May 2022 – GPK Group

What Common IT Services Require Onsite IT Support?

Nobody enjoys powering up their computer and finding nothing but errors preventing them from working. When you’re up against deadlines and customers breathing down your neck—you need to get back online and fast.

Onsite IT support is purely for those very issues. When a problem arises and can’t be resolved remotely, you need a pro in the office to help you get back up and running.

In this article, we’ll tell you all about onsite IT support and which common services require it the most.

What Is Onsite IT Support?

IT onsite support is there to answer ‌all tech-related questions and issues in your daily operations. Productivity is threatened when the technology you work with begins turning on you. Onsite IT support services ensure you never lose precious hours.

At GPK, we provide the best IT Support Perth has to offer. We’ve been doing this a long time, and we know what works, so we make sure your resources are always being used best.

What Are the Benefits of Onsite IT Support?

Many benefits come with using onsite IT support as opposed to remote services.

Here are a few of the most prominent benefits you might encounter when working with onsite IT support services:

Communicating in person is more accessible.

Talking to anyone on the phone can be a challenge—talking to an agent in person makes everything more straightforward. Effectively communicate your problems, be able to answer questions and expect smooth sailing.

More capable and likely to ask questions and for help when an IT onsite support professional is around.

Knowing you’ve got a professional in your midsts means being more comfortable asking questions you need answers to. Sometimes Google doesn’t have all the answers, and even the ones they give are confusing. Having an onsite IT support services pro on the premises means learning to troubleshoot minor issues before they become significant issues.

Not all problems can just be fixed remotely by tech support.

IT onsite support only exists because some problems a person on a computer far away can’t fix. This is especially true with hardware issues. Technicians need to diagnose the problem, fix the issue, and get everything in working order, which requires being there in person.

Progress is made in real-time.

Waiting on hold for someone to help you with a technical issue can be infuriating. Progress sometimes feels slow or non-existent. Having onsite IT support means managing the situation, getting updates in real-time, knowing what’s going on, and maybe learning a thing or two—usually in half the time!

What Common IT Services Require Onsite IT Support?

There are tons of common IT services that require onsite IT support. These are the most common ones:

File Servers & Cyber Security

For years, companies have drifted away from internal file servers, instead opting for more accessible and cheaper options like backing their data up on the cloud. In an age of cyber security attacks, it’s no surprise people are rethinking their data storage methods and are looking for the most protection for their data.

Having file servers onsite requires an onsite IT specialist to make sure things are always in working order. Even major cloud storage companies need onsite IT support for their massive data centres. With cyber security increasingly becoming an issue for just about every company out there, ramping up your protection for your data is more essential than ever.

Computer Repairs

To understand the issue, you need to be there to see it for yourself. For someone who doesn’t understand computers, detailing the problems can be a challenge for everyone involved. Onsite IT specialists will have a much easier time finding and resolving the problems themselves.

Network Equipment

Network equipment to keep a business running can be extensive and highly complicated. All the devices that work together to ensure smooth operation in the workplace can come crumbling down with just one faulty wire or one corrupt device or hard drive. Onsite IT professionals are necessary. They don’t waste time because they’re likely aware of the potential problems or weak links before even knowing the situation.

POS

Point-of-sale systems frequently have issues, and when they do, they can cause havoc. Not being able to access or properly use your POS can cause severe delays and other problems that can lose your business customers and money.

Key Takeaway

Knowing what common IT services require onsite IT support can help you make better decisions for your business. By securing the right company to provide IT support, you’re ensuring that your business is always operating to the best of its ability!

Managed Services vs Outsourcing, What Are The Differences?

As your business expands, your IT sector could easily become overburdened, increasing the risk of your company’s data being hacked and exposed.

That overburden and risk can be easily avoided however through careful implementation of either managed IT solutions or outsourcing services.

But what makes the two different from one another and what solution will work the best for your business?

This is the million-dollar question.

If you’re looking for managed IT services Perth businesses rely on, then get on a free call with our experts at GPK. If you’d like to take a deeper dive into your outsourcing options and read how the two solutions compare, then this guide is for you.

Managed Services vs. Outsourcing

Outsourcing companies specialise in managing specific business operations or projects, typically on a smaller scale.

In layman’s terms, outsourcing involves hiring a third party to successfully run selected business operations, including help desk support, tailored IT solutions, staff coordination, file preparation, and data management.

Outsourcing, when done correctly is quite effective, as seen in the rising number of jobs being outsourced every year—around 300,000 jobs according to one study.

Managed services, in comparison, provide more systematic solutions to technical support with a spectrum of choices.

Here, you won’t have to search for specific third-party IT solutions, since managed services will offer almost everything—from starting and finishing a complex project to various types of technical support and services.

If a company, say, has an overburdened IT sector, managed services do a splendid job of coming and picking up the slack and then some, covering a business’s IT aspects.

An outstanding managed service has a broad staff of qualified IT specialists, all with a wide array of experience in different fields.

On a global scale, in 2021 alone, managed services were valued at around $161 billion, with a prediction that, by 2027, this value will double. The numbers speak for themselves—these services are extremely effective and valued.

Managed Services vs Outsourcing: The Differences

Generally speaking, outsourcing means that you’ll get more specific and not generic problem-solving from a third party, whereas with managed services, you will receive all-encompassing IT solutions within the company, or through a designated ERP system.

In our experience, we have found several larger differences between managed services and outsourcing. They are as follows:

Managed Services are a Long-Term Investment

It can be argued that if you opt for outsourcing, then you’re opting for a more short-term option. This typically indicates that you are doing so because you only need these services when a particular issue or business need arises.

Companies that are in favour of long-term and safe solutions, however, will usually resort to incorporating managed services since, here, IT specialists work interchangeably with your staff and ensure your business runs flawlessly day to day.

This is in stark contrast with outsourcing—a business will typically collaborate with a single IT specialist who only works on resolving or improving one particular issue.

Upfront Prices vs Paying After the Job is Done

The most significant distinction between outsourcing and managed services has to do with the payment method each uses.

Despite being a recurrent solution or service—with managed services you’ll often have a fixed amount to pay upfront, more along the lines of a retainer or subscription model.
Your managed services billing may also be customised to meet your predetermined selected services.

Paying for outsourcing, however, is rather different.

It is more likely you will agree on a fixed, one-off payment—sometimes held in escrow—that will be released once the job has been completed.

However, in outsourcing, the prices for the service can also include individual performance compensations or unforeseen costs that revolve around the task at hand.

Down the line, outsourcing can ultimately be a more expensive route. This is expected though, given their often short-term solutions.

Differing IT Service Models

With outsourcing or managed services, one is not always better than the other. This is because, from project to project, managed services and outsourcing can take many shapes and in some instances, overlap.

As a generalisation, however, if you have many IT aspects that need managing regularly, you’ll find managed services to be a more effective and affordable solution.

If you’re not a fan of overspending and are a smaller operation with only a few issues to fix, outsourcing could be a better solution for your business.

The Verdict

All in all, outsourcing services are neat for businesses that want to resolve a specific IT issue or project—whereas, if you’re looking for IT services to serve your business in the long run, managed services will be the support system your business thrives off.

We’ll leave you with this—managed services have been known to ultimately reduce IT costs by 25% to 45% and improve IT operations’ efficiency by 50% to 60%.

If you’d like to know more about managed IT support, then give us a call!