How Does Remote Tech Support Work?

With so many companies relying on computers these days for all of their business needs, it’s more important than ever for business owners to hire IT companies that offer only the best in technical support. All it takes is for a computer server or network to go down to cause a company to fall significantly behind on its work schedule, or lose a fair amount of business. Therefore, any business owner who chooses to outsource his IT must ensure that the company he hires is known for its speed and efficiency when dealing with computer-related troubles.

The term “technical support” can mean two different things. The first type of technical support involves a group of IT professionals gathering on a company’s premises to assess and address the situation at hand. By contrast, the second type of technical support is remote support, provided from a location outside of the company’s premises. In fact, most IT companies like to set up their clients’ systems so that they are able to access all pertinent machines and area networks in a remote fashion. But, many business owners question if remote tech support can truly take the place of on-site support.

David Cochrane, the president of Fluent Business Solutions, Inc., a national IT management company that offers a wide variety of services to small and medium-sized businesses across the country, says that the answer is usually, yes. In his experience, Cochrane has found that approximately 90% of a business’s IT-related needs can be handled from a remote location. Of course, some people like the comfort that comes with knowing that their IT staff will be able to rush to their doors and tackle their problems right in front of them. However, business owners need to understand that today’s technology does not require face-to-face contact. Furthermore, by insisting on on-site contact to tackle IT-related problems, a business owner might end up subjecting himself to a slower response time to his problem and a less efficient manner of tackling the situation.

Let’s consider a business whose systems suddenly start acting erratically. If that business’s IT company happens to be located in another part of the state, then it could take hours for technical help to arrive on the scene. However, if the IT company has the ability to troubleshoot the problem remotely, then it can begin to do its job the minute they are made aware of the situation. Even if a business owner decides to hire a local IT company for the purpose of having it close by, this does not always guarantee that its employees will have the ability to mobilize and arrive at the scene in a manner that is faster and more efficient than simply accessing the business’s systems remotely.

Of course, there are certain scenarios in which remote tech support simply isn’t going to cut it. Some situations require the presence of an IT professional on site to physically repair a problem, or manually tackle the issue at hand. However, when remote troubleshooting can yield the exact same results as on-site troubleshooting, then there’s really no reason for business owners to resist. In fact, business owners should appreciate the notion that they are actually getting the best of both worlds- a faster response to their problems, and a cheaper, more cost effective means of dealing with IT-related issues. After all, IT companies that must constantly rush to the scene of an incident are bound to charge more than those who are able to do their jobs remotely, because the need to be on-site can limit a company’s ability to serve additional clients. By embracing the option of remote troubleshooting, business owners keep the overall cost of tech support down.

When it comes to building relationships, it can sometimes be rather difficult to substitute email or phone interaction for actual face-to-face contact. However, when it comes to technical support, remote problem solving is equally as good as its on-site counterpart. So, the next time your IT company tells you that it’s working on your problem remotely, take a deep breath and realize that remote tech support is just another way for IT professionals to do their jobs, and to do them quite well at that.