| In this age of high tech, almost every business relies to | | | | department staffed by fulltime employees. They take |
| some extent on the use of Personal Computers. PCs | | | | care of software upgrades and patches, anti-virus |
| are a general-purpose workhorse assigned to do a | | | | maintenance and performance problems. If a |
| multitude of tasks in most businesses large and small. | | | | computer is not functioning properly, the user contacts |
| From invoicing, to accounting, to inventory | | | | the Help Desk within the IT department, perhaps starts |
| management, to writing sales proposals, chances are | | | | a trouble ticket, and someone from the IT department |
| the PC is at the heart of the task. More often than not, | | | | works on the machine. In most cases, all work is done |
| the Personal Computer is used to create the product | | | | remotely. The problem is fixed, the computer is back in |
| that is sold to the customer. The trusty PC has made | | | | service quickly and the employee is once again |
| most aspects of running a business much easier and | | | | working and making money for the company. Some IT |
| more efficient. | | | | departments continuously monitor the performance of |
| When PCs are running like they are supposed to be, | | | | all computers. If performance degradation is noted, the |
| life is good. Unfortunately, things happen and sooner or | | | | IT department can work on the computer and restore |
| later, there are bound to be computer problems. In your | | | | the performance, sometimes even before the user |
| business, what happens when you have a computer | | | | realized a problem was developing. |
| go down? Who do you call? How long does it take to | | | | Does your small business have IT support like this? Will |
| get it working again? And, what is being done to | | | | your friend, relative or the computer shop you have |
| prevent problems from happening? The answers to | | | | contracted with provide this kind of service? Can a |
| these questions can have a great impact on your | | | | SOHO user hope to have anything close to this sort of |
| customers and your bottom line. | | | | IT support? |
| Many SOHOs and small businesses rely on the owner, | | | | The small business owner and the SOHO user now |
| a friend or a relative to keep the computers going. If a | | | | have access to full time, Enterprise Class IT support |
| computer is not working properly and the owner can | | | | on par with or better than most corporate IT |
| not get it running, the friend or relative is called in to try | | | | departments provide. And, this support is available at |
| to repair it. Valuable time is lost as this person is | | | | an affordable cost. Some contracts include: |
| located. Maybe they will be able to get to the | | | | - Proactive performance monitoring |
| computer that day or maybe it will be tomorrow. | | | | - Patch management |
| Meanwhile, the machine is unusable. | | | | - Software and script deployment |
| This costs your business money. If you or your | | | | - Support of major software packages |
| employee can not work, money is lost. Oftentimes, | | | | - Anti-virus and anti-Spyware software, scan and |
| opportunities are lost. | | | | removal |
| Why do businesses get themselves into this kind of | | | | - Preventative maintenance |
| position? A lot of times, it is because the owner | | | | - 24 hour a day/7 day a week live telephone support |
| believes that money can be saved by using a friend or | | | | Imagine knowing that your small business can have full |
| a relative to support the PCs. Maybe the friend or | | | | time performance monitoring and ongoing software |
| relative is paid and maybe not. | | | | and anti-virus support for a very modest monthly cost. |
| Sometimes a small businesses owner will contract with | | | | And, if there is a problem, help is just a phone call |
| a local computer company to provide PC support. If a | | | | away, no matter the hour or the day. This is the type |
| computer stops working, a phone call is made to the | | | | of IT support very large companies can provide their |
| computer shop and someone comes over to look at | | | | employees and now the smallest of businesses can |
| the computer. The computer shop probably is not | | | | enjoy the same level of support. |
| providing any kind of proactive support. Until there is a | | | | As a small business owner or SOHO operator, it is |
| problem, your computers are basically being ignored. | | | | time you checked what is available to support your |
| Is this the best way to keep your PCs, your network, | | | | PCs. You probably will be surprised at the level of IT |
| and your server running at top performance and | | | | support you and your business can get for a small |
| available whenever it is needed to do whatever is | | | | amount of money. You can get a real IT Help Desk |
| asked? Maybe it is, but maybe there are better ways. | | | | for you business. Aren't your customers, your |
| Step back a moment and think about how a large | | | | employees and your business worth it? Start taking |
| corporation keeps its computers running at peak | | | | advantage of this new wave of IT support now |
| performance. Large corporations typically have an IT | | | | available for the SOHO and small businesses. |