What Does The Future of IT Support Services in London Look Like? 

I had a reflective moment the other day in which I was pondering how much IT support services in London have changed in the last decade (since we started Micro Pro actually).

Rainy days. You know how it is.

In the good ole days of IT support services in London (ahem), everyone required tech support at a granular level. Fortunately, turning it on and turning it off worked most of the time, but if a customer needed talking through a fix, it could really strain your patience.

The majority of problems back then were also software related. Subsequently, IT Support teams were spurred into action when something broke and needed fixing.

These days, IT Support teams are more proactive and use technologies that identify potential problems. The majority of problems are still predominantly caused by software, but we now have technologies that enable us to repair errors before the system breaks and not afterwards.

As technology matures, you would think the life of an IT Support team would get easier. In some ways it has. But technology is also making business networks more complex.

Businesses have to move forward so IT support solutions need to adapt to the complex demands of businesses.

The Importance of IT Support Services in London

In the digital age, IT Support Services are central to the continuity and productivity of a business. If any part of a business network is not functioning properly, it’s probably slowing productivity or stopping your employees from working altogether.

Business networks are increasingly complex, much more problematic than fixing software stored on a disc. The switch to cloud systems has triggered an influx of apps that perform various functions a business needs but rarely an entire one-stop solution in one app.

On the one hand, specialist apps make companies more efficient. And everything is great until the apps decide they don’t want to play nice. A software update can really throw a spanner in the works.

Complex systems require IT professionals to deliver intelligent solutions. Proficiency comes with experience. I don’t intend to discredit in-house IT professionals because I know they do a great job, but they have to figure out a new solution every time a new problem arises. And that can take time. A lot of downtime.

The ultimate objectives for IT support providers, whether in-house or remote management teams, are to minimise downtime and develop an IT infrastructure that makes your operations more flexible and efficient.

Personalised Support for Remote Workers

Proactive IT solutions have increased system availability to something around 99%. It’s pretty impressive even if I do say so myself.

But whilst the proactive approach improves optimal workflow, business technology is not 100% failproof. I wouldn’t like to suggest it won’t be in the future, but it’s highly unlikely.

IT support services provide a helpdesk by way of a safety net and whilst experts are on hand to fix the issue swiftly, personalised support for employees working from home will become a key feature of managed IT support in the near future.

Chatbots and phone calls will be replaced by face-to-face interactions via video conferencing suites. This enables both parties to put a face to a name and helps IT support teams build a rapport with their customers.

From a customer perspective, face time seems less informal and intimidating. Although this won’t necessarily mean problems will be fixed more quickly, face-to-face interaction increases customer satisfaction.

Facetime should also help to resolve a potential security breach. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility for hackers to start phoning employees up pretending to be IT support teams. So you will want to know who you are talking to.

Progressive Cybersecurity Strategies

Predicting future cybersecurity is virtually impossible because the attack strategies are in the minds of hackers. On the other hand, cybersecurity firms hire professionals that think like hackers to develop cybersecurity defences.

However, technology cannot completely secure your business network. The only way you can close and lock the doors is by ensuring your staff is up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity techniques hackers are deploying.

Cybersecurity awareness for employees is even more important for companies shifting to a hybrid model. The security risks in a distributed workforce are higher than an office-based team.

From a technology standpoint, installing a cybersecurity strategy that protects your business network at all endpoints and everywhere in between is not too difficult. Vulnerabilities occur when you have a workforce that is not aware of the latest strategies used by hackers.

Managed IT support providers in London will play a central role in the dissemination of cybersecurity awareness. Micro Pro already offers training, but there is scope to issue updates, bulletins and cyber risk modelling.

Progressive cybersecurity strategies will collect and analyse threat intelligence data to determine how vulnerable a business network is, where potential gateways are and how to batten down the hatches.

Continuous risk assessment and monitoring enables enterprises to determine the extent of cybersecurity strategies versus risk in financial terms, priority and long-term building.

Machine Learning for Advanced Automation

Artificial intelligence is arguably one of the most exciting fields of technological development right now. Needless to say, machine learning has found its way into the IT field.

We’re already starting to see automated support when live support isn’t available. The technology needs improving, but we’re pretty confident machine learning will be capable of performing advanced automation in the future.

Automation, of course, relies on computers recognising the patterns of its users. So even though machine learning is expected to be prevalent in future offices, businesses have to be prepared to invest in a technology that won’t deliver immediate results.

Advanced automation will need to go beyond learning the most common IT error requests logged in the system. But the potential for machine learning to improve efficiency looks promising.

According to a Mckinsey survey, leading organisations that have been trialling machine learning increased efficiency by around 30% and revenue by 5 to 10 per cent.

IT Support Services in London 

Micro Pro is a leading IT support specialist in London boasting over a decade of knowledge and an insight into the future. Our award-winning IT helpdesk provides exceptional customer service and our executive team specialises in business strategy.

For more information, contact us today so we can discuss how we can build a future together.