Managed IT Services to Keep Your Businesses Thriving Throughout COVID-19
It's no secret that many businesses are carrying more weight than usual while supporting their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few months, we've seen a dramatic reliance on technology. Tech systems are more critical today than ever before. More employees are transitioning to working from home and providing services remotely. Many businesses are trying to meet these challenges with older IT systems that aren't optimized for this usage level. So, what are the managed IT services you can use to keep your businesses thriving throughout COVID-19?
Now is the time to consider updating your IT support. The current pandemic has shown what can happen when outdated IT support systems get pushed to their limits. Businesses have had to very quickly digitally transform their technology. Many are making changes that would typically take months, or even years, in days. IT providers offer support to businesses of all sizes. However, shelter-at-home orders have made it difficult for many to reach their IT support when they need it most.
Managed IT services and teams are put to the test as the pandemic forces many to work from home. Hotlines, remote troubleshooting, and drop-off device repair centers are IT solutions for the pandemic-induced transition to remote working.
Remote work used to be an appealing option if you were getting extra work done over a weekend. However, most of us never anticipated that working from home would be a critical part of our long-term success. Remote working lowers your risk of getting sick. But shifting your employees to working from home can come with risks, from cybersecurity threats to potentially decreased productivity. This means support must be in place as more employees go completely remote for the first time.
However, a forward-thinking information technology team can provide solutions that keep you and your team working safely and effectively, no matter where you are. Behind the scenes, departments specializing in managed IT services are practicing a wide variety of tech support solutions to make that possible.
Here are our top strategies for managed IT services that will keep your business and your team running smoothly throughout COVID-19 shutdowns.
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Hotlines and Digital Chat
Whether you're working with a team of 5 or 500 employees, reliable IT support providers will have all hands on deck to provide on-call support when you need it. Hotlines and chat desks are the most popular methods of providing this type of support - and for good reasons.
When you're working remotely, you don't have access to immediate in-person assistance when your tech goes haywire. That's why many businesses that specialize in managed IT services use a main support number as a catch-all for tech questions that need to be answered quickly. From there, your support team can divert the question where it needs to go to ensure immediate assistance. Some IT support teams may provide a directory of three phone numbers: one for immediate needs and tech emergency situations, one for same-day assistance, and one for problems that need to be resolved within the week.
Chat desks are another excellent option for businesses that need immediate tech support. Live chat allows you to get quick answers to questions about your tech issues, which will help you solve problems faster. For example, if you are participating in a virtual training session, a tech team behind the scenes can offer support remotely through real-time chat in case of technical issues.
Virtual Troubleshooting
Your IT staff should be doing much more than just answering chat messages and phone calls that turn into help tickets.
In addition to running hotlines and digital chat desks, virtual troubleshooting can be an effective method for remotely resolving tech issues. For serious issues, your IT support team might take advantage of BeyondTrust's Secure Remote Access solutions, which allow your IT support team to hop into an employee's laptop remotely to troubleshoot. Your IT support provider simply sends you an email with a link, which will allow them to join and have full access to fix any issues on the machine.
Drop-Off Device Repair
Unfortunately, there are hardware issues that can't be solved through phone or virtual support.
One of the challenges many businesses will face will be for their tech support staff to arrange a way for employees to be able to drop off a device for repair by keeping both the technician and employee safe. Your IT support team may offer a walk-in or drop-off device repair option for a few days or hours every week.
In Webster Central School District in New York, Brian Zimmer's Educational Technology and Information department is among those running help desks that resolve tech issues for students, parents, and educators. He has two staff members who run a walk-in device repair center from a school building several days a week. One staff member sits at the school's main entrance, behind a roll-up window through which devices in need of repair are passed. This method is not entirely unusual in today's remote environment.
"We roll the window up, we get the device, and we wipe it down with disinfectant wipes that have been approved," said Zimmer. "The other person is 10 feet away working with gloves and a mask on."
While Zimmer's team is fixing the device, the staff provides the user with a loaner alternative. After each repair session, custodians clean the area thoroughly.
Since coronavirus is highly contagious and can live on surfaces, there may be a concern that the virus could be transmitted through a device turned in for repair. That's why another option involves leaving devices at a drop-off location in a sealed bag, where the device would be left for two days before being sanitized and fixed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Working from home often means a higher volume of help desk requests for your IT support team.
If this is the case, consider using a "Frequently Asked Questions" document. This could be a PDF your IT support team puts together. They can make this document publicly available for your employees to answer common tech questions. Once your community searches for the solution to their tech problem here, they can either use the document to resolve their issue or reach out to IT support if their concern is not directly addressed here. This both saves your IT support time in the long run and ensures that they can focus their efforts on the most pressing issues for your business, such as updating your cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity + Managed IT Services
With employees and employers alike scrambling to maintain business as usual in the weeks after shutdowns, the first priority after COVID-19 was simply making working from home happen – fast – with most people using their own devices and tech in hastily arranged home "offices" in order to stay connected and functioning.
There have been incredible stories of ingenuity and determination from IT teams since March. But there's no doubt that remote working, without an IT support team close at hand, has increased the risks of attack from cybercriminals.
Cybercriminals are on the lookout for opportunities to strike, now more than ever. And most of us are familiar with the dire consequences of a severe breach.
Many businesses may already have additional security measures in place to cover these new working arrangements. For those who haven't, now is the time to use managed IT services that ensure your team is protected.
There are three essential elements to consider: policy, technology, and communication.
Policy
Be clear about any security expectations for your remote workers, and make sure to do so in writing. This is for everyone's benefit, as most people appreciate transparency.
For instance, your policy statements could include requirements to:
Stay connected to the company VPN while using a public Wi-Fi network
Always keep software updates enabled to ensure that the latest versions of operating system software are in use,
Ensure all data and documents are being backed up securely and regularly
Use only unique, complex passwords that include at least one uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number, and symbol
Technology
There's been an increased use of more vulnerable personal tech and devices. As such, it may be necessary to improve your security profile with additional cybersecurity technology.
A VPN is a great example. Establishing a virtual private network (VPN) ensures remote workers can transmit or receive company data securely over the internet. This minimizes the risk of data interception from a cybercriminal. There's also multi-factor authentication (MFA) to consider, like that used for online banking. This will prevent a criminal who has stolen a username, email address, and password from gaining access to private systems.
Communication
Team members who are unfamiliar with remote working may be unaware of the new risks and dangers. Employees who are away from the support of their co-workers and IT professionals are also at risk. That's why it's vital to reach out and provide regular help and support.
Remember to emphasize the need to maintain the same safe practices at home that they would in the workplace. It's also important to avoid phishing emails and use strong passwords. Restricting the use of the internet to work-related activities is also useful.
Working remotely is a new challenge to face on top of the other stressors of COVID-19.
If you’d like guidance about enhancing the security of your remote teams, please reach out to our team. With 30 years of experience, we’re ready to help you with managed IT services.