To keep up with increased demand, IT support services have been developing and evolving. On our blog, we’ve compiled a list of the top IT trends for 2021.
Support for information technology (IT) is an important part of corporate operations. Viruses, errors, and security breaches are the last thing you want to happen to all of your hard work. IT support services are put in place to keep your and your company’s IT resources optimal and secure, while also providing a positive client experience.
While it may be tempting to try to solve any difficulties on your own, putting your confidence in specialists may be the better option. Not only will they know what protocols to follow if your systems are infected, but they’ll be able to fix the problems faster than you could if you were learning on the job.
Because it’s typical for businesses to hold sensitive data online, enlisting the help of competent IT specialists to safeguard that data might provide you with even more peace of mind.
There are a variety of reasons why you would want to hire IT help, including:
- Protection against unplanned service outages, cyber-attacks/hacks, and data loss 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Expertise in the most up-to-date technologies
- Assist you in increasing the efficiency of your firm.
- For your IT requirements, specialized services are available.
- Customer service has been improved.
It should come as no surprise that the IT service industry in the United States is predicted to increase to USD$354.1 billion in 2021. There’s a lot of demand since, according to Rival Data Security, there were 1,473 data breaches in the United States alone in 2019. There were also 164.68 million sensitive papers exposed.
The demand for adequate IT assistance is unlikely to diminish very soon, especially in light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, which has compelled more people to work from home. Various IT support trends have evolved to provide services that are faster, more efficient, and more economical to keep up with the demand:
Use of social media
IT support for business service personnel has chosen to use social media as an enabler for IT service management (ITSM). The number of social media users in the United States reached 223 million in 2020 and is expected to climb to 257 million by 2023. IT support personnel have the chance to utilize social media as a new help desk tool, as younger generations increasingly rely on social networking platforms to submit problem reports rather than email (or the good old telephone).
IT businesses have been embracing and enhancing enterprise service management (ESM) (called the “new” ITSM) in an attempt to increase overall performance, efficiency, and consumer trust. ESM’s fundamental concept is to adapt and integrate IT assistance capabilities and ideas to other corporate areas and activities. One example is the introduction of automated services.
- The following are some of the advantages of ESM:
- Productivity and service delivery have both improved.
- Workloads that are evenly distributed
- a competitive advantage
- Enhanced control
- Ability to replace and reduce unnecessary procedures
- Assisting consumers in swiftly and simply resolving concerns.
Manual processes are being replaced by computerized ones.
As previously said, one form of ESM that has grown increasingly popular as a result of the pandemic is harnessing digital technologies. From limited working hours to achieving high client expectations, help desks encounter a variety of obstacles and pressures. Moving away from manual processes has been recommended as a strategy to boost customer engagement and staff efficiency, streamline operations, and provide new and improved services.
- The following are some of the other advantages of automation:
- Improved incident reporting and ticketing systems
- Workflows that are optimized
- Updates are made often.
- More advanced security systems
- User experience (UX) and staff experience have both improved.
- Process execution that is both faster and less expensive.
- Within current ITSM platforms, several organizations have implemented/improved the following functions:
Library of Information Technology Infrastructure (ITIL)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term that refers to a system that (for features like chatbots)
- Computer-assisted learning
- Virtual assistants
- Analytical software for the web.
It’s critical to address the concerns that have developed about a complete dependence on automation. It is believed that automating all, or perhaps the majority, of procedures would result in job losses. As a result, firms must prioritize operations that require human intervention and communicate this to their staff.
Employee experience that is improved
In 2021, increasing employee experience will be a top priority for IT firms looking to improve help desk functioning while also delivering improved outcomes. Employee productivity and engagement are at the heart of these initiatives, which makes sense given the link between happy workers and good service.
Automation helps, but so does focusing on strengthening the bonds between individuals and the organization as a whole. It’s also critical to expand and support services that address issues like identity, pride, and self-esteem.
Increased client satisfaction
Understanding clients’ wants, interests, and problems is an important aspect of IT assistance. While it has been stated that digitizing experiences and technologies will improve consumer engagement and UX, a Deloitte poll found that many people prefer a mix of virtual and real connections. While AI-powered alternatives are growing more “lifelike,” there still appears to be a need for human-to-human interaction.
This isn’t unexpected, given how aggravating it may be to run into an IT issue and then have to rely only on automated assistance to address it. Using a bot to express your worries can only get you so far. As a result, IT firms are experimenting with how to combine the best of both worlds to guarantee that consumers are happy with the degrees of automation available.
Some IT service organizations are shifting from thinking about service-level agreements (SLAs)—that is, ensuring deliverables are met—to so-called “experience level agreements” to attain better levels of customer satisfaction. This strategy focuses on ensuring that customers not only get what they desire but also that they are pleased with the transaction, therefore improving the company’s total consumer knowledge.
Finally, some thoughts
The importance of IT assistance in our digital lives cannot be overstated. Occasionally, merely turning your computer off and on will not resolve the issue. With constant security breaches, hacks, and problems, it’s more important than ever to keep critical data safe and customers happy.
In an attempt to keep up with the post-pandemic demand, many IT support trends have expanded around the world, including an increase in automated services, an emphasis on better employee and customer experiences, and the use of social media to file incidents reports.
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