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Can You Reduce the Strain on IT Support?
 Businesses
IT systems are under increasing strain,
malicious software as well as the growing
number of PC-Connectable gadgets are putting
increasing pressure on computers and IT
support.
The use of gadgets like Mp3 players and
Smartphones to transfer music and video
files, documents and other content has been
found to be one of the biggest causes of
increased calls to IT support services.
The survey of IT directors by Touchpaper
showed five key issues that were causing the
most problems for IT support services:
- Viruses and security breaches
- Users introducing unauthorised devices
such as MP3s onto your computers and
networks
- Users not following guidelines
provided by the IT department or Management
- Users’ lack of basic IT skills
- Users trying to fix problems
themselves (and doing it wrongly!)
These are serious problems; however,
there are simple actions you can take to
minimise these problems.
Viruses and Security:
Our article on protecting your computers
from viruses and other security threats is
available free here.
New Devices and Gadgets: If
the device is being used as part of your
business (E.g.: Smartphone or PDA) then
installation should be fine. Non-business
gadgets such as Mp3 players should not be
installed on work computers; and programs
used to download Mp3’s should also not be
used.
No programs should ever be installed without
your (or other management) permission, this
will help prevent any issues with new
devices. This will also help prevent any
legal situations which may arise from
illegal or copied files and software.
Not Following Guidelines: If there
are specific instructions that your
employees need to follow, or if you are
providing guidelines for less experienced
users; make sure that the guidelines are
clear. Too many guides aimed at simplifying
computer use end up actually confusing the
user, causing them to ignore them.
If employees are still ignoring the
instructions, find out why. Maybe they know
them by memory, or maybe they think they do
not need them. If you know why they do not
use them, you can fix the problem. Good
guideline and help information can save time
and money, so they are worth the effort to
get them right.
Lack of IT Skills: If your
employees are lacking in computer skills
then there are two ways to improve matters.
Either provide good guidelines and
instructions, or help them to learn! Maybe
you could buy some basic IT skills software
or provide training. You could even just
spend some time with your employees to find
out how they are getting on with their
computers and software; and offer advice on
areas they are stuck with.
Wrongly Fixing Problems:
Many computer users feel that they lack
skills in using them; however there are a
small number who are over-confident. This
can cause problems if they wrongly fix a
program or settings; potentially causing
more serious issues or worsening the problem
they started with.
You can ask that all IT issues are passed on
directly to IT staff (if applicable) or
management; however, you may find that
providing simple guidelines on basic issues
will allow employees to solve them properly
without risking further problems. A ‘Help’
guide or FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
booklet/program/web page will allow
employees to find simple answers without
needing to bother IT or management staff.
While the survey focused on medium and large
businesses, the message is still just as
important for small businesses; perhaps even
more important. Whilst large businesses have
internal IT staff to deal with issues, small
businesses are likely to need to call out
costly external support or repairs services
for anything other than basic problems.
Not only do music and video files take up
large amounts of storage space (which can
slow down your systems), but if your
employees are using your equipment to
download these files illegally, or install
pirated (illegally copied) software; your
business could face legal action, even if
you are not aware that they are doing so.
For more information on the implication of
illegal software on your business computers,
visit our free article here.
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