IT support is a service that offers assistance and solutions for technology-related problems, including setup and troubleshooting, and is typically provided by a team of IT professionals via help desk, phone or online channels.
As we move ever further into the digital age, the business need for in-house technical expertise has become universal. Information technology is no longer the sole responsibility of tech-sector organisations. The always-on, always-connected reality of modern business has made IT an essential component, without which most companies will grind to a halt.
Unfortunately, IT monitoring and maintenance has not necessarily kept pace with IT dependence; IT issues can occur without warning, and when they do, organisations are often left scrambling to identify root causes, repair vital technologies and remediate and resolve any resultant complications. Add to this the evolving dangers of cyberattacks and security breaches, and the IT vulnerability of modern business becomes even more significant.
To address these threats and improve business and operational resilience, organisations turn towards IT support. Here, we discuss IT support, what it offers, and how ServiceNow is revolutionising how employees and IT agents interact to find resolutions.
As IT has become ubiquitous among businesses, the roles and responsibilities of IT support personnel have become more extensive. At its most basic level, IT support is a broad term that encompasses any form of assistance with technology-related services and products. That means that IT support is equally responsible for installing new software or helping forgetful employees recover lost passwords.
At the same time, effective IT support solutions provide employees with the resources to quickly resolve issues and get the work back on track. Employees can get IT support at any time, from anywhere, and count on a fast, reliable resolution. This results in improved employee productivity, as well as increased job satisfaction and engagement.
With this in mind, the following are some of the more common tasks associated with IT support:
- Logging and processing support calls
- Installing and configuring computer hardware, software, systems, networks, printers and scanners Planning and undertaking scheduled maintenance upgrades
- Setting up accounts for staff and ensuring that they know how to log in
- Solving password problems
- Talking to employees to determine the nature of any problems that they encounter
- Investigating, diagnosing and solving computer software and hardware faults
Advanced ServiceNow IT support solutions from ServiceNow take things further, allowing IT agents to resolve repetitive IT tasks and requests via automation, using virtual-agent chatbots or predictive intelligence to automatically categorise and send cases to relevant teams. This should lead to improved service level management. Finally, a comprehensive dashboard can provide service agents with a complete view of IT support, backed by AI-informed recommendations and essential context. These advantages allow IT agents to resolve cases more quickly and accurately.
Employees likewise benefit from ServiceNow solutions for IT support. Omni-channel self-service options provide employees with reliable resources to find solutions, ask questions and get accurate, consistent information at any time. Mobile options allow employees to get support through the Now Mobile application, available on any mobile device. Collaboration tools can be integrated with Amazon Connect, Slack, Facebook Workplace and Microsoft Teams. And because support doesn’t only occur online, ServiceNow Walk-Up Experience streamlines face-to-face support requests, with online check-in, real-time queue estimates and automated notifications.
Modern information technology fulfils diverse roles, and the support needed to correctly operate said technology and achieve desired results can be just as varied. IT support encompasses a range of services and levels of expertise to address the full range of technological issues that organisations are likely to experience. These different types of IT support cater to unique needs and levels of complexity, and can be categorised as follows:
Level 0 support empowers users to independently retrieve support information with minimal or no assistance required from IT professionals. Instead, this kind of support relies on self-help resources such as websites, FAQs like ServiceNow Knowledge Management, technical manuals, blog posts, chatbots and online forums. Users can access these materials on their own to find solutions to common issues or answers to their questions, making it a valuable initial resource for troubleshooting. Many users prefer level 0 support because it often results in faster, more hassle-free solutions.
For those who need more support than may be available from self-help or automated options, level 1 support serves as the first point of contact with human support personnel for users facing basic issues, known problems and service requests. Typically, this level of support handles routine tasks such as password resets, initial troubleshooting and resolution of common issues. Users get in touch with the help or service desk when they require quick assistance and guidance to address straightforward technical challenges.
Not every support request is so easy to resolve, which is why level 2 support offers more comprehensive and specialised knowledge related to specific products or services. It comes into play when issues require a deeper understanding and expertise in a particular technology area. This level of support involves troubleshooting complex technical problems, addressing software or hardware issues and configuring systems to meet specific requirements.
Level 3 support represents the highest tier of technical expertise within an organisation. It consists of highly skilled product and service specialists who are called upon when incidents demand the utmost proficiency, or when technical support personnel are unable to resolve an issue satisfactorily. These experts excel in diagnosing and resolving intricate technical challenges, particularly those related to critical systems, advanced configurations or complex hardware and software issues.
When no one in the organisation can address the issue, outside help may be needed. Level 4 support involves engaging external entities, such as vendors and business partners, who are contracted independently of the organisation. This level is typically utilised least often, but may be necessary when all internal options have been exhausted. It encompasses vendor-specific solutions, third-party integrations and advanced consulting services, making it essential for addressing complex, non-standard scenarios.
Although it can be tempting to view IT personnel as homogenised across the IT support function, the truth is that there are two distinct roles: IT support specialists and technicians.
IT support specialists primarily operate on the frontlines of technical assistance. They are the first point of contact for users encountering a wide variety of issues and are adept at triaging and diagnosing problems, focusing on resolving straightforward cases quickly. Their expertise lies in providing immediate solutions, offering guidance on common issues, and ensuring that users can swiftly resume their tasks. When confronted with more complex problems, IT support specialists play a pivotal role in the escalation process – they gather essential information and insights before passing these cases on to the next tier of support, where more specialised technicians take over.
IT technicians typically occupy the second-line support tier, dealing with issues of greater complexity. Their responsibilities extend to addressing advanced challenges such as managing backups, troubleshooting database issues and optimising network services. Technicians possess specialised knowledge and skills that allow them to dive deeper into intricate technical matters, and are well-versed in the inner workings of various systems. As second-line support, IT technicians are crucial in ensuring the stability and functionality of critical systems and services within an organisation.
Just as there are multiple roles within IT support, various service levels also exist – each tailored to address the specific needs and complexities of technology-related issues. Understanding the distinctions between a help desk, a service desk and technical support is crucial for organisations seeking to provide the most relevant forms of assistance to their users.
The help desk serves as the initial point of contact for users looking for quick assistance with the most basic of technical problems. Its primary role is to provide rapid support, guide users through straightforward issues and facilitate the swift resolution of common problems. Help desk staff are adept at addressing level 1 enquiries and requests to help get users back to work. Generally, the help desk represents the frontline support for an organisation’s IT needs.
The service desk is basically an evolved version of the help desk, characterised by a more strategic approach to IT support. It goes beyond simply resolving immediate technical issues and takes on a broader role in managing IT incidents and service requests directly with users. Service desk professionals are equipped to handle a wide range of user needs, from troubleshooting technical problems to coordinating and overseeing IT service requests. They focus on optimising IT service delivery and enhancing the overall user experience by aligning IT services with the organisation’s strategic goals.
Technical support represents the highest degree of technical input when compared to both the help desk and service desk. This tier specialises in resolving problems that often go beyond the scope of initial troubleshooting. When users encounter complex issues that cannot be easily resolved by the help desk or that require specialised expertise, technical support professionals step in. Possessing the technical knowledge and skills necessary to delve deep into intricate technical challenges, technical support professionals are capable of resolving hardware or software issues, managing network configurations, addressing system integrations and more.
The benefits of IT support are as far-reaching as the responsibilities associated with it. By improving technical efficiency and reliability, optimising security and decreasing the mean time to recovery, ServiceNow IT support improves nearly every aspect of support.
IT support advantages include the following:
Increased ROI and reduced spend
Effective IT support is an investment. But considering that over two-thirds of all outages cost the targeted business more than $100,000, it is an investment that can quickly pay for itself. By decreasing problem resolution times within your business, you stand to save a significant amount of money that might otherwise be lost. At the same time, IT support can help you get the most out of your tools and systems, improving employee performance and the revenue-generating aspects of your business. And because ServiceNow IT Support is completely cloud-based, all relevant tools are maintained and accessible on a single platform, cutting maintenance and management costs in the process.
Increased innovation and speed
ServiceNow IT Support improves IT agility. Increased agility allows innovation to progress unrestricted, eliminating interruptions and setting the stage for further improvements.
Enhanced cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats are evolving at a rapid pace. Threat actors are using tools, techniques and intelligent strategies to adapt to counter traditional security measures. Having reliable IT support on hand improves your security standing, allowing you to respond more effectively and fluidly to new threats as they arise.
Delighted employees
Modern IT support gives employees the resources that they need to resolve problems quickly and directly, significantly reducing downtime. With the means to connect to IT wherever they are working (mobile, teams, Slack, desktops etc.), faster response times, and ways to quickly solve their own problems without any wait, employees will enjoy the freedom to excel in all their tasks.
Better IT adaptability
Just as the technologies that drive business today were all but unheard of twenty years ago, the companies of tomorrow will depend heavily on new advances and IT evolutions. To remain competitive, organisations need to become familiar with technologies as they become available. IT support is an effective resource for evaluating, testing and incorporating new tools and systems to better advance business goals.
Effortless scaling
Automated, cloud-based IT support services are capable of handling significantly more cases than traditional support solutions. Intelligently prioritise and assign tasks, identify and resolve incidents with speed, and grow your business.
Less time worrying, more time managing
With few exceptions, leaders should not have to spend their limited time chasing down IT issues. IT support takes many IT-related tasks off of management’s plate, freeing up their time to focus on managing teams and growing the business.
Maximised company efficiency
There’s a reason technology has become so ingrained in essentially every industry; the right tools supplement and support employee tasks, allowing businesses to do and achieve more while spending less. ServiceNow IT support incorporates advanced AI and machine learning technologies, unburdening IT staff and boosting productivity by as much as 30%.
Customised service
Your business is unique, and so are the IT issues that you face. IT support can address these issues in a way that is customised to meet your needs, requirements and limitations.
There are many different processes associated with supporting an IT organisation’s systems. Indeed, there was a time when many organisations kept their IT support personnel hidden away in basements, only bringing them into play when computer systems or important office appliances needed to be fixed. Those days have now passed: Modern IT support is an essential and fully integrated aspect of the organisational structure of any successful business.
Although many companies still prefer to keep separate IT support departments, others have begun fully integrating IT throughout other teams and departments. The reasoning behind this move may seem obvious – every team and department has its own technology tools, systems, databases etc., and, as such, should have its own IT experts to counter any unexpected failures or other issues that might arise.
But this shift isn’t only driven by the need for on-hand experts. Increasingly, that success depends heavily on how focused and committed an organisation is to digital transformation. As such, the traditional IT support relationship, where IT exists only to reinforce other departments, is giving way to a new order, where IT itself drives commercial and enterprise growth.
ServiceNow is at the forefront of this transformation.
- Revolutionise IT to drive productivity and delight employees anywhere, with always-on IT services to drive rapid innovation, increase business agility and unlock productivity.
- Deliver resilient IT service management on a single platform by using built-in best practices to rapidly consolidate disparate tools in a single system of action in the cloud.
- Improve IT productivity and boost agent efficiency with AI-assisted recommendations and automatically assign incidents to the correct resolution team.
- Automate support for common requests with virtual agents that understand simple, human language.
- Fortify IT with AI-powered service operations to self-heal and resolve issues fast.
- Harness shared data and analytics with a trusted single source of truth (CMDB)
- Improve IT productivity and boost agent efficiency with AI-assisted recommendations and automatically assign incidents to the correct resolution team.
- Shape service experiences for employees anywhere, with always-on IT services.
- Achieve new insights outcomes and proactively deliver high-quality service at scale.
- Gain full visibility into any process or service with built-in dashboards and real-time analytics that provide actionable information.
- Enable employees to find fast self-help and collaborate across IT, HR, facilities, finance, legal and other departments – all from a modern mobile app powered by the ServiceNow AI Platform.
ServiceNow ITSM provides increased value by bridging work across teams, registering microservices, correlating observable data, automating changes, predicting failures and more. Learn more about ITSM.