The Benefits of Remote IT Support Compared to Onsite Support

There are some technical challenges that may require that you call an IT technician to come onsite to your office. Yet, even if it’s needed, it is still a disruptive situation to deal with. One of the key benefits of remote IT support is that it’s generally less disruptive, and a good provider will help you avoid reaching the point where onsite assistance is required.

In fact, a high frequency of onsite visits may indicate systemic flaws in your support team’s IT processes. It indicates that the IT provider is not monitoring systems effectively or taking preventative measures to mitigate issues before they escalate to the point where someone must come to your office.

This article will explore this idea in further detail. We will explain why overusing onsite support is a problem, when you do need onsite assistance, and 5 remote IT support benefits that are hard to replicate through a purely onsite model.

Why You Should Limit Onsite Technical Assistance

Firstly, onsite support is unavoidably expensive. You may need to pay for travel time or overhead. Secondly, onsite support can disrupt daily operations. Technicians moving through your office may distract employees, interrupt meetings, or occupy shared workspaces. These interruptions slow down productivity for multiple team members, not just those receiving support.

5 Remote IT Support Benefits That Onsite Can’t Compete With

1. It’s Better For Remote Employees

Remote IT support enhances the experience for remote employees by providing immediate assistance, regardless of their location. Depending on where your business is operating, some of your remote work employees may be too far for an onsite technician to visit. This is not an issue with remote support.

2. Improved Response Times

Although we advocate that quality is more important than speed when it comes to IT support, there is value in wanting reasonably rapid issue resolution times. This need is especially true for data breaches or software issues that prevent your business from running smoothly.

Remote technicians can address issues promptly without the delays associated with travel. Therefore, you will spend comparatively less time waiting for a technician to help you.

3. Cost-Effectiveness

Remote IT support is generally more cost-effective than waiting for onsite assistance. That’s because remote technicians can start working on your issue immediately, which reduces the amount of downtime you may face. 

This benefit is critical for small businesses, as downtime costs for SMBs can range from $137 to $427 per minute. Plus, remote support means no travel costs associated with a technician visiting your office.

4. 24/7 Availability

Onsite support may have limited availability tied to specific office hours. By comparison, remote support is usually available 24/7. Having technicians available to help with issues anytime is valuable as many problems occur outside regular business hours. For instance, 81% of ransomware attacks begin outside business hours.

5. Real-Time Data Analysis

Remote IT support offers tools that can create a continuous record of all ongoing work and detected issues. This documentation allows for an in-depth analysis of trends and recurring problems, which can be used to plan long-term IT strategies. Onsite technicians may not have the same capacity to maintain such detailed and continuous records during individual visits.

IT Issues That Seem Like They Need Someone Onsite That Do Not

One of the reasons why onsite support is overused is because there are some issues that you may not realize can be solved remotely. So, before you call for an onsite technician for these issues, consider the following. 

When Do You Actually Need Onsite Support?

Companies that handle sensitive data and follow strict industry regulations may need more frequent onsite assistance. In these situations, the added costs of onsite support can be worthwhile.

Even if that is not your case, certain types of IT issues do still need someone onsite to address them. Here are some examples of such cases to help you determine when the right time to call onsite support actually is.

• Hardware Repairs or Replacements: Physical hardware issues like failed components, damaged devices, or malfunctioning cables.
• New Equipment Setup: Installing or configuring new hardware, such as servers, workstations, or network infrastructure.
• Office Relocations or Expansions: Moving or setting up IT infrastructure for new locations.
• Disposal or Decommissioning of Equipment: Securely disposing of or decommissioning hardware, especially devices that hold sensitive data, may need to happen onsite.

However, working with a provider that uses secure remote tools can ease those concerns. Remote support providers with the right security measures can reduce the need for frequent onsite visits while still meeting your strict regulatory requirements.

Work With Truly Proactive IT Support Technicians by Working With Daystar

While the benefits of remote IT support are clear, that doesn’t mean you should choose a provider without an onsite option. Our point is that providers who overuse their onsite services may not be the best partner for your needs. 

It's best to look for a provider who proactively works to prevent issues to ensure network stability. Therefore, you can limit onsite visits to when it is truly necessary.

Daystar is focused on achieving that balance. Our team proactively monitors your IT infrastructure and performs all of the maintenance tasks that we can offsite. Our goal is to limit our number of onsite visits to only when you really need it. 

Reach out today to tell us about your needs.