A lack of IT and tech talent can mean your IT network may fall behind. In-house IT support is currently in short supply, the skills gap may last longer than anticipated, with training time, experience, and other delays. Let’s explore how you can achieve the same level of advanced IT support without having to use in-house solutions.
Reliable Softwares
Replacing in-house IT support with modern software is one of the best approaches to having an amazing IT network. For example, anti-virus and content filtering are a lot more efficient at protecting your business than someone manually filtering through.Â
The anti-virus software or ‘spam and ransomware protection’ detects potentially malicious content before it even enters your email inbox or any other place content can be accessed. Having advanced technology like this in your business removes the risk of human error. Of course, it can never be 100% accurate, but it certainly is more robust. With phishing attacks and attempts increasing, it may be a good idea to look into what options are available for you.
Other technologies such as Cloud IT, and Collaboration tools (Microsoft and Google) also make running multiple applications easy and require a lot less dependence on IT support (of course, when choosing outsourced IT, you have that covered but we’ll get to that later…).
Minimise your risk of poor IT
 A lot of the IT issues your business is likely to face are a result of the technology and hardware you have. Let’s talk about choosing the right equipment and device for your business.
First things first, hardware designed for the home almost always isn’t suitable for a business (a domestic WiFi router, for example, won’t be able to support all the aspects of your network running on it, as well as provide the level of security your business needs).Â
When thinking of what to buy, here are some of our top recommendations. They are all designed for businesses, are reliable, and will be less likely to need IT support consistently.
Phones – Astaris always recommends VoIP phones as a pose to landlines and other phone systems. They are designed for businesses and have all the features a business needs and is easy to do a VoIP phone takeover from your existing phone system. Running on WiFi it has crystal clear sound as well as unlimited support from us, so no need to worry about having someone around to fix it!
Lenovo – Lenovo laptops, screens, and other hardware are very reliable and perfect for business use. They can be purchased and set up remotely ready for when they arrive to you.
Microsoft Office 365 & Google Workspace – These collaborative tools come with different apps that are essential for running your business, they include email, docs, sheets, video calls, secure cloud storage, and more. These tools can also be chosen depending on the size and needs of your business.
Outsourced IT solutions and services
With the lack of tech talent finding in-house IT support can be challenging, and with supply and demand,Âit will come at an additional cost. Outsourced IT support has become increasingly popular, especially for SMEs who may not be able to afford or employ someone full-time, but still require regular and reliable support.Â
One of the main benefits of outsourcing IT support is you’ll have access to more specialised support. No one can be good at everything, and with IT support companies they will have someone who is more gifted in a particular area such as cybersecurity, on-site support (cabling, installations, etc…), phone specialists, and more. So the support you’ll receive is often a lot more effective and offers quicker solutions to problems.Another main benefit is the cost, hiring in-house IT support specialists requires your business to pay them a salary (on average in the UK for a basic IT support technician starts around 27-30K). So having access to multiple IT support technicians who all have different skill sets is a huge benefit for your business.Â
Another benefit of outsourced support is your IT network is monitored around the clock, whereas in-house IT support fixes IT issues when they arise, as a pose to preventing them from happening in the first place. Astaris monitors IT networks 24/7, meaning every business (from offices to nightclubs) network is being monitored to their network doesn’t let them down when they need it, no matter what time they’re open.
You will have second-hand access to the best software and systems. Buying the best software and systems can be a huge expense for a business, but they are often required to provide the best support and service. By having outsourced IT support you’ll have access to these systems vicariously through your IT support provider. A perfect example of this is the anti-virus and content filtering software (spam and ransomware protection) Purchasing this software yourself can be expensive, but having this protection via another company, it offers huge benefits to your business at a fraction of the cost.
Making the change
Switching to an IT support provider like Astaris has never been easier, if you’d like to know more about the different levels of support available to you, get in touch with our team here.
