Virtually every part of industry and commerce, the area of Information Technology, or IT, has its own trends of what is hot and what is relatively obsolete. These changes evolve from the new inventions and improvements that hit the IT Support Services world with much more frequency than any other area of business, resulting in a landscape that is ever changing and potentially difficult to grasp in its entirety. As such, staying up to date with the services that are trending, or most popular and efficient with the latest hardware and software, can be the key to giving your company an edge over your competition. Given the enormous level of competition found in virtually all areas of business, this edge can easily spell the success or failure of your endeavor.
Trending IT Support Services
Network Depot understands the need to not only stay abreast of, and understand completely, the different trends that are the most important, but also provide them to our clients. We keep close watch on anything new and emerging, and adjust our service offerings to match. With over 20 years of experience in IT support to draw upon, we are never caught unaware when a new trend emerges.
The specific area of supporting IT is one of its overall areas that has seen much change and evolution in the last several years. From the rise of the smartphone and mobile computing, to the development of the cloud as one of the easiest and most powerful platforms on which to base any amount of your IT capabilities, IT support trends are some of the hottest of any area of IT as a whole. Following are some of the most important IT services that are trending today.
Network Care and Security
While the safety of vital company data has always been of chief concern for tech users since its first inception decades ago, the rise of the power of the computer hacker, and the incredible amount of resources they now possess, makes services that include security and care one of the hottest trends out there right now. Regardless of whether you run a large or small company, mountains of tech or just a little, keeping what you have safe is of prime importance.
Hardware firewalls have become the most comprehensive and reliable solutions to virtually any type of outside threat. Far more powerful than their software counterparts, as well as avoiding the need to take up valuable space and computing power on each device, hardware firewalls have emerged as the true leaders when it comes to the foundation of network security.
Scads of new viruses and malware seem to pop up every day, each bringing with it the capacity to wreak untold havoc if not shielded against. Answering these threats most effectively are the myriad of antivirus programs that, while always available, have recently increased in capacity and power. Over the last several years, antivirus programs, even those of the most basic design, have become able to meet virtually any piece of malware head on.
Threats to your network come not only from hackers targeting your network specifically. If an employee accesses an unsafe website, malicious code embedded in the site can provide access to the inner workings of your network. As such, an ever-increasing staple of network security is the content filter, which automatically detects and blocks unsafe websites.
Data Backup and Recovery
Given that the lifeblood of any company is the accumulated information and customer data they have gathered, it comes as no surprise that backup and recovery services are some of the hottest IT services requested by small and large companies alike. Virtually every scenario associated with data backup and recovery can severely threaten the efficacy of your organization, whether it be loss due to equipment malfunction, or stolen by outside parties to exploit.
The first part of this trending service is the action of backing up the data to servers located in or outside of your company. IT service companies have increasingly begun to offer multiple backup locations, in case one location has difficulties, the remaining ones can pick up the slack. With the sheer speed that backups can take place, even over large distances, they are performed more often, usually several times per hour. Encryption is also usually included in quality services, ensuring no hackers can snag key data along the way.
Recovery is the opposite, yet equally vital side of backup and recovery services. Sure, having your data stored safely is important; yet, how helpful can it be if you are unable to retrieve it in anything resembling a timely fashion? IT service companies are beginning to utilize powerful devices that can actually step in and take over, in case equipment fails or some other tragedy occurs to knock out your main server. This means pure continuity, without any delays or hiccups experienced when continuing to use your network.
Mobile Office
Due to the incredible rise of mobile computing devices and software over the past decade, assistance in the creation and maintenance of a mobile office setup is fast becoming one of the top priorities when it comes to needing IT support services. The incredible number of different available platforms, many of which can be extremely confusing to navigate successfully by the layman, means having professionals that are available to help you sift the wheat from the chaff can turn an incredibly frustrating exercise into one easy to take on.
The most effective mobile solutions offered by an IT service company consist of two part. The first is the smartphone, the keystone device used to connect people to different online services while on the go. A business-oriented smartphone platform and devices can differ greatly from those that are needed for personal use, with added power and reliability required in order for it to satisfy an organization’s needs completely. As such, professionals in the IT service industry have become more and more adept at understanding the intricacies of all available platforms, an action that greatly benefits customers who can use this knowledge to select the most suitable platform for their needs.
Remote access is the second part of the modern mobile office, and is of vital importance to those companies that have either multiple locations, or employees that work remotely. The trend we see now to answer this need is the recommendation and implementation of secure transmissions to and from the company’s data storage devices.
Cloud Services
Cloud computing, or the accessing and utilization of programs and data held on the internet rather than a personal, local device, has revolutionized the competitiveness and power of small to medium-sized companies in a major way. Resources, such as powerful server farms and massive data storage capabilities, were formerly only available to large companies that could afford expensive equipment. Now, all a company needs is a reliable internet connection in order to connect to the same level of power, at a fraction of the cost.
As such, cloud services have become some of the hottest trends in IT servicing overall, many of which can be found to some degree in virtually all service companies operating today. The list of programs and options available with cloud services are extensive, many of which can turn incredibly tedious and time-consuming chores into breezes of ease. Individual services that rest at the top of this list include:
- Office 365
- Server Virtualization
- Hosted Microsoft Sharepoint
- SkyDrive
- and many more
Help Desk
The help desk has been one of the most important parts of the IT support industry in some capacity from day one, and this trend shows no signs of abating in any way. Employees’ time is much better spent doing work they are assigned, rather than being concerned with confusing and frustrating tech issues. This makes an IT service solution that includes help desk services a hot commodity in today’s tech world of support.
One of the marvels of today’s help desk capabilities, and one that has been an integral part of its continuing necessity and popularity, is the ability to fix many problems remotely. Without everleaving their chair in a remote office, which could be across town or across the country, a service tech can “dial in” to the affected computer or tech device, root out the problem, and perform effective fixes. Not only does this undoubtedly reduce the price tag associated with the service, it also means less downtime due to having to wait for a tech to arrive.
Some fixes, however, especially those that include pieces of tech that have malfunctioned or stopped working altogether, must be made in person. This means the most suitable and effective packages include a local office, from which techs can come out and arrive within an acceptable amount of time.
Cost
More and more IT service companies are rethinking their pricing model, especially given how competitive the market has become. More companies vying for their share of available clients and contracts means a boon to their customers in terms of lower prices. Hourly, or per instance, charges are also becoming obsolete, with experienced companies moving to a fixed-fee model. Customers can figure in exactly what they will be spending on IT support, without any ugly surprises waiting to pounce at the most inopportune times.
Equipment Sales
Rather than simply act solely as a provider of support, the trend is now to have a full-service product sales department as well. Purchasing a device through your IT support company means you are getting something you know your service company can support, usually at a much more reasonable price than getting it on your own. Companies can also test devices and help you install them, guaranteeing success the first installation attempt.
Trends in IT services are ever changing, making the need to stay abreast of all current innovations and technologies a daunting task if attempted on your own. If you would like any additional information on these or other interesting and emerging trends, we urge you to contact us at your earliest convenience. We can walk you through any questions or concerns you may have, or set up a free consultation when you are ready to do so.