How Much Does Remote Support Cost?

In today’s work environment, companies need reliable technical support for their teams more than ever. Employees will be able to take the plunge and transition smoothly into working remotely, whether on a part-time or full-time basis. But how much does remote support cost?

Remote support provides businesses with round-the-clock technical support, system monitoring, network management, and more. Thus, more companies are willing to spend the remote support costs to ensure that their businesses run smoothly.

What Is Remote Support?

Remote support refers to a system that allows service providers to solve a client’s technical problems via a network. Users should be able to call, email, or chat with your service provider and have a problem solved within minutes. Livewire’s Invision Service is a great example of this.

You can leverage remote support to diagnose and solve both hardware and software problems on connected devices located remotely. Technical assistants are given access to network resources, files, and applications so that they can help you whenever you are in need.

Why Choose Remote Support?

Remote technical support ensures basic issues, such as configuration changes, troubleshooting errors, updates and patches, antivirus support, or installation, are resolved fast and efficiently. They are also usually available on-demand, 24/7 to ensure your team stays productive and motivated as they are not stuck waiting for support.

Other benefits of remote support include:

• Save costs associated with on-site technical visits
• Access to multiple technology system experts
• Minimal downtime due to improved response time to all tech-related issues
• Proactive technical support and system monitoring
• Convenience and increased employee satisfaction

How Much Does Remote Support Cost?

In terms of commercial technology solutions, the average remote IT support costs range between $60 and $100 per workstation and $100 and $400 per server. At that rate, you could consider our Invision Pro Service an incredible value.

If you are looking for more holistic IT support, managed IT services are preferable. Although the price changes from company to company, the rates are predictable and depend on specific factors that make up the pricing structure.

Remote Support Costs Could Include:

Number of Users
The price is higher for more users due to more locations, applications, and other critical infrastructure.

Technology Complexity
You are charged depending on your core business applications, the number and type of devices you use, working hours, as well as your preferred firewalls, routers, and access points.

Supported Apps
Your support provider will charge on a per-application basis. This works because some applications will require more monitoring, maintenance, and support than others.

Number of Locations
The complexity and costs of support increase with a rise in the number of offices or remote workers.

A Couple Remote Support Models:

When outsourcing tech support, you will come across two primary service fee models that are most suitable for SMBs: the managed IT services or the break-fix model.

The Break-Fix Model

If you opt for the break-fix model, you will only receive support costs for specific devices upon request. It is the more reactive approach where technicians can only fix problems and not provide ongoing maintenance. You agree on an hourly pay rate with some room to negotiate, depending on the time and materials used on a specific project.

Managed IT Services

When using this model, your support service assumes the role of your in-house IT department. This includes proactive remote monitoring, backup, support, and maintenance. This model provides you with a secure and robust remote working environment by responding to issues quickly and preventing potential system failures. Most managed service providers work on a monthly fee basis, dependent on the number of devices they will be working on.

What If We Pass On Remote Support?

According to a report by Gartner, service downtime can cost companies an average of $5,600 per minute. These numbers are higher now and can turn in millions for large businesses. It remains significantly less for SMBs, as revealed by an IDC report that estimates the cost to range between $137 and $427 per minute.

For many SMBs with remote work cultures, IT downtime is a growing menace. These costs are beyond what you know or see, and here is a breakdown of downtime costs.

1. Lost Revenue

Revenue loss is the most common indicator of the effects of downtime. You can calculate lost revenue by multiplying the cost per minute by the minutes of downtime. It is also dependent on several factors, such as business size and model and the industry risk index. For instance, media, communications, government, banking, finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and utility industries are the most vulnerable.

2. Decreased Productivity

Technology-related outages affect employees by leaving them with nothing or little to do and forcing experts to abandon or postpone other crucial tasks to manage and resolve the incident quickly. Employee morale also takes a hit due to multiple customer complaints, pressure, not to forget overwork when the systems are up and running again. Downtime may also disrupt the supply chain, which causes delays in multiple departments.

3. Reputation Damage

Due to delays, unavailability, and missed deadlines, customers and prospects can lose their confidence in your business. This will result in unprecedented losses, a lack of trust, and a damaged reputation. Rebuilding your reputation is expensive, not to forget that gaining new customers will cost you between five and twenty-five times the amount it costs to retain the old ones.

As the world continues to navigate the complexities of remote and hybrid workforces, services like Invision are here to support your organization. Send us your requests and we’ll handle the rest, so you can get back to work.

What Are You Waiting For?