Information Technology (I.T.) is no longer exclusively the province of the bearded nerd in chunky sweater and walking boots. Developments in software have increasingly put the emphasis on the user, rather than the expert. The users are now expected to be able to configure their workstations and software to meet their requirements.
This is good, if you're a user. Not so good if you are one of the experts in chunky sweater and walking boots. The expert suddenly finds himself or herself redundant, brushed aside by the new, empowered, competent user.
True?
Not at all!
Modern software, such as Windows 98 and Office 2000, is so complex and sophisticated that you need to become an expert before you can be a proficient user. The help files and manuals become ever thicker and more informative, but they are still written in language that assumes a great deal of background knowledge. To the average user, or, even worse, the complete novice, the manuals might just as well be written in Swahili or Serbo-Croat.
Unfortunately, as a result of massive downsizing, out-sourcing, Facilities Management deals and the like from the mid Eighties onwards, all done in the name of efficiency, there are very few people left to whom the user can turn fro advice and help.
If you buy PCs for your business now, you will very probably buy them from a large multinational company, because, quite simply, they are cheaper. The size of the company gives them massive buying power, so they can force down the price of components and pass on the savings to you, the consumer.
While this is good, there is (isn't there always?) a drawback. These same companies have farmed out their support functions to third parties who are themselves multinationals. The end result is that you buy equipment from someone whose head office is in (for example) Boston. They encourage you to purchase (only the term they use is 'invest in') an extended warranty from another someone whose head office is in (again for example) Dublin.
The warranty promises next day on site service for a year, and then two years return to base, parts and labour not included. Probably costs you about £75 ($117) for each PC. (This is frequently incorporated in the buying price anyway and thus disguised.)
When something goes wrong, you ring the support number you were given. This is what happened to me (actual, not hypothetical).
Ring (at premium rate).Three days later, someone arrives to fix a problem you don't have, on equipment you haven't got.
This is next day on site repair???
I had been supplying IT support services to big companies, mainly Blue Chip, living and working away from home for five or six days a week. If someone in that company had a fault, it was responded to withinan hour and fixed within a day, or heads would roll!
Then I decided to change focus and concentrate on the small and medium sized enterprises. I found that the above represented the usual level of service they were receiving. Either that, or their friend Fred down the road 'knew a bit about PCs' and was giving them help on an ad-hoc basis, in return for a few drinks at the local tavern.
It's why I changed the focus of Weblink I.T. - to bring the same level of professional IT support and advice enjoyed by big companies to smaller organizations. Weblink I.T. is the hub for a number of small, independent self-employed IT profesionals. All adhere to the same standards of quality, service and professionalism. All are people that I'm happy and proud to be working with.
We intend to continue operations on this basis, with an expanding network of dedicated professionals, so that no matter how far afield we spread, we will remain small at heart - so that we know our clients, and treat them like friends and partners, rather than numbers.
Local, so that same day or next day on-site means just that.
Specialised so that the people who speak to you or visit you know what they're talking about. If it's something we're not expert in, we pass it to another small, local company that is is expert in that field.
And you will never have to talk to a machine!
If you are in an area where we have an associate, phone at local call rates. If you don't get through, all you will get is a busy tone. In that cae, email or fax us. When you do get through, you will speak to a human being. If that human being is not the expert in the area of your problem, the expert will speak to you within 60 minutes.
If you are in an area not yet covered by us (and let's face it, most of you are in that category), we can still offer the same quality of service for subjects like Website design and development, database development, Website management and so on. (in other words, the areas that don't need physical presence). Contact us.
We will expand to your area eventually.
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