Remote IT Support Team vs In-house Employees vs Freelancers: Who to Choose
Businesses today rely a lot on technology and a good IT support team is vital to ensure processes aren’t interrupted. There are three main options for obtaining the IT services you need; hire tech support in-house, use freelancers to provide support, or through remote IT support services. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks so we will take a look at all 3 to see which is best for you.
- In-house IT support: hiring in-house staff means you will have a dedicated team that puts your company’s IT needs first. In-house employees are also more likely to commit for the long-term and they can be trained if they don’t meet all your requirements. However finding local talent that possesses the necessary skills can be difficult and time consuming, not to mention expensive. You will also be entirely dependent on in-house staff and if one is absent it can cause issues and delay projects.
- Freelance IT support: there are many freelance IT tech support professionals for hire and this is probably the least expensive of the three options. You will have access to a large talent pool from all over the world and you can pick the specialist with the exact set of skills you need. Unfortunately, freelancers aren’t always available when you need them as they often take on more than one job and you may not be their first priority. It can be difficult to verify the skills and experience of freelancers and there is also the risk of important data being leaked or misused.
- Remote tech support services: it is generally much faster and less expensive to hire outsourced IT support than it is to hire in-house staff. You will also have access to a large talent pool and can assemble a dedicated team that has the skill sets you need without having to provide any training. There is the possibility of communication issues between you and your virtual support techs and you may feel you have less control over the process. There are also potential security issues such as leaked data.
The option you choose will depend on your needs but outsourced IT support services appear to be the best choice in most situations. It is less expensive than hiring in-house employees and you can build a dedicated tech support team with the necessary skills that can be customized to meet your requirements. Potential issues can be avoided by using the right IT support staffing services like those we provide.
IT Support Services Staff We Hire Can Provide for Your Project
Our IT help desk staffing agency can hire the specialists you need for any type of IT project. Services that a remote technical support specialist hired by us can provide include:
IT Infrastructure Management
Our IT infrastructure outsourcing service can handle all issues with your main IT framework from networks to devices and software. Some of the outsourced IT management support services you get from our specialists include network services, database services, security operations, helpdesk support, and infrastructure integrations among other things. You can request overall infrastructure management or select only the specific support services you need help with
Server Management Services
Although many businesses have converted to cloud services there are still a lot of companies that use in-house servers. Our server management services are capable of handling the hardware, software, backups and security issues related to your server. Some of the support services provided include updates to software and hardware, ensuring the server is operating correctly and backing up data on a regular basis. The specialists we hire are familiar with the tools and processes to ensure there are no slowdowns or other server issues so that it meets your business needs.
Remote Network Management
Hiring remote network management services through our company ensures that your network will function efficiently and dependably. The IT support offshore specialists we provide will monitor and manage every element of your network from routers to firewalls and switches. Services include dealing with all tasks related to the maintenance, operation, provisioning, security and administration of your network to ensure it functions efficiently and performs as required.
Security Management
Good IT security is essential for businesses but keeping up with the technology to deal with threats that are always changing is next to impossible unless you can focus on it full-time. When you outsource security management through our company you gain access to specialists in the field. Our security experts can provide an overall evaluation of your security measures and supply the expertise you need to combat threats. Services include monitoring antivirus systems, firewalls and intrusion detection systems, upgrading and/or adding additional security infrastructure, penetration testing and source code analysis.
Remote Network Management
We provide dedicated IT support for all the operations of your company that take place in the cloud. The specialists we hire for you are familiar with the main cloud platforms like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure as well as smaller providers such as IBM and Oracle Cloud. Support services include migration, maintenance, optimization, app tech support and SaaS support
Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
Your company’s data is always at risk of being lost, whether through natural disaster, hardware failure, human error or some other threat. To ensure access to data, applications and IT resources are restored quickly in the event of some emergency or issue; specialists from our company can develop and implement a disaster recovery plan for your business.
Other IT Support Services
We offer offshore and nearshore IT support services for diverse industries and can provide a wide range of services. Just let us know your requirements and we can quickly recruit the IT specialist with the skill set you require.
IT Tech Support Tier Levels Explained
To explain the level of technical support that is being provided, outsourced help desk services usually assign a tier to describe the level of support. This can be confusing to people not familiar with tech support tier levels. The following is a brief description of the different tier levels.
Tier 0
Tier 0 support is of a self-help nature. These are things that a company provides such as FAQs, manuals, web pages and others that allow customers to get the answers they need without dealing with a live person.
Tier 1
Tier 1 or L1 support, sometimes referred to as first-line support, deals with basic customer issues such as usage problems. Pretty much all tech support requests begin at the tier 1 level. Tech support agents at this level are usually trained to follow a script to help solve problems that commonly occur and the majority of issues will be resolved here. If no solution is available for the problem it will be escalated to the next higher tier by an L1 tech.
Tier 2
Tier 2 technical support requires tech agents with extensive knowledge of the product or service they are providing support for as they are assessing and providing solutions for problems that couldn’t be resolved at the previous level. Tier 2 techs will confirm the issue and check the work order to see what steps were taken at level 1 after which they will use their more advanced knowledge and skills to solve the problem. If unable to find a solution the issue is sent to the next level.
Tier 3
The specialists that provide level 3 tech support are highly skilled and may even include product engineers and developers. Problems at the tier 3 level are new and haven’t been seen before and the L3 techs are responsible for finding solutions to these unknown issues. When a solution is found it will be added to an internal troubleshooting knowledge base. Tier 3 techs also assist L1 and L2 techs.
Tier 4
Tier 4 support is the last resort when all other levels have failed to find a solution. It comes from outside the company and generally involves product or vendor support. L4 issues are complex and may include product bugs or other issues
Our IT tech support services can provide L1 L2 L3 support for your business.
Perks of Outsourcing Your Technical Support to Our Company
We are a Ukrainian-based IT support outsourcing company capable of fulfilling all of your company’s IT support needs. There are some definite benefits to be gained when you select us to assist you in building a remote IT support team. These perks include:
- Top IT talent: we have access to a huge pool of IT specialists with high level skills and extensive experience in diverse industries. Our specialist’s qualifications are verified by us and we can provide techs with even the most hard to find skill sets.
- Lower costs: salaries for the IT support specialists we hire are significantly less than those in North America and Western Europe for the same or higher level of skill and experience. In addition you eliminate other costs such as office space and equipment as those are assumed by us.
- We meet your needs: no two companies have exactly the same needs. We know this and can customize an IT team to meet your specific requirements. Our IT specialists are available on a part-time, full-time or per-project basis.
- Grows with you: staffing requirements can change quickly with little notice. With our talent pool we can help you scale up your IT team quickly without spending an excessive amount of time looking for specialists with the right qualifications.
In addition to IT support, we offer a number of other BPO services that range from back office support to marketing team for hire.
How Our IT Support Outsourcing Works with You
We have an effective process that we follow when you want to recruit a remote tech support specialist for your IT team.
- Determine your requirements: we talk to you via Skype or telephone to determine your specific IT support requirements.
- Candidate selection: the resumes of the best qualified IT support specialists matching your requirements are forwarded to you for your review.
- Conduct interviews: you conduct interviews of your preferred candidates by Skype or video conference. If you prefer you may also administer a test to assist you in your final decision.
- Final preparations: we establish a workflow and settle on a starting date. Once the service agreement is signed everything is set and ready to go.
Industries We Provide Technical Support Outsourcing for
The IT support specialists we hire for clients have extensive experience in a wide range of industries. Some of the industries we serve include:
- Telecommunications
- Agriculture
- Healthcare
- Automotive
- Retail and eCommerce
- Logistics and transportation
- Information technology
- Travel and hospitality
- Marketing and advertising
- Banking and financial services
- Manufacturing
The above are just some of the industries we can provide IT support services for.