As our networks — and the devices on those networks — have become more complex, the need for dedicated, proactive tech repair and support has grown. To survive in the future, you will need to be able to look ahead and spot issues before they become problems, investing in proactive technology that keeps you one step ahead of threats — and your competition.
Reacting to problems once they’ve already wreaked havoc can be costly, while taking a forward-thinking, preventative approach to tech repair means you’ll save money in the long run and be ahead of the curve.
Ten or fifteen years ago, many of your tech issues were handled by an in-house IT department. Your office likely had several of the same desktop computer (or bulky laptop), making tech repair a little more simple. Using your personal device for work was starting to catch on, but far from the norm.
However, the rise of network complexity, as well as the increase of employees working remotely on their preferred phones, tablets and laptops, meant that tech repair had to innovate. The increasing cost of downtime also spells the need for proactive measures. Having the capability to look ahead and prevent issues before they can happen is the most cost-efficient way to manage tech repair moving forward.
Where will tech repair go from here? The future of tech repair will be proactive and could look wildly different from what we know today. Your company absolutely must evolve from a break/fix mindset, where problems are patched as they occur, to a proactive mindset, where you’re preventing these issues from happening in the first place.
Shifting Your Mindset
The “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” mentality might suit you fine in other areas of life, but when applied to your business, it can be costly.
Then there’s also the employee time spent starting and restarting outdated technology. Wouldn’t you rather have that money back in your budget?
Research shows that through reactive IT reporting, only 57% of critical issues are detected and addressed before they impact the business.
Using the basic break/fix IT model you’ve relied on for decades is actively holding you back from leading your business to new heights. Instead of calling up your IT department to put out fires, you can save a considerable amount of money by training them to take a proactive approach or by hiring a managed services team to spot potential issues coming up.
Artificial Intelligence-as-a-Service
As AI becomes smarter, computers are able to spot problems before they happen. Forward-thinking businesses are getting on board with this proactive technology, knowing that prevention is more valuable than a costly fix.
AI has been buzzing throughout many industries, but it appears the time is ripe for it to revolutionize the world of tech support, too. According to a 2017 report released at CES, “The Future of Tech Support,” 57% think tech support is better now than it was five years ago. Additionally, 70% expect the quality and convenience of tech support to improve over the next five years.
The need for proactive measures when it comes to important facets like cybersecurity has given rise to the AI-as-a-Service industry. This kind of technology, which can be a major force in shifting from a reactive to a proactive operation, is trending up as we start the new decade. The global AI-as-a-Service market was valued at around $2 billion in 2018, and is projected to rise to roughly $11.6 billion by 2024.
Around-the-Clock Vigilance
Hackers don’t keep business hours. To succeed moving forward, you need to get out in front of threats and make sure you have support 24/7.
Being proactive about the security of your tech ecosystem and preventing hackers from wreaking havoc has to be top-of-mind moving forward, as the costs of being reactive and recovering from an attack can be disastrous for your business.
Whether it’s working with a managed services company to monitor your tech ecosystem around the clock or investing in smarter technology like AI, you’ll need to look forward and spot problems before they happen. Ensuring that your technology is running smoothly and efficiently 24/7/365 has to be top-of-mind as we start the new year, or you could run the risk of falling behind due to costly reactive problem-solving.
This is a perfect time to examine your current workflows, establish a baseline and work with your CIO to identify opportunities for improvement and optimization. If you’re constantly having to patch or throw money into repairing outdated technology, 2020 can be your chance to look at upgrades that would shift your business into a proactive, problem-preventing mindset.
Taking a reactive approach to your IT in 2020 isn’t just costly — it can be the death knell for your business. There’s no excuse for being reactive anymore, as there are specialists who can provide around-the-clock monitoring and alerts of your servers, as well as the maturity of AI and automation, which can spot potential problems before they become costly issues.
Laying out clear short-term and long-term IT optimization goals not only keeps your technology ecosystem running smoothly, it can deliver major savings to your business.
As we start a new year, this is an ideal time to assess your company’s data security capabilities and make a proactive plan moving forward.