Tag: IT Support

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IT Managed Service Providers vs In-house IT Teams For Hospitality

IT Managed Service Providers vs In-house IT Teams For Hospitality feature image

As businesses are undergoing digital transformations, IT is becoming a critical part of their business success. With consumers expecting hospitality to match the digital era with new customer experiences, it’s often one of the things that are left behind!

So whilst basic IT knowledge goes a long way in hospitality, having a dedicated IT expert is still the best solution. Most business owners are now faced with a critical decision: to choose between an IT managed service provider vs in-house IT team.  How are they different? Which one is better? How safe is it to let someone else take care of your IT needs?

The choice between an IT managed service provider vs in-house IT team often boils down to the size of the company and its specific needs. Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons of each option.

In-House IT Team: Pros and Cons

In-house IT staff usually handle day-to-day IT operations and requirements. Startups and small and medium businesses will often start with a single IT expert who will handle their IT needs. As they grow, however, they will also need more than one IT expert to keep track of everything.

Pros

It’s not that in-house teams are without benefits:  

  • They will have intimate knowledge of your operations and know your infrastructure in and out.
  • They can be immediately available when you need them.

On the other hand, having a full in-house IT team is often limited to large enterprises only. A full IT team when you’re a small or middle-sized business is just not possible financially. Not only would they eat up resources but you need a place to put them day-to-day too!

Cons

The cons of in-house teams seem to be more prevalent when it comes to IT requirements of most hospitality businesses:

  • The costs run high: They will be your full-time employees, meaning you will have to cover their salaries, benefits, training, NI, and other expenses.
  • The emergencies increase costs even more: The cost of intervention often goes up considerably in case of emergencies that happen overnight, and you have to pay overtime.
  • Team members are not bound to your company: If they decide to leave for what they think is a better opportunity, they are free to do so. When they leave, they will take all their expertise with them and you’re stuck with tech you don’t know how to run, unless you employ a team – which is even more expensive!
  • In-house teams can rarely keep up with all the latest IT developments or industry trends, meaning that parts of your IT infrastructure will inadvertently become outdated. It’s their job to keep things running, not constantly innovate!
  • Often limited to reactive interventions instead of proactive IT strategy development.

Is an IT managed service provider better than in-house IT teams? Let’s see what they can offer.

IT Managed Service Providers: Pros and Cons

Business owners are often wondering how is an IT managed service provider better than in-house IT teams. It seems logical that hiring a third-party provider to take care of your IT needs would be less efficient.

But this is a common misconception.

Managed service providers actually improve efficiency. They deliver higher quality services because IT is their speciality; it’s all they do. They are experts who continuously improve their knowledge by following the latest developments.

Pros

When a business hires an IT managed service provider, they will reap the following benefits:

  • Paying a lower price for hiring them than you would for keeping an in-house team. Their services are available for a flat monthly rate, which makes budgeting for IT super easy. You benefit from economies of scale here, because ultimately, you won’t be the service provider’s only client – but that means they are more affordable!  
  • They are available around the clock and can monitor your systems at all times.
  • Your operations will rarely be disrupted: Managed service providers have service level agreements (SLAs) that are legally binding. They guarantee to provide the highest possible uptime and service quality. It also means that should you move to someone else, they should provide you with all the procedures and documentation necessary to ‘hand-over’ your day-to-day.
  • Managed service providers also have access to the latest technological solutions, software, and industry contact. This means that all your IT needs will be up to date as soon as there’s one available.

Cons

Of course, there are also some disadvantages of managed service providers:

  • Finding the right fit for your business needs takes time. Sometimes, trial and error is the only option to find a managed service provider who has everything you need.
  • Sometimes, service packages can be arranged in such a way that you might need to pay for some services you don’t really need. Still, many managed service providers will happily let you make a fully custom package.
  • The biggest concern is their on-site availability. Your MSP should always be able to provide some level of physicality! Particularly for 1st line support which often involves users directly.

IT Managed Service Provider vs In-House IT Team: Who Wins?

Is an IT managed service provider better than in-house IT teams? Our verdict is a big fat YES because they can offer everything an in-house IT team does, and more! Ultimately, you pay for a ‘service’ rather than a person when it comes to an IT managed service provider and therefore you know you’re always covered!

Comparing an IT managed service provider to an in-house IT team shows that you will ultimately save more money by opting for a managed service provider.

Having up-to-date software is also a crucial point – it ensures you are well protected against cybersecurity threats and attacks that are becoming more elaborate over time. Your IT managed service provider will make sure all your security definitions are up to date, that they never expire, and that your business and customer data is secure.

IT managed service providers free up the time you would otherwise spend on the challenging tasks related to your IT. They are not just your IT support, they are the technological catalyst for your business. Working with you to develop the right strategies to acheive your your long-term goals.

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What Do The Different Levels of IT Support Mean?

Different Levels of IT Support feature image

Everyone talks a lot about different levels of IT support, but what do they actually mean?

Why Do You Have Different Levels of IT Support?

Contrary to popular belief, IT can be a wide-ranging subject, from cyber security all the way to hardware, depending on your industry. This means people have different specialties, but in a corporate capacity, the different levels of IT support basically relate to how difficult something is.

In most cases, each line shows a level of escalation and this helps make sure that surface level tasks are dealt with quickly and in-depth tasks are dealt with by specialists who know what they’re doing.

That way everything runs efficiently.

So, let’s look further at the different levels of IT support and some additional roles you may be considering.

Different IT Support Roles

 1st Line: First Contact

First line support consists of generalists that have a broad understanding of products and services and deal with the most common and simple issues. Usually available around the clock, they deal with problems like lost passwords or assist with software setup. They have a lot of interaction with customers, as they are the first line of contact with them.

They refer to a knowledge base when identifying and resolving customer issues and go through possible solutions. If there is an issue they can’t solve, they send it to the 2nd line. Before doing so, their task is to gather as much information as possible and provide a detailed problem description or open a support ticket.

2nd Line: Escalation Point

The 2nd line are technical specialists who have a more in-depth understanding of the issue. Usually, each member specialises in a different area.  They investigate issues escalated by 1st line and try to resolve them in a determined time frame. This line also proactively monitors systems and performs regular health checks. Sometimes, they will also handle preparations for system and software upgrades and keep an eye on industry shifts.

3rd Line: Complex Technical Issues

This is the highest level of support that solves the most complex issues. This line is often staffed by personnel that was directly involved in the development, of the solutions so they know the ins and outs of how it works in your organisation specifically. They tend to have the best technical resources and often work hand in hand with third parties to get things fixed if the issue relates to an external matter.

Often for smaller businesses, the 3rd line support and IT manager role can merge with many proactive managers taking on the harder support tasks and fixes.

IT Manager

Involved in the decision making and interdepartmental support, IT managers bring the support team together. They oversee the implementation and maintenance of your IT solutions, as well as all matters that relate to IT operations and resources. They manage other IT specialists, optimise resources and staffing, and enforce best practices across the board. 

*They also help with support roles as and when needed

Other IT Support Roles

System Admin

Also known as a SysAdmin, is in the same realm as a 3rd line support so they have extensive knowledge, but it’s normally specialised. They will often oversee areas like data centres, network operations, backups or web technology. Their aim is to ensure the support systems perform optimally and oversee their area.

Think of them like working in the background to keep things running smoothly.

4th Line: Outsourced Services

Although not commonly used, you may hear the term 4th line support. This relates to external parties for example printer manufacturers or vendor software that help resolve issues from their end. For example, if there is a bug that needs patching, they’ll fix it and roll out an update.

How to Decide Which Level of Support You Need

No two businesses are alike, so their IT support requirements will be vastly different, even within the same industry. While some businesses deal mainly with 1st line issues for simple software, others may need on-site specialists or programmers on call who know the intricacies of the products and software being used.

If you are having a hard time deciding on the level of IT support your business needs, answering the following three questions may help you come to a decision easier:

1. What does your business do?

The level of IT support is different depending on your industry, company size, and your plans for the future. If you are a start-up, you will probably not be able to finance three lines of tech support jobs immediately, but you might find the right combination of lines through managed IT services.

If you already own an established business, you might have in-house IT staff already. You can complement them with outsourced or managed services that will take care of complex issues and help you by proactively monitoring your systems and aligning your IT tech with your long-term goals. Having access to 2nd and 3rd line will help you immensely when choosing and integrating new tech solutions or moving to a new platform.

2. How many resources do you have?

The number of resources to allocate to your IT support also impacts this choice heavily. The prevailing trend is to automate simple issues so that resources can be funnelled toward higher-tiered support. For example, you can have the 1st line automated through AI or chatbots, with 1st line agents responding only when AI/chatbots can’t resolve the issue. The savings from adopting such solutions can then be used to integrate 2nd and 3rd line support services.

3. Do you need reactive, proactive, or strategic support?

This is a tricky one and directly related to your future plans, as well as how you operate. If you need reactive support for lots of small but common issues, 1st line is for you. It’s also common for those that have to provide support to customers as well. 

If you need active monitoring or proactive support, 2nd line is for you. For example, in the hospitality industry ensuring your equipment and software is maintained to avoid downtime during peak periods which can affect overall sales.

If you’re looking at growth and expansion or to save money overall, 3rd line support or an IT manager can help streamline and standardise your tech. In addition to proactive support and ensuring your systems are performing optimally, they also work hard on ensuring you reach your business goals. Third line support will choose new technological solutions based on how quickly they can aid you in achieving your goals.

If you want a flexible level of IT support, consider hiring an IT managed service provider like us, give us a call for a free consultation.

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The Different Tactics Hackers Use to Gain Access to Your Computer

We’d all like to think that hackers are spending weeks on end planning their every move to attack a business but the truth of it is nowhere near as exciting. Although this could happen to a big target, for most people it’s a lot more boring and they get ‘accidentally’ caught in the net as hackers looking to make a quick buck send out malware or ransomware hoping someone will fall into the trap.

That doesn’t mean the effects aren’t any less devastating!

So, to make sure you can protect yourself, let’s look at the various different tactics hackers use to try and steal your business’ data.

1. Relying on Human Error

We’re sorry to say that lack of education in businesses and human error by employees account for a large portion of breaches in our experience. For example, employees attempting to access internal systems from unsafe locations, using personal (infected) devices on the network, or clicking malicious links in an email. Hackers cast their net far and wide, and the likelihood is someone will click something and open the door. And that’s all they need. 

Hackers also pray on the lack of oversight from business owners on their employees. According to Keeper Securities’ State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium-Sized Businesses (SMB) report from 2017, 59% of small businesses do not have insight into the types of passwords employees use. This means that although the company is liable for a breach, they aren’t enforcing or even aware of the security standards of the passwords in use. 

2. Phishing

Phishing is one of the most common tactics hackers use. This is usually in form of an email that is spoofed to look like it’s coming from another sender, like your bank, or ISP. It will urge you to act immediately or you might lose your account, money, or face infractions. 48% of hacks on companies last year found that phishing or social engineering were the result.

Here are the warning signs you need to look out for in a phishing email

12 Warning Signs Of A Phishing Email

3. Public/Free Wi-Fi

Public computers and Wi-Fi networks are notorious for being plagued with malicious software that “sniffs” for data packets while you are using them. You risk losing your account data as soon as you type in your password. 

4. Phone Calls

Surprisingly these still work and is still one of the tactics hackers use! Hackers have been known to ring you claiming to be your bank or an organisation you’re affiliated with and ask you to confirm details over the phone. For example, banking pins or passwords as well as talking to you about family data or information, like your mother’s maiden name to get the ‘security question’ answers or take a stab at your password. If you feel a phone call is suspicious, never hand over your data, simply tell them now isn’t a good time and hang up.

5. Weak Passwords

Lazy, generic and consequently weak passwords are the easiest way for hackers to get access to your accounts. Many small business owners admitted that, while they still have password strength policies, 68% do not enforce them. A generic or commonly used password like 12345, makes it easy for hackers to gain access to your email or computer.

Check out our article below on protecting your password from hackers:

How To Protect Your Email Password From Hackers

6. An Out-of-Date OS

While nobody likes how long OS updates take, they exist for a reason: to address flaws within the code that can potentially be exploited. Without regular updates, you enable easy access to hackers who are aware of the weak points.

7. Infected Attachments

It’s not just the links you should be wary of in an email. Masked to look like images or documents, they often carry viruses, malware, or spyware, like a keylogger that will install to your device and record your every keystroke to get your passwords that way.

8. Dodgy Devices

Be wary of those free devices being handed out to you as “freebies” in many cases, hackers can load malware or keystroke loggers on them so that when they are entered onto the computer they immediately infect it.

9. Pineapples – Spoofed Wi-Fi Points

A Wi-Fi pineapple is a fake Wi-Fi access point that has been purely set up to steal your data but it masks as public Wi-Fi. From the hacker’s point of view, they have multiple programs and software running to gain access but to the unsuspecting user, they just jump on as usual and voila, instant access to your data.

10. Unsuspecting Accessories

Your new smart lock, phone controlled thermostat, camera that is enabled to a network, card reader or any other online accessory all have access to your network. Hackers can use these as easy points of entry if they aren’t protected correctly to access your network and get to your data that way!

Unfortunately, we’ve only just scratched the surface of tactics hackers use to access your data and your files, and this is why we are firm advocators for using file protection as part of your cyber security strategy. That way, hackers can’t access the data from your files once you’ve been breached, therefore protecting the data stored within them.

To get automatic file and email encryption for small businesses using Microsoft’s Azure Information Protection, click the image below to get half off our course on udemy:

file and email encryption course image. click to take you to the course
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Get Free IT Support for Small Businesses

We’re constantly looking for ways to use our knowledge and expertise to help others get to grips with their IT. We are offering free IT support for small businesses, particularly with the increased emphasis being placed on cyber security for businesses big and small in the wake of GDPR.

With this in mind, we are offering free IT help and support for small businesses in our Facebook support community. If you’ve purchased a course from the TowerWatch Academy, you’ll already know about the support group, but we’ve decided to open it up to help others too.

As IT consultants and experts with over 10 years’ experience in:

  • Cyber security
  • Online data protection solutions
  • Cloud-based data storage
  • Cyber Security Training
  • Penetration Testing
  • Complete IT Support
  • Large Scale Projects
  • IT Health Checks
  • Local & Global Hosting: Microsoft Azure/Amazon AWS
  • Remote Backup Solutions
  • 365 Implementation
  • Hospitality IT support and project installation

We have an idea of the issues that plague the IT of small businesses. Budget (or lack of) being one of them!

So, if you can’t afford an IT team and need some help or advice for your business. Join our support community below and let us help you by answering any questions you may have.

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Top 10 Software and Tech Solutions for Small Businesses

Don’t shy away from technology in your business! It’s time to get acquainted with some of the best software and tech solutions for small businesses at the moment.

1. Encrypt emails for free with My Protected Mail

Of course we’re going to start with one of our own products! The introduction of GDPR has placed a renewed emphasis on email security. All small businesses have a duty to protect the data of their customers, clients, and employees. A reliable, straightforward way to protect data sent electronically is to use encryption.

Encrypted emails can only be viewed by the sender and specified receivers; they are protected from interception, even when an email is forwarded.

My Protected Mail is a tech solutions for small businesses that does this for free. There’s no software to install; simply send your email to a dedicated mailbox, and the platform will issue a Microsoft Protected Email that can be accessed only by the intended recipient. There’s also scope to add enhanced features for a reasonable monthly fee for developers to encrypt web portal or app communication. Try My Protected Mail here.

2. Defend your business from online attacks with Acronis Ransomware Protection

Ransomware attacks, in which malicious software blocks access to devices with the aim of extorting money from the owner, can completely devastate a small business. Not to mention the risk of a data breach. It’s critically important to proactively prepare; you can find out more by clicking here.

Ransomware protection software mitigates this risk, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth! Acronis Ransomware Protection monitors suspicious behaviour, blocks malicious applications, encrypts files, and recovers damaged data; all for free.

3. Organise every aspect of your business with Asana

Asana is a project management platform that helps your entire team to stay organised and efficient. It allows you to create projects and tasks, assign team members, set deadlines, allocate documents, run reports, and myriad other jobs. It’s suitable for use on computers and mobile devices; even when travelling, you can keep on top of your business!

Asana also interacts seamlessly with 100 other platforms, helping to manage emails, files, calendars, workflows, and dozens of other tasks from one place, simplifying your business processes.

4. Take storage to the cloud! 

Cloud-based storage has proven itself to be a reliable and economical alternative to traditional hard drives and servers. The key benefits to small businesses include cost-effectiveness, automatic backup and recovery, remote accessibility from all devices, and no ongoing server maintenance.

There are countless services to choose from, but our favourites are Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. All have common features, such as free storage (although the amount varies; 2GB for Dropbox, 5GB for OneDrive, and a whopping 15GB for Google Drive), document collaboration, link sharing, and file privacy. You can also upgrade to a monthly plan for expanded storage.

5. Automatically guard sensitive information with Azure Information Protection

Azure Information Protection (AIP) from Microsoft is a cloud-based tech solutions for small businesses that automatically encrypts emails and files. The system is managed across all Office applications using labels, which are configured to detect sensitive data and protect it. For example, if a credit card number is entered into an Excel spreadsheet, a rule can be set up to prompt the user to protect the information automatically.

Traditionally this can be quite difficult to set up for small businesses, but we created an Azure Information Protection for Small businesses online course to make it easy for you, regardless of whether or not you’re a techie!

6. Bring the team together with Zoom video conferencing

No matter how scattered your team is, video conferencing fosters the collaborative spirit that can otherwise be absent when working remotely. You needn’t be together to succeed together.

Zoom is a complete video conferencing service that includes high-definition online meetings, webinars, instant messaging, document sharing, whiteboards, virtual breakout rooms, calendar integration, and analytic data for meeting organisers. It can be accessed from computers and smart devices; so travelling team members can still participate!

There’s a free version of this tech solutions for small businesses with essential functionality that may be suitable for some small businesses, or there are monthly packages that include expanded features.

7. Protect your business with ESET antivirus

Malware attacks can be extremely disruptive to small businesses; leading to potential loss of files, equipment, and revenue. A high-quality antivirus is therefore essential.

ESET has a strong reputation for keeping computer equipment safe from malware, including viruses, ransomware, rootkits, worms and spyware. It’s easy to use, low in power-consumption, and backed by 30 years of experience and 110 million global users. A free trial is available, with the full version priced from £29.99 per year for one user.

8. Clean up your computer with MyDefrag

When we create files on a computer, they are broken up by a process called fragmentation; this is completely normal, and helps files to fit on a hard disk. However, repeated fragmentation makes reading and writing files a chore for your computer. Defragmentation is essentially a spring clean; a process that puts files back together, boosting your computer’s onward performance.

Windows comes with a built-in defragmentation program, but there are more efficient alternatives. MyDefrag is the best of the bunch; it works quickly and can accommodate external storage. Ultimately, this nifty little program helps your business to avoid slow equipment, repairs, and replacements. For more ways to speed up your computer’s performance, check out our free course here.

9. Cut your phone costs with VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the technology that facilitates phone calls via the internet. It’s cheaper to make calls by VoIP than a standard landline, and you’ll notice a huge improvement in sound clarity.

The best VoIP service for small businesses in the UK is VoipFone; it’s easy to set up, with excellent customer support, reasonable prices, and a free trial. Global businesses looking for similar features are recommended to try Ring Central or Vonage.

10. Keep on top of your finances with online invoicing

Invoicing is a critical aspect of small business management; online solutions make the process efficient by collating due payments, generating invoices, sending them, and overseeing the collection process.

Invoices contain sensitive information, so it’s important to work only with a trusted platform. Check out this post to find out how small businesses should protect their financial security when using online invoicing.

The most reputable platforms are Freshbooks, Due, Invoicera, And Co. and Harvest. All have at least one free option, whether a trial or essential version, and each has paid subscriptions, which vary in price according to the features you need.

Need help with your IT or tech solutions for small businesses or have a question on software to suit your small business? Join our free support community here.

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Data Breaches Aren’t Just Your Users’ Fault (Infographic)

As IT guys, it’s very easy to blame users for data breaches but it’s not always just their fault. Sometimes, data breaches aren’t users’ fault.

Sure, they need to update their passwords, stop giving things out and clicking on the suspicious email links. But, the buck stops with you as their IT professional. We thought these statistics from the IS Decisions’ research into IT Security managers in both the UK and US were very enlightening.

It shows that, compromised credentials are one of the main causes of data breaches and we must remember our users are human! It’s up to us to help limit the risk by:

  • Forcing users to frequently change their password – even if they hate us for it
  • Making sure policy dictates a different password for each program or part of the system
  • To give regular training on Phishing or data security that affects them – and stop assuming they will know something is off when they see it
  • To be approachable so that any issues are quickly reported

Doing these small things can make a big difference in data security and protection to minimise the risk of a breach due to compromised credentials. Here is the infographic and statistics below with some interesting results:
Infographic: Security Breaches from Compromised User Logins

UserLock FileAudit IS Decisions Priorités en matière de sécurité d'accès
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15 Things Your IT Support Wants You To Know

IT professionals can be the number one defence for your business or organisation which means they work hard, even if you don’t always understand what it is they do. Sometimes it can be difficult communicating with your IT support so here are a few things you should know about them the next time you want to interact:

  1. We are on your side

It may feel like we are against you when you feel you need new equipment but we are working within a budget, as all departments do and often new doesn’t always equal the best. We are always there to help you use the equipment you have and listen when you think you need more, we are not against you but don’t forget how expensive tech is, sometimes we aren’t the ones saying no, the budget is.

  1. DON’T CLICK THE LINK

We have discussed Phishing Emails in our previous article, as well as how to spot them, but if you aren’t expecting an email or it seems to good to be true, don’t click the link. Otherwise we have to spend the morning/afternoon/evening performing IT surgery on your devices and checking it didn’t infect the main network to protect everyone else. If you are in doubt, contact the company directly or give one of us a shout, we can spot it a mile away (and if we can’t we have protected environments that we can use to double check.)

  1. Turning it on/off again is an actual thing

It is an ongoing joke that most of the world is in on and it sometimes seems like IT support are messing around when they ask you to try turning your machines on and off again, however the action has merit and is the first, in a long line of troubleshooting that could solve a variety of issues. This is partly because sometimes when a computer error or glitch happens it’s because the software is becoming end of life and needs updating, or your computer has been on for an entire month and could do with a little break to start and refresh. If something is going wrong, close and save your applications and try turning it on and off again before calling tech support, you may find you can deal with it on your own.

  1. Everything needs power

It’s surprising how many calls we get when something isn’t working, only to find that it either isn’t plugged in or it’s been switched off at the switch and no-one has noticed. Always make sure you are plugged into an outlet, your device is charged and the switch is turned on.

  1. We aren’t miracle workers

If you haven’t saved your work in 10 days and your computer dies or you have lost an email from 1992 that you want us to retrieve, it’s not always possible. There are a lot of sneaky tricks that we can try and we can delve into the depths of a computer log, but if the data isn’t there, we can’t give it to you. Sorry!

  1. It’s not an exact science

Unlike actual science there isn’t always a definite fix for everything and as technology advances, your IT support has to adapt and advance with it. This means that we can’t always jump straight onto a solution and fix it straight away. Imagine you get a new phone, it takes a few days for you to learn the new keyboard or layout, it’s the same for us with new software or tech, even updates for things we have been doing for 10 years, it’s not that we don’t know what we are doing, we just need a moment to get used to things. Also, different users have different settings on their devices which means we need a minute to adapt to your way of thinking.

  1. You don’t need to diagnose the problem, that’s what we are here for

It’s fantastic when users have a bit of understanding on their machines because it means you are able to use them effectively, however when they go wrong and you can’t fix it, that’s our job. We just need to know the symptoms of the problem, anything you have tried and what you were doing when it occurred and we can get to work. We know you are trying to be helpful by suggesting what you think is the problem, but we have a system and commonly it’s not the same thing.

  1. Stop illegally downloading

We know you do it, you are on our network, we then have an obligation to follow this up and potentially report it. Don’t download illegally, particularly when you are at work, we can see it, it’s awkward and 9 times out of 10 we can trace it back to you and everyone has to have a discussion, it’s not worth your time or ours. This goes for watching “those sites” too.

  1. The Slow Computer Dilemma

It is a phrase that IT support and professionals are used to hearing, a LOT, “my computer is slow.” However, this is not always the case and can actually be the way it is being used, for example, do you have a ton of tabs open or have you updated recently? Are you trying to do something it wasn’t designed to do or using software that requires more processing power than you have. Speak to your IT professional about what it is you are doing with your computer before going down the slow route, there are plenty of things they can do to help speed it up that may not be the computer at all.

  1. Give us credit

It sounds self-indulgent however there is a lot of time and energy that goes into IT support and you don’t necessarily see the out of hours work or the morning weekend server re-boots that go into ensuring your systems are as stable as possible. But the Wi-Fi in unavailable for 5 minutes and we get a hundred phone calls immediately about us not being able to do our jobs. When you pass them in the halls or at work, thank your IT support guy, particularly when everything is going well, it means he’s been putting the hours in and going above and beyond.

  1. We don’t get the final say

Many IT support staff don’t have the authority to buy you a new laptop or okay the latest tech in the office, event IT managers have to discuss things with finance or other departments but we can be powerful allies. If you can prove a business need for your new tech and convince us, we can help persuade others that it is necessary, plus we are the ones who will have to set it up, maintain it and implement any solutions you put in place so it’s good to get us on board beforehand.

  1. We hate printers too!

They are the bane of our existence, need replacing, are naughty on networks and a lot of them are stuck in the 90’s but they are essential for offices, the hospitality industry and pretty much everything, so until they invent something better, we are all just stuck with them!

  1. Communication is key

How are we supposed to know something is wrong or how long it has been doing it if you don’t tell us? We can appreciate that a malfunctioning computer is frustrating (we definitely know this!) but we need you to explain everything so we can diagnose and fix it as quickly as possible without adding the unnecessary guesswork of trying to understand what you need doing to it.

  1. Data Protection is a legal requirement

Secure passwords, two-form authentication and other policies that your IT department put in place aren’t only there to protect your data, it’s to protect the information companywide. With new GDPR regulations, not taking the proper precautions to protect your own, business or client data can result in huge fines and data protection leaks. Not to mention the spyware, ransomware or nasties that can corrupt your own data. As annoying as it is, please follow our protection protocols, they help everyone.

  1. Karma’s a beautiful thing

IT support help an array of users, businesses and keep networks running, all while dealing with any little issue (or the printer…again) that you have. So be nice, respectful and appreciate that we are doing the best we can and are working on elements that you can’t see, rather than sitting in a basement and gaming all day (some of us do that too.) But ultimately, if you are looking to skip the queue or get something done ASAP, you can catch more flies with honey.

At the end of the day, IT support is there to help you, just try to remember that we are human as well!

Find out more about our IT Solutions here.