To some people managed IT Support and Technical support may seem like they are the same thing and even people in the industry will sometimes use them interchangeably.
Managed IT support and Technical support though are two different things and in this article, we will look at the differences and then discuss which version your business will more than likely need.
Tech support
First, let’s discuss what tech support is.
If you have ever purchased a new product or service and you have had a problem with it you will have spoken to someone who works in tech support. Usually, someone who works in tech support will know all about that product and the problems that it may have.
You usually talk to a tech support agent over the phone, via email or on an online chatbot.
When it comes to your business it can become complicated because you can also hire an in house tech support agent which is often called an IT Technician.
An IT technician can deal with hardware and software challenges that your business may face. This could be anything from setting up a network to troubleshooting any issues network may have.
Companies that are reliant on IT support will hire an IT Technician so they can keep their business running smoothly. The only problem with this in our opinion is that an IT technician can’t know everything and as a result, your business can be held back by their lack of knowledge.
This isn’t a shot at any technicians either, as it’s impossible to know everything. For example, one IT technician may have focused on computer security, while another may have focused their career on networking. Both technicians would be good at their jobs but each would have strengths and weaknesses.
This is where managed IT support and services come in.
Managed IT Support
Managed IT support and services are where a company chooses not to build their own technical support team and instead choose to outsource their IT to an external company such as us.
Typically when you hire a managed IT support company like us you will pay a monthly fee so you can budget for our services while knowing your network or hardware has the support when you need it.
The advantage of paying a flat fee is that there are no hidden costs and usually it is much cheaper than building your own in house team. IT Experts aren’t cheap so if you were to build a team of experts it could soon become expensive for you. Outsourcing your IT support on the other hand can cut down on costs and can provide you with the experts you need to fix your problems on time.
If you do think that managed IT support could be the right choice for your business then shop around as IT support companies will charge you differently. Some IT support companies will charge you per device, others will charge per user and some will charge you for hourly support.
Managed service pricing models will be different depending on the company you select so take your time and read into the different pricing models, find out their advantages and disadvantages and then decide on a pricing model which is suitable for your company.
Conclusion
When it comes to IT support there isn’t a one fit size for every business and your circumstance will determine whether you hire a tech support agent or if it would be better to outsource your IT.
If you are a small company it may make sense to outsource your IT, larger companies may want to do this too, but they also have the option to build their own IT support team in house as they usually have the budget to do so.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both so do your research and see which one makes the most sense for your business.
IT Support in Ottawa
At Firewall Technical we provide managed IT services in Ottawa and if you would like to see how we can help your business please get in touch and one of our IT consultants will give you a call to see if outsourcing your IT Support is the right option for your business.