HTL Support News

What began as a necessity in the wake of a global pandemic has now become a firmly established work approach. According to ADP Research Institute’s People At Work 2024 Report, 12% of employees globally are fully remote, while 33% work in a hybrid setup. The report also reveals that 37% of workers say their company has become more flexible about remote work in the past year. Now whether the number of work-from-anywhere employees rises or falls, one thing remains clear: remote work is a standard operating model for many organisations.

This shift offers significant benefits for both businesses and their employees. Remote workers can pursue an improved work-life balance, while companies gain access to a wider talent pool. However, this work arrangement has opened distinct challenges for IT support teams who are tasked to maintain productivity, security, and connectivity across a distributed workforce. Providing remote IT support in this landscape requires a strategic approach that combines automation, cloud tools, and proactive security measures.

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If you're like most remote workers, your VPN is an essential tool that keeps you connected to your organisation’s network resources and IT solutions. When the VPN works, it's practically invisible and it’s all business as usual. But when issues arise, these can put a huge dent on your productivity.

Remote working continues to be a work approach that many businesses embrace, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) play a crucial role in this arrangement. VPNs secur remote work environments by encrypting internet traffic and ensuring secure access to corporate resources. However, despite their benefits, VPNs can sometimes present challenges that disrupt workflows.

VPN management by your remote IT support team or a third-party provider is often necessary to minimise downtime and maintain seamless connectivity. However, being a remote worker means you could be halfway across the globe or in a different time zone from your London-based main office, for instance. In this case, being able to do some core troubleshooting can help you get back to work quickly or provide valuable information to your helpdesk.

London businesses rely heavily on technology so it’s no wonder that downtime is expensive: IT downtime can run into the millions in costs, never mind lost productivity. Finding the right IT support is critical but can be a tough call in London's crowded marketplace.

It’s tough to compare diverse service models, pricing structures, and to pick a partner that ensures consistent reliability.

In this article we’ll make a few suggestions to help you choose the ideal IT support partner in London – and we’ll look at factors such as the available service options, and also answer essential questions which you need to ask of potential providers.

In today's fast-paced business environment, enterprises of all sizes depend heavily on their IT systems to maintain operations. When these systems fail, the impact is immediately felt—and costly to boot. Recent studies show that the cost of IT downtime is currently estimated at about $9,000 per minute for large enterprises. While smaller companies may face lower direct costs, the relative impact on operations is still something that your business may not be able to handle.

The reality is that organisations can't afford IT disruptions, and this has highlighted the need for efficient and reliable IT support services. Recognising the challenge, many companies are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative solution. AI is revolutionising IT support services by automating repetitive tasks, accelerating problem resolution, and delivering personalised support.

Companies across London use essential IT for everything under the sun: from communication and data management to customer relations and product development.

It’s a dynamic business environment, characterised by rapid growth and intense competition – and London-based companies need reliable IT to make the most of it. The diverse range of commercial sectors present specific IT hurdles.

There are other factors, too, like high-density urban infrastructure and stringent data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR). Add to that constant pressure to innovate, and it’s easy to see that London-based companies need an IT support company with a solid understanding of the local landscape.

Gone are the days when IT support was just considered a convenience. Today, it’s a lifeline for most organisations. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) especially, quick resolution of tech issues, timely software updates, and prompt response to network troubles are no longer optional. These are essential for keeping things running smoothly. Reliable IT support ensures that employees stay productive, systems remain secure, and businesses adapt to an increasingly digital world.

But here’s the catch, though. Most small enterprises don’t have the resources for a full in-house IT team. That’s where remote IT support services, usually contracted through managed services providers, can come in and provide valuable tech expertise. In this blog post, we dive in and discuss how you can ensure your remote support strategy can contribute most effectively to your success.

Technology is the backbone of your business – but it’s also increasingly complex. From cloud vendors through to AI tools, many businesses lack the knowledge to fully support their internal IT systems, and to manage vendor relations.

That’s why companies turn to a group of internal and external experts to help them keep their IT in tip top shape.

The brunt of COVID19 has come and gone, but some adaptive approaches implemented at the height of the pandemic remain in its aftermath. Responding to employees’ preference of working from anywhere, many organisations are continuing remote work and/or hybrid work arrangements for suitable roles and duties. Remote IT support for instance, is one service that can be performed optimally with the right tools and solutions. 

Whether for IT support or other departments, the remote work setup has been a welcome move for many employees. But it has also opened up many challenges for IT teams, particularly in the area of cyber security. To address these concerns, enterprises have turned to a proven reliable solution for secure remote work: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI. VDI allows offsite employees to access a virtual desktop environment hosted on a centralised server. This is a more secure alternative than storing data on individual devices, thus keeping sensitive information off personal laptops and desktops.

No matter the size or industry, every organisation today should offer IT support services. These services could be for internal customers—employees, or external customers—clients, subscribers, and business partners. With the myriad of software solutions and devices being utilised in the modern work environment, IT support has unquestionably become a vital part of business enterprises.

The fact is, the absence of an IT helpdesk or even just subpar tech support can have far-reaching implications that will eventually outweigh any cost savings a company may enjoy in the interim. For instance, an hour of IT downtime could lead to substantial revenue loss and decreased employee productivity, among other consequences. Now having IT support is one thing. But offering proactive IT support is completely another thing because it elevates your IT services and ensures smoother, more efficient operations.