Computer and network support professionals help everyone in a company at one point in time or another, but the importance of their jobs can be overlooked. In a digital age, businesses are increasingly relying on information technology employees for different company needs. Without the help of qualified IT specialists, many businesses would have issues with databases, intercompany communication and computer and network security. This is why for smaller or larger businesses, having some form of network and computer support is not just helpful but necessary.
Standardization
Computer and network support professionals are often responsible for setting up databases and programs on all computers in companies’ networks. Often, computers in different departments have their own specific needs in terms of programs. IT people help to make sure that everyone in a department has similar programs set up on their computers and has access to the databases they need.
Security
With companies of all sizes, network and computer security is especially important. With the amount of viruses, adware and malware emerging on a daily basis, companies are at an increased risk for computer or network threats. Network support professionals can help companies to set up secure networks and install antivirus and security software to help to protect networks and individual computers.
Computer Setup
In most companies, new employees start on a regular basis and need computers set up specifically for their jobs. IT people often have to go through certain procedures, such as getting new employees access to databases and assisting them with setting up their computers. Having someone to handle computer setup for new hires frees supervisors and trainers up for other tasks.
Individual Troubleshooting
In most companies, at least one employee has password or database access issues on a given day. A computer support professional can offer employees one-on-one assistance with individual computer and network issues. Often, employees don’t have the computer knowledge to fix computer and network problems, so having IT professionals with extensive knowledge of programs and networks can be very important to keeping a company productive.
Network Changes and Implementation
Without IT professionals, most companies would have a difficult time launching or changing networks, especially shared networks used by a large number of employees. Network support specialist are often responsible for making sure that every computer in an office or company is set up in a certain way on a shared network. When a company decides to change a network, IT professionals play a big role in ensuring that the switch goes as smoothly as possible and reacting to any glitches that occur.
Network Support
Network often go down at unexpected times and affect workflow in an office. Network problems can keep employees from being able to do their jobs for a few minutes, hours or days, so having one or more network support professional who can respond to outages is helpful for a company of any size. IT specialists have the expertise to diagnose the problem within a network and come up with a solution in a timely manner, without making the problem worse.
Hardware Needs
For most businesses, computer support professionals not only handle networks, databases and Microsoft exchange but computer hardware as well. When employees need equipment such as additional computer screens, mice or keyboards, IT people usually handle these requests. They are often also responsible for moving computer hardware and setting it up when employees need to relocate to new desks or buildings. Computer support people not only handle equipment requests for individual employees but perform setup and troubleshooting for shared devices such as network printers.