The 5 Pillars of an Unbreakable IT Support Strategy

Welcome to the Topic “The 5 Pillars of an Unbreakable IT Support Strategy”

Pillar #1: Reliable day-to-day IT support services

There is no finished information technology support strategy that does not include protection for the most fundamental needs, and that is your day-to-day support. If you don’t have a firm grasp on these foundations, it won’t matter how wonderful your gear or software is; it won’t make a difference. When developing your IT strategy, you should take into account the following components of day-to-day company life that could be influenced by the IT infrastructure you have in place:

Which will be your first line of defense in case of a problem with the hardware at your location: laptops, desktops, or servers? Does your information technology (IT) plan include any component that provides on-site engineer support?
How do you plan to accommodate employees who work remotely or in hybrid roles? Nowadays, providing information technology support over the internet is just as crucial as doing so in person, if not more so.
Do your information technology systems undergo some continuous monitoring? What signs will you look for to determine whether something has gone wrong?

Pillar #2: Complete coverage for cyber security

Because the world has become increasingly digital, it is not an exaggeration to state that the security of your digital life is equally as vital as the security of your physical life. In the same way, you wouldn’t leave your office door open without locking it and safeguarding it; you shouldn’t leave your company’s critical data or internal systems vulnerable to the risk of being compromised by cybercriminals. Ensure that you include cyber security as a main consideration when formulating your strategy for providing IT help. To maximize the efficacy of your digital protection, in addition to the fundamentals such as Multi-Factor Authentication and the most effective methods for securing data, you should investigate additional options such as the Cyber Essentials program run by the government of the United Kingdom.

Pillar #3: Budgeting and forecasting for IT provisioning

Okay, let’s get into some figures. If you’re like most people, when someone mentions IT strategy, the first thing that comes to mind is usually not the money. Instead, you usually start by thinking about your hardware and software requirements. But there is no denying that things come at a price. Working with an MSP allows you to use the team’s experience, enabling you to make more informed budgeting decisions. This is one of the benefits of working with an MSP. Take, for instance, the case where you have an on-premises server that has been operational for many years. Everything is operating normally, but what will happen if it unexpectedly needs to be replaced? This cost must be accounted for, and most of the time, more notice should be given. Because of this, we suggest trying to prepare your IT support budget based on short-term and long-term predictions, considering the hardware configuration you now have.

Pillar #4: Backup and disaster recovery

Talking of being prepared, the next pillar of a solid IT support strategy we’d like to cover is all about backup and disaster recovery.

It gives you peace of mind regarding the magnitude of the risk you are exposed to if your systems are compromised, destroyed, or fail.
It assists in developing comprehensive plans for unforeseen circumstances, such as determining values for the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and also Recovery Time Objective (RTO) that are suitable for your company.
It allows you to convince your clients that their data is safe in your hands and that they will be safeguarded even if the worst-case scenario occurs.

Pillar #5: Rock-solid system administration

Alongside the everyday things you should include as part of your IT support strategy – like errors, issues, and faults – you should also think about the ‘back room’ stuff. By this, we mean systems administration operations such as: