Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 50 | Page 16

EDITOR ’ S COMMENT

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESSING LOCAL IT SUPPORT SERVICES

LOUISE TAUTE , MANAGING DIRECTOR , SOUTHERN AFRICA , WESTCON-COMSTOR
Digital Transformation refers to integrating digital technology into several business areas to deliver more value to customers . In other words , manual or nondigital processes become digitised and automated , which leads to higher efficiency and innovation . Louise Taute , Managing Director , Southern Africa at Westcon-Comstor , talks about how Digital Transformation , cybersecurity and cloud migration are considered the three main priorities for technology initiatives at organisations that lead to the need to outsource the management of IT tasks to a local specialist , which has become a vital business enabler . and resources to focus on helping achieve business growth . And even though these IT tasks might seem menial , they are still essential in tying together the systems and functions that make an organisation tick .
It is no secret that support services can provide flexible , on-demand remote monitoring and end-to-end support . But in a channel-dependent , IT market like South Africa , the vendor , distributor , partner , and client relationship can potentially be a challenging one to manage . So , when it comes to trusted partners capable of delivering a realistic IT support return , the ones who provide a company with a single point of contact to manage its IT real estate is non-negotiable . Whether it is managing requests from the customers themselves or the reseller partner , the distributor has a crucial role in facilitating this support . When done right , this support function can help companies ( both customers and resellers ) break free from many of the most frustrating IT concerns that can quickly fill their day . Specialist distributors that deliver these support services can manage IT , networks , and infrastructure through a single point of contact , thereby freeing personnel to deliver on their other core functions .
But what does a good support partner look like ? Having a service provider that can detect and diagnose issues while escalating significant problems can quickly deliver a return on investment that would not have been possible before . Considering the complexity of today ’ s IT infrastructure landscape coupled with skills hungry cloud

With Digital Transformation , cybersecurity , and cloud migration considered the three main priorities for technology initiatives at organisations , the need to access critical support services cannot be overestimated . But many companies struggle to put the necessary in-house resources in place to do so . This is where outsourcing the management of IT tasks to a local specialist can become a vital business enabler .

Whether due to limited budgets or having internal personnel focused on delivering strategic value , businesses do not have enough people to fulfil this function effectively . Handing over IT tasks can significantly free up teams , budgets ,
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