Technical support refers to technical services which entities offer to end users of certain technologies or online products. In simple terms, technical support simply provides assistance to the end user regarding technical difficulties with a particular product or service, and not providing customized service, training, or provision of the same product. This form of support is very important as it plays an important role in the proper utilization of technological products by end users. Moreover, support services offered by companies to help them in maximizing the value of their technologies. While such support functions are generally categorized into two main categories, one based on mechanical breakdown and the other based on software failure.
Off-site technical support is provided by organizations which do not have their own premises.
This type of technical support is usually offered on-demand. For instance, in case of hardware problems such as broken hardware or malfunctioning components, an organization which provides on-demand technical support services like HP will be able to assist the customer on a one-to-one basis. Similarly, a company may choose to provide support on a one-to-many basis, so that the problem is faced across different departments of a company.
On-site computer hardware support is provided by internal personnel of a managed IT support. It is typically offered to customers who require assistance for a particular computer software product or for support related to that software product. The organization may employ on-site technicians, call center representatives or provide live chat services as part of its computer hardware support offerings. Computer software companies also provide on-site technical support to customers who require assistance with installation, troubleshooting or recovery of computer software products.
Computer hardware support staff can work either inside the organization or outside the organization. In most organizations, IT support staff to work in-house. For smaller companies, a single IT support specialist could be hired to serve the entire company. This would allow the specialist to have an almost hands-on approach to any technical problems faced by the company’s network. For larger organizations, the network staff would act as IT support specialists. Computer software companies employ professional technicians who have been trained to handle various computer hardware and software issues.
Some support specialists are specialized in repairing hardware problems
and others are trained to provide support to particular computer systems. In most organizations, support specialists work with network environments. These network environments could be either internal or external networks of the organization. Most computer systems typically come with their own support personnel.
It is important to distinguish between in-house and out-of-house support services when speaking of IT support services. An in-house IT support service provider is an agency that provides IT support services to an individual company. On the other hand, an outsourced IT support service provider is an independent agency that provides IT support services to another individual or an organization. While some organizations prefer to hire in-house IT support services providers, they may opt for outsourced cloud services or third-party application delivery providers (CDP) instead. Outsourced services can be cheaper because they do not require the same level of employee training.
- There are many ways to select IT support companies.
- A company can advertise for a good IT support service provider on its own behalf.
- The advantage of advertising is that a potential client can learn about potential support companies from the advertisements.
There are also trade shows where companies can meet potential IT support companies. The Internet can also be used to research several IT support companies in a short period of time.
Offshore IT support companies are becoming very popular these days because of its cost-effectiveness. Companies offering off-shore IT support services are able to provide fast and efficient services that are not possible within the organization. When a company utilizes an IT service provider that uses cloud computing, it can save a lot of money because it does not require hiring a large number of employees.