Determining How Much Technical Support Does my Ottawa Business Needs
The business world and its cybersecurity needs change constantly, and your company grows and changes, too. It may be tough to decide just how much IT support you need to keep business running smoothly and securely. Can you rely on the basic support you might get from your software subscription and cloud data storage supplier? What kind of extra support should you have for cybersecurity? A lot depends on how big your company is, how comfortable you and your employees are with technology, how dependent your business is on technology and how much technological change you anticipate.
Your Business Size
Ottawa microbusinesses and self-employed individuals often need less IT support than larger companies. They may use a limited number of common software programs and with the rise of SaaS or Software-as-a-Service and cloud-based computing, they may be able to be fairly self-sufficient most of the time. Cloud or internet-based technology services can include data storage, networking, and servers. Online software subscriptions like Microsoft 365 often includes some tech support. Updating systems and doing basic troubleshooting can be accomplished remotely without hiring outside Ottawa tech support.
When additional support is needed, one-off Ottawa Tech support services can be useful for smaller businesses and individuals. One example of this limited Ottawa computer support is the come-to-you companies working from brick-and-mortar stores. A store that sells computers, may offer in-home or office support for the products they sell. These services only provide general technical support but are great if your desktop or laptop suddenly won’t turn on, you get a virus or you need help with set up and basic training on a new computer or system.
If your staff is small but you use more complex software, or often have question on how to do things like run updates, back up files and do other regular maintenance, you need more comprehensive Ottawa tech support. If you’re an individual who regularly needs help with basic tasks in Microsoft programs, you need more than you would get from these one-off tech support companies.
Your Employees’ Technology Skills
How much computer support an Ottawa company needs also depends on how tech-savvy the management and employees are. If most employees are non-technical, you may want to hire an outside company. When most employees are at an entry level, there’s frequent turn over and they’re required to use several different company’s systems, you definitely need outside support for orientation and training.
On the other hand, if every employee hired already has training and experience with the technology you use, you need less support. Chances are someone on the team will know how to deal with a problem when it comes up if you only hire individuals familiar with all your software. When you have people who are comfortable with the technology they use regularly, your company may rely on leased hardware with maintenance plans combined with SaaS tech support and occasional one-off services.
A large enough company may establish an IT department or hire one individual IT specialist to oversee the company’s technology and coordinate with outside IT support when it’s needed. Even with an internal IT expert, many companies benefit from a relationship with an independent Ottawa IT support company.
Your Dependence on Technology
Although most organizations and companies rely on technology to some degree, some rely on it more than others. Retail stores or chains that can’t operate if anything goes wrong with a system, need IT experts standing by 24-7. An online business completely relies on its website’s capabilities and flexibilities. Companies that change products constantly and take hundreds of orders every day need internal and external IT support experts. A growing business that regularly adds new staff and uses diverse software products needs full-service remote Ottawa IT support. Investing in a full-service outside IT solution puts all tech support in one place. Rather than having a contact for each piece of hardware and each type of software, you have one contact for all technology issues.
A good Ottawa IT solution company will match you with a technology professional who knows the hardware and software your business uses. The more dependent you are on your technology the more you need someone who can quickly troubleshoot and manage problems. The more growth and changes you are managing the more important it is to have someone to handle roll outs. Most remote IT companies will also handle permissions, back-up, and security.
A company with a growing staff needs an IT support company that can streamline the hiring and training process and manage mobile devices. Business has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. Most office employees use company laptops and cell phones. And the more people work from home or while traveling, the more important your Ottawa IT firewall is. Having an outside computer support firm for your Ottawa company prevents data loss and security leaks.
Beyond the usual day-to-day IT support, a larger or growing company may add additional services from their support company. You can add things like IT project management, for example. There’s an additional fee but it’s generally less than a company would pay for an independent outside consultant. Adding the service from your IT support company might save time and energy in the long run. Your regular personnel have enough on their plate and mistakes and delays will cost money and interrupt workflow. You can purchase employee training for new software separately, too. You may get some from the software provider but if you already have a great working relationship with your Ottawa IT support company, your employees may benefit from additional individual training they can provide.
To sum up, how much IT support you need for your business depends on the size of your company, the technical expertise of your employees and your dependence on technology. Small companies and individuals may only need the support subscribers get from online software and cloud services most of the time. In an emergency, or when you make software or hardware changes, you can call in one-off companies. Most companies these days are so reliant on technology and so concerned with cybersecurity, they also need either internal IT support, outside IT company support or both to keep things secure and running smoothly.