As a business owner or manager, you understand that great IT services are necessary to keep your business running at peak performance. What you may not be aware of are all of the various IT service options that your business can take advantage of.
When listing examples of IT services, many people will think of software updates and virus removal. However, these services only scratch the surface of those available to your business.
According to Gartner, the term âIT servicesâ refers to the application of business and technical expertise to enable organizations in the creation, management, and optimization of or access to information and business processes.
The IT service options available to your business are numerous and can vary depending on who you ask. But to keep things simple, here are 7 examples of IT services that cover all the basic needs of small to mid-sized businesses.
Cloud Services
Cloud services help businesses leverage the on-demand benefits of the internet with a cloud service provider. The cloud can replace the need for on-premise servers with little capital investment.
These services appeal to most due to ease of use, scalability, and immediate access to company resources. The only physical requirement on your part is a dependable internet connection.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
In the event of a disaster (such as a flood, fire, or computer virus), would your important data remain safe and sound? If your business isnât already following the 3-2-1 backup rule, the answer is probably no. This rule states that your data should be stored in three separate locations: the source device (likely a computer or office workstation), your local backup device, and an off-site location (preferably through a cloud backup solution). Following the 3-2-1 backup rule ensures that the probability of all three copies of your data being lost are slim to none.
Many businesses now rely on cloud backup solutions for disaster recovery. Different varieties of cloud backup include file-only backup, server backup, desktop backup, and many others. Cloud backup solutions are especially ideal for companies with multiple locations that share large amounts of data. Even if disaster strikes one location, the other location still retains access to all cloud-stored data and can continue normal operation.
Network Security
Along with all of the benefits provided by internet access come a myriad of security risks. Hackers, spammers, viruses, and data thieves run rampant across the internet, and without strict network security measures in place, your businessâs data is constantly endangered.
Network security serves the purpose of preventing the unauthorized access to or theft of a computer networkâs resources. Possible network security solutions include firewalls, anti-virus software, web filtering, patch management, built-in VPNs, and regularly scheduled check-ups from your IT service provider.
Help Desk Support
Help desk support is a vital tool for any business that doesnât have an in-house IT team. Help desk support can vary depending on your businessâs needs, but itâs most commonly used as a single point of contact for users who need occasional help with troubleshooting computers, printers, networks, wifi, etc.
Managed Print Services
You depend on your printers to be ready for you when you need them. With managed print services (MPS), your IT service provider takes care of all your printing service and supply needs so that youâre free to spend your time on more important things.
Managed print services coordinate operations on all of your printers, fax machines, scanning devices, copiers, and other multifunction devices. Through the power of an IoT network your IT service provider oversees and services all printing hardware, anticipating your need for parts and supplies so that you always have exactly what you need, when you need it. They can also monitor the usage of each printer and report on any printer problems.
Computer Training
One of the largest hurdles that businesses face in keeping their software and operating systems up to date is training everyone on the newly updated systems. With the Windows 7 end of life drawing near, this issue keeps growing more relevant.
The next time you contact your IT service provider about updating your systems, ask them about providing a computer training session for your employees as well.
IT Consulting
Sometimes an IT project is too large or technical to plan without having an experienced team of IT professionals on hand. If thatâs the case, hiring your IT service provider for consulting services may be the solution. They can work with multiple departments or contractors to tackle projects like large-scale hardware and infrastructure overhauls or business-wide software and operating system updates, ensuring that no technical detail is overlooked.
Which of these Examples of IT Services are Right for Your Business?
If any of these examples of IT services sound like they could benefit your business, weâd love to talk with you. TechKnowledgey is able to provide all of these services (and then some), and weâll help you design an IT service plan that fits your businessâs exact needs. Give us a call at 574.971.4267 or contact us online to get started!