What is Computer Support?
What is computer support? In short, it is an external or internal unit that provides IT solutions or the same service of the same name. Sometimes, in large companies, computer support is a combined and coordinated effort in the hands of full-time employees and external contractors. The purpose of this unit, regardless of its format, is to ensure the reliability of the technological infrastructure and the efficiency of the applications, according to the business objectives of the particular company.
In the following lines, we focus on this service with the understanding rather of an outsourced practice that helps the company, and in certain cases - Emergency help for IT systems. Of course, the text we prepared was influenced by the profile of Geletron - we specialize in serving small and medium-sized companies.
What does computer support cover?
Computer support is more of a subscription-type end-to-end service with customized scope and persistence. It is very rarely (and not recommended) offered as a sporadic on-demand response when there is a specific problem.
The types of IT solutions that each computer support company offers can vary widely. The most popular are:
- Monitoring of the health status of IT systems
- Pointing user help
- System Administration of end user devices
- Management and maintenance of network infrastructure
- Management and maintenance of server systems
- Management and maintenance of cloud systems and services
- Solutions for cyber security and protection of the information
- Solutions for backup and restore
Computer support is practically a managed service. Done professionally, it guarantees close to 100% clarity in the parameters and steps that need to be taken. Planned and assumed responsibility.
From treatment to prevention
In the dawn of computer use in offices, computer support was primarily an incident service - in the event of an outage, malfunction, etc. a relevant specialist, not always narrowly profiled, responds to fix the problem. At that time, computer systems were managed by an expert only when they were down.
With the growth of computer technology in offices, IT professionals are increasingly turning to systems prevention with the corresponding predictability of problems. This, of course, happens for purely economic reasons - a number of studies prove that timely reaction and a long-term view reduce possible losses.
Computer support profile
From a fragmented service, computer support is available these days 24x7x365 and it is subscription activity with fixed price and permanent commitment.
One of the most important characteristics of the service is its timeliness depending on the degree of criticality (SLA). IN our practice we have singled out 5 priority areas, in which the reaction time is different and adequate to the situation:
| Impact | Scope and Application | Reaction time |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Affects more than one user, the entire organization, department or location. The incident completely affects the organization's ability to work. An incident of this magnitude is most often caused by a problem in network and server infrastructure. |
Immediate |
| High | Affects no more than one user. But the accident prevents the user from fulfilling his duties. For example: the computer does not start, the monitor has no image and other similar problems. |
Quick |
| Average | The incident affects the user's ability to work on a particular task, but can work on others. Program X cannot be loaded, but the user can continue to perform work duties with program Y. | Normal |
| Low | No critical service or user system is affected. A problem of this type does not directly affect the fulfillment of the user's obligations. For example: the user wants to change his desktop, he is missing an icon, he has a general question that he is looking for an answer to. |
Low |
| Not significant | Additional project work. Preparation and commissioning of a new system. Order and delivery of IT products. |
According to the project |
Being proactive about IT systems can mean remotely performing routine maintenance, upgrading, archiving, 24/7 monitoring and security for every device, thereby allowing potential problems to be detected and fixed before they become real.
Computer support services are usually offered at a fixed frequency and with varying levels of automation, depending on business needs and demand. Automation, increased Internet capabilities, and cloud systems enable remote monitoring, problem resolution, and resource consolidation.
What makes an excellent computer support provider recognized?
There are many ways to select quotes and reviews for different IT service providers. Choosing the right one in your specific case is the result of a long list of features that it can (technologically and expertly) comply with. There are several basic criteria that we consider to be irrevocable and fundamental rules. We share them as the gold standard to which the Geletron team strictly adheres to:
- Timely, understandable and positive communication
- Follow-up and fulfillment of commitments
- Providing a resource to deal with issues in a timely manner
- Lack of staff turnover in the supplier company
- The level of service can only be changed for the benefit of the customer for the agreed term
- Added value - no situation can be fully predicted. That's why the partnership comes into effect!
How much does computer support cost you?
Prices for this service vary and depend on the size of the business and what services it needs. In general, companies find it economically beneficial to pay monthly for outsourced IT expertise - a fee for 24/7 monitoring and security services, including any incidents that occur. In this way, the company's IT infrastructure is continuously managed. The peace of mind of having a technological process secured by computer systems is worth every penny!
If you are looking for a suitable IT partner to whom you can entrust the computer support of your company, Contact us.
We will respond in time, with empathy and with an irresistible offer.
Network infrastructure for industrial purposes
Building a network for industrial purposes In this article, we describe how we built a reliable network for industrial purposes, tailored to modern requirements. We combined two separate projects, where we used the same approach and identical [...]
Technology Business Review
Technology Business Review If you have ever worked with an IT department, specialist or outsourcer, the phrase “technology business review” should be familiar to you. This analytical process of assessing [...]
Case study - Phishing attack
Phishing attack Client's business card Bulgarian company operating on global markets. Geletron customer for 5 years. In the specific case, a representative of the "Business Development and Commercial Activity" department from [...]
Case Study – Classic Hacking Attack
Classic hacker attack Client's business card The client is engaged in the import and trade of nutritional supplements. There is a physical store, an online store, an office and a warehouse – all connected by a secure VPN connection. The base [...]
Case Study - Communication above all else
Communication first The Geletron team has many years of experience in building, maintaining and managing IT systems. For us, every solution is not just a sequence of technical steps, but a carefully selected mix [...]
Geletron presents interesting articles, studies and practices from the world of IT technologies.
Subscribe now to always receive up-to-date information from our blog.
