Your Stay-at-Home Workers Need Responsive IT Support

Working from home can be challenging for employees who are accustomed to going to an office every day. It’s not just a matter of loneliness and work-life balance. Many employees are likely struggling to make their home technology work as well as what they’re used to in the office.

Organizations need to ensure that stay-at-home workers have access to the IT support they need to stay engaged and productive. Managed desktop support services can relieve some of the strain on overstretched IT teams.

The Desktop Support Challenge

Most organizations have at least some stay-at-home workers, whether through official remote work policies or informal arrangements. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased the number of employees working remotely in a very short timeframe. According to a Spiceworks survey, 45 percent of companies were encouraging employees to work from home as of mid-March, up from just 13 percent in 2018.

Supporting stay-at-home workers requires a robust IT support infrastructure with automated tools and the ability to remotely manage systems. However, IT support processes are typically geared toward traditional end-user computing models, in which employees work within a physical office space using PCs that are owned by their employer and controlled by the IT department. Few organizations are prepared to support a workforce that’s almost entirely remote.

The Patch Management Challenge

Security is another major concern. Most organizations recognize the critical importance of keeping systems up to date with the latest operating system and application patches. However, most apply patches to desktops and laptops infrequently, leaving them vulnerable to emerging threats. A recent Ponemon Institute study found that 60 percent of security breaches could be linked to a vulnerability for which a patch was available but not applied.

In a new survey conducted by AimPoint Group, 59 percent of organizations said they update endpoints only monthly or even annually, with 15 percent of systems remaining unpatched after 30 days. Survey respondents are less confident in their ability to update remote PCs and laptops compared to on-premises systems. Legacy infrastructure, limited IT resources and the challenge of working with systems in remote locations are common obstacles that prevent organizations from keeping those systems up to date.

Of course, that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work has exacerbated the complexity and scale of patch management, and many IT teams are reluctant to push out patches and updates to remote computers over VPN connections that are already under strain. As a result, the pandemic has greatly expanded the attack surface with potentially vulnerable, poorly managed remote systems.

Few organizations are prepared to support a workforce that’s almost entirely remote.

How Managed Desktop Support Can Help

Managed desktop support services from GDS can ensure that end-users get the help they need and systems are kept up to date and secure. Our highly trained staff works around the clock, monitoring systems and rapidly responding to support requests. We have made significant investments in IT support management systems, giving us the ability to identify and troubleshoot problems remotely so that your stay-at-home workers remain productive.

But it’s more than reactive support. We proactively manage desktops to ensure that they’re secure and performing optimally. We also stay on top of emerging security threats, applying patches and updates to minimize the risk that a hacker will exploit a known vulnerability. If a security incident does occur, we’ll take immediate steps to contain it.

Remote work is a whole new ballgame when it comes to remote desktop support. Let GDS ensure that your stay-at-home workers have the responsive support they need so your IT team can focus on other tasks.

Benefits of Managed IT Services from Global Data Systems

• Strategic Managed IT: We help you solve your technology related business problems.
• Connectivity: We get you reliable, secure connectivity anywhere in the western hemisphere in 48 hours.
• Support: When you need help simply call our 24x7x365 support number.
• Billing: Instead of managing hundreds of vendors - get one, easy to read bill from GDS.

Contact Remote Desktop Support Provider, Global Data Systems >