Instead, they can embrace the services of IT support companies in London. Most IT support service providers deploy cloud software that is easier to use and upgrade. This eliminates the need to regularly upgrade software and hardware that can be quite expensive. Moreover, they are always on standby and will respond to any issues you may have promptly.
2. Cloud-based file servers
File servers are large computers with the capacity to hold all the data your business generates. This may be PCLaw data, Microsoft office documents, emails or any other work that you do. Traditional businesses would purchase file servers and store them the office, away from the other computers.
Maintaining this is costly. Your business can consider a cloud-based environment that is provided by IT support providers in London. This comes with a couple of benefits in addition to the obvious one that is cost savings. Cloud-based servers are safe and easily accessible from any device hence convenient.
3. Data security
The security of data is paramount for every business. IT support providers help to protect your business from ransomware and virus threats that could crash your system. Professional hackers seek your entire data so that you can pay a ransom before they release it to you. Businesses must have a couple of protocols in place to prevent a potential security breach.
When dealing with IT support providers in London, they can take care of a wide range of security issues that include two-factor authentication, data backups, data encryption, per-user access rights to your data, safe file sharing and configurable sharing rules among other things. Businesses must think of data security as a mandatory and basic insurance against the worst-case scenario. Once you have a data security system in place you must ask your IT support provider what to do if the hacking safeguards fail.
4. Data backups
Data backup is an essential component of your IT function. Backups are especially important when disaster happens and you lose all your data. This may be occasioned by acts of war, natural disaster, hackers, provider outage, failed hardware, viruses or loss of your laptop.
5. Network equipment
Businesses that have a network connection will require network equipment. Your IT support provider will help you acquire and install network routers and switches. This ensures your systems stay online at all times as they support communication between different elements through the internet. Most importantly, they help you to keep the network up to date, reliable and with current security standards.
6. Consulting
Businesses can do with managed IT support service especially because you can consult on vast security issues. The main advantage of consulting is that you tap into the expertise and experience of from professionals like Computers In The City on issues like cybersecurity among others. These type of consultants can help you to stay safe online, especially when working remotely.
Overall, outsourcing your IT support will ensure that your technical issues are handled promptly thus, eliminating chances of productivity drops and all kinds of disruption. Businesses that outsource IT support also record a significant decrease in overheads because they no longer need in-house IT staff yet support services are less expensive. By outsourcing your IT support in London, you are ‘free’ to concentrate on running your enterprise and getting actual work done because there are fewer distractions due to technology hiccups.
