HelpDesk 855.694.6743
Sales 800.470.7001 | HelpDesk 855.694.6743
Choosing the right managed IT service provider can be challenging for any business owner. With an array of options and so many factors to consider, it can be difficult to decide what your business requires to meet its IT needs.
One of the most important factors to consider is the level of remote and onsite IT support you want for your business. Are you looking for a provider that focuses on primarily giving remote solutions and only visits your business location when necessary? Or would you rather work with a partner that visits your office frequently to provide proactive solutions and offer team training, on top of also providing easy remote solutions as needed?
Regardless of which option you think you prefer, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each level of service before hiring an IT company for your business. Continue reading to learn more about your options before making the decision!
Remote IT support is a method of service used by many managed service providers where tech support is completed without visiting your business’s physical location. The most common practice is that you submit a service request explaining your issue through an online portal and your IT partner responds via their preferred method of communication. Once you permit remote access to your computer, your IT support team then works to solve the problem.
Onsite IT support is a method of service in which an individual or team of IT professionals visits your physical business location to provide tech support. This level of service can be used for any business depending on the type of IT support they’re interested in receiving. Onsite IT support can be provided by an IT manager that’s part of your team or through an outsourced IT managed service provider.
Learn more:
How an IT partner can save medium-sized and large businesses money
The advantages of majority remote IT support all revolve around ease and flexibility, mostly from the IT provider perspective.
Many tech issues can easily be resolved remotely and if it’s done well, you’ll experience very little interruption to your work day. In some situations, you may even be able to continue working while your IT partner is resolving the issue.
The most popular advantage from the client perspective is that most remote IT support often allows you to reach your service provider outside of regular business hours with some even offering 24 hour customer support.
Majority remote IT support also takes away any geographical limitations. If you have multiple locations across the country — or even the world — you can receive IT support wherever you need from the same company.
With this level of service, your IT partner usually visits your business’s physical location when needed. There are certain issues, such as hardware problems, that can only be fixed in-person. In those situations, your IT partner will provide onsite IT support by visiting your office and fixing the issue when they are available.
The predominant disadvantage of majority remote IT support services is that if the team needs to provide in-person support, it usually takes them longer to respond and arrive then a team prepared to provide majority onsite IT support.
Majority remote partners also provide a very different client experience than onsite. With most remote teams, you’ll have a different person responding to your service request each time which doesn’t allow for you to form a collaborative working relationship with your IT partner.
As for cost, the price of majority remote IT services all depends on what services you’re getting. This makes it difficult to budget for because you usually won’t know the exact cost of services until you’re invoiced.
Majority onsite IT support allows you to receive hands-on support from a team or individual with whom you form a face-to-face working relationship.
In addition to the personalized service advantage, majority onsite IT support provides you with immediate solutions to your problems. Some problems, especially those with hardware, can be resolved quicker and easier with proactive onsite support than remote.
Consistent support from the same team also allows your IT partner to learn from previous issues and catch problems in the early stages before they become a roadblock to your business’s operations.
The positive working relationship that you build with your onsite IT support team also allows them to become a part of the decision-making process for technology either with your whole team or as a partner to your in-house IT manager. This relationship ensures you’re best equipped with the tools needed to run your business successfully.
Majority onsite IT services also provide your budget with controlled costs because if you have the right managed IT service provider, you’ll be paying based on a fixed-monthly price.
Majority onsite IT support providers also solve problems remotely when it’s the most effective and efficient solution to your issue. Your IT provider will understand that oftentimes in the tech world there are minor issues that can quickly be fixed with a remote solution that would only take longer if they had to travel to your office in-person.
Learn more:
What’s the difference between Break/Fix IT Services and Managed IT Services?
Depending on your needs, majority onsite IT support may be inefficient for your business. If you predominantly need limited IT support or frequently run into minor issues that require a quick fix, an IT partner with majority remote IT support may be more effective in solving your solutions faster.
In a world of remote-only IT service companies, NeverBlue IT is committed to our hands-on IT service management approach. We offer our clients regular onsite visits and proactive IT recommendations from local, highly trained technicians. All of our clients also have access to a 24/7 help desk as part of their fixed monthly price.
Contact us today to learn more!
Want industry insights, expert advice and IT news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter at the bottom of the page.
We’re social! Stay on top of the latest tech trends by following us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
