The Benefits of Help Desk Services in Houston for Businesses of All Sizes

When a help desk provider is partnered with your business, your team members can report issues directly through online ticketing systems, email, or by phone, depending on how the MSP you’re working with does business. After reporting the issue, you’ll be connected to an IT professional who can help. In addition, an IT help desk team can implement monitoring services to help identify potential issues before they happen.

Overall, having help desk services for your business enables your team to operate at a higher level and provide your customers with better support — all without expensive overhead costs like having a permanent, on-site IT team.

What Services Does a Help Desk Provide?

A help desk typically offers a variety of managed IT services, including security solutions, cloud computing services, network monitoring and management, and much more. Help desk service providers can help minimize downtime in the event of computer issues, as they are experienced in all things IT, can provide remote assistance, and will even send technicians on-site if needed for more serious issues.

Types of IT problems a help desk can assist with include:

• Computer software and hardware (slow computers, viruses, etc.)
• Data backup and disaster recovery
• Computer and network security
• Network or hosting monitoring and management
• Cloud computing/cloud applications, including migrations
• Email
• Asset management
• Vendor management
• Printer management
• DNS management
• Physical access control

Managed service providers assist with these kinds of issues by offering a wide range of services, such as:

• Remote and/or onsite help desk and IT support
• Anti-virus monitoring and updating
• Cloud management and implementation (such as Microsoft Office 365)
• 24/7 server monitoring alerts and patching
• Software development
• Web and application design
• Search engine optimization and analytics
• Tier-1 and tier-2 support
• Staff augmentation

Of course, these services are just a handful of examples. By speaking to potential MSPs, you can get a full list of the products and services they provide to better understand the scope of what they can offer within their help desk services.

The Benefits of Help Desk Services

The primary benefit of having managed help desk support is having access to experienced IT techs who can help diagnose and resolve IT issues quickly and, often, remotely. Generally, a help desk is offered at all times, offering 24/7/365 support. This continuous support and quick response time, even on the weekends or during holidays, means that your business’s IT processes are up and running at peak performance at all times. With help desk services on your side, you can address and fix problems quickly, minimizing downtime and cost to your business.

If your business already has an IT team in-house, you may be wondering if help desk services are even needed. In fact, for companies with internal IT staff, managed help desk services can take on the burden of mundane issues and allow internal teams to focus more on pressing company issues or long-term IT goals. In addition, a help desk service provider typically has more experience, a faster response time, and more comprehensive support options than internal IT staff. This is due to the wide range of clients MSPs work with and their dedication to all things IT.

Some of the advantages of having help desk services include, but aren’t limited to:

• Lower and/or Controlled Operating Costs – Managing the budget for your business can be tricky, but knowing what to pay for IT management doesn’t have to be. Outsourcing IT support to a help desk provider ensures lower operational costs and gives you a simple monthly payment.
• Expertise – IT is always changing. Having a help desk provider can help make sure your business has access to the latest knowledge and expertise from a team of seasoned IT pros.
• Risk Management – Keeping your IT infrastructure protected, up-to-date, and well-managed with the help of a third-party IT services provider helps minimize risk to your bottom line.
• Better Productivity & Performance – Proactive IT management keeps your business running smoothly for less downtime and better performance. In addition, outsourcing allows your internal technology resources, like in-house IT employees, more time to work on critical business strategies, increasing productivity and growth.