To stay compliant, businesses rely on key standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST and PCI DSS, which offer essential guidelines for meeting regulatory requirements. In this blog, we’ll break down these compliance frameworks, explore their differences and explain how they help organizations meet their compliance needs.

Top compliance frameworks

With cyberthreats becoming increasingly advanced over the years, more stringent regulations have been implemented to mitigate their risks. These regulations play a key role in keeping data safe, protecting customer information and building trust in today’s complex digital world.

Let’s take a quick look at the four major compliance frameworks that IT professionals follow:

• System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2): This standard focuses on managing customer data by following five principles — security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy.
• International Organization for Standardization 27001 (ISO 27001): An international standard that helps organizations manage information security. It provides a framework for creating, implementing, maintaining and improving an information security management system (ISMS).
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): This offers a set of security guidelines originally for government agencies but is now widely used by private organizations to enhance their cybersecurity practices.
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): This standard ensures that companies processing, storing or transmitting credit card information maintain a secure environment to protect against fraud and data breaches.

With the right tools and systems, IT professionals can simplify compliance, automate audits and manage multiple frameworks more easily. This helps maintain ongoing compliance and quickly address any issues, allowing teams to focus on innovation and growth while staying secure and aligned with regulations.

Note: Regulation and Compliance Updates Every IT Professional Needs to Know

SOC 2: Protecting customer data with rigorous security controls

SOC 2 is a must-have compliance standard for any organization that handles customer data, so let’s examine it more closely.

What is SOC 2?

Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 is a set of compliance criteria focused on how organizations manage and protect customer data. It ensures that businesses have proper processes in place to safeguard sensitive information and meet strict security standards.

Purpose: SOC 2 is based on five key principles that guide how data should be managed:

• Security: It ensures systems are protected against unauthorized access, covering measures like firewalls, encryption and multifactor authentication.
• Availability: It guarantees systems remain accessible as per service-level agreements (SLAs), with backup solutions, disaster recovery and monitoring in place to minimize downtime.
• Processing integrity: It ensures data is processed accurately, completely and promptly, reducing the risk of errors or data corruption.
• Confidentiality: Enforces strict controls so that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data. This includes access controls, encryption and secure data disposal when no longer needed.
• Privacy: Ensures personal data is collected, used and shared in line with the organization’s privacy policies and regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA, throughout its entire lifecycle.

What SOC 2 aims to accomplish

SOC 2 is designed to help organizations across industries achieve the following key goals:

• Data protection: SOC 2 ensures strong safeguards are in place to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or breaches. It also guarantees that systems remain available and maintain data integrity, so businesses can meet operational demands without disruption.
• Privacy: It enforces strict controls to ensure customer data is handled responsibly. This includes restricting access to sensitive information, ensuring it is used only for its intended purpose, and securely disposing of it when no longer needed.
• Trust: Demonstrating SOC 2 compliance shows clients and partners that a business is committed to protecting their data. This builds trust and credibility, reassuring stakeholders that their information is secure.

Who follows SOC 2?

SOC 2 is commonly followed by:

• SaaS providers: Software-as-a-Service companies that handle user data.
• Cloud computing companies: Organizations that provide cloud-based services and manage customer information.
• Any business storing customer data in the cloud: Including hosting providers, managed service providers and third-party vendors.

ISO 27001: Setting the global standard for information security management

ISO 27001 is a globally recognized standard that provides a clear framework for managing information security. Here’s a simple breakdown:

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is an international standard that outlines the requirements for creating, maintaining and improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It helps organizations identify, assess and manage security risks in a structured way.

Purpose: The goal of ISO 27001 is to help organizations evaluate potential threats to their information systems and put security measures in place that align with their business objectives, such as maintaining productivity, protecting intellectual property and building customer trust. By aligning security measures with these goals, businesses can better allocate resources and balance risk management with growth.

What ISO 27001 aims to accomplish

ISO 27001 is designed to help organizations achieve the following goals:

• Systematic security management
  • Policy development: Establish clear policies for how information is managed, shared and protected.
  • Implementation of controls: Use technical, administrative and physical controls to protect information from threats.
  • Ongoing monitoring and review: Regularly audit and review security practices to keep the ISMS effective and up to date.
• Risk management
  • Risk assessment: Regularly identify and evaluate threats to information systems.
  • Risk treatment: Implement security measures to mitigate or eliminate risks.
  • Prioritization: Focus on the most critical risks based on their potential impact.
  • Incident response planning: Develop a plan to handle security incidents quickly to minimize damage.
  • Continuous monitoring: Keep an eye on emerging threats and update security strategies as needed.

Who follows ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is commonly followed by:

• Multinational corporations: Large global companies looking to standardize their security practices across multiple locations and jurisdictions.
• Financial institutions: Banks, insurance companies and other financial services that handle vast amounts of sensitive customer and transaction data.
• Organizations with global reach: Any business that needs to meet international security standards, especially those handling critical data or operating in highly regulated industries.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework: U.S. government standards for security

The NIST CSF offers clear guidelines to help organizations improve their cybersecurity. Here’s what it covers:

What is NIST?

NIST is a voluntary framework created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It provides a structured way for organizations to manage and reduce cybersecurity risks, with the flexibility to tailor it to their specific needs.

Focus: NIST CSF provides best practices for identifying and managing vulnerabilities, strengthening security systems and building resilience. This helps businesses protect their data and systems from potential cyberattacks.

What NIST aims to accomplish

NIST CSF is designed to help organizations across industries achieve the following goals:

• Identify: Understand the assets, data and systems at risk.
• Protect: Implement safeguards to ensure critical infrastructure and data are secured.
• Detect: Put mechanisms in place to identify potential cybersecurity events.
• Respond: Develop plans to react to detected security breaches or incidents.
• Recover: Enable quick recovery from cybersecurity incidents to minimize damage and downtime.

Who follows NIST?

NIST is widely adopted by:

• Government agencies: Used extensively by U.S. government bodies to protect sensitive data and systems from cyberthreats.
• Defense contractors: Defense and aerospace companies rely on NIST standards to meet strict cybersecurity requirements.
• Highly regulated industries: Sectors such as finance, healthcare and critical infrastructure that require strong security protocols often turn to NIST for guidance.

PCI DSS: Payment card industry data security standard

The PCI DSS sets important guidelines to ensure businesses that handle credit card information maintain a secure environment. Here’s a breakdown:

What is PCI DSS?

PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to protect payment card data. It applies to any business that processes, stores or transmits credit card information, ensuring they have the proper security measures in place to keep payment data safe.

Focus: These standards cover key areas like network security, encryption, monitoring and incident response to protect cardholder data throughout every stage of a transaction.

What PCI DSS aims to accomplish

PCI DSS is designed to help businesses:

• Protect cardholder data: Securely store and handle credit card information, ensuring that data is encrypted, protected and only accessible by authorized personnel.
• Prevent fraud and breaches: Reduce the risk of data breaches and fraud by enforcing strict security controls for all systems involved in processing payment information.
• Maintain a secure payment environment: Establish a secure, compliant environment for handling transactions, reducing the likelihood of payment fraud.

Who follows PCI DSS?

PCI DSS is commonly adopted by:

• E-commerce companies: Online businesses that handle digital payments rely on PCI DSS to secure customer payment data.
• Retail businesses: Brick-and-mortar stores that accept credit card payments must follow PCI DSS to protect transactions and customer information.
• Financial institutions: Banks, payment processors and credit card companies use PCI DSS to ensure the safe handling of payment data.
• Any business handling credit card transactions: Whether online or in person, any organization that deals with credit card payments needs to comply with PCI DSS.

Key differences between SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST and PCI DSS

This table highlights how these standards differ in terms of focus, scope and certification processes, helping organizations choose the right framework based on their needs.

How Kaseya can help simplify your compliance journey

Navigating the complexities of compliance can be challenging for any organization, but Kaseya offers integrated tools designed to streamline the process, ensuring your business meets the requirements of frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST and PCI DSS easily.

Kaseya’s Compliance Manager GRC is a powerful tool that automates many of the time-consuming tasks involved in compliance. It helps IT professionals manage risk assessments, policy creation and compliance reporting with ease. By automating these processes, Compliance Manager GRC reduces the burden of meeting compliance requirements, making it simpler to stay aligned with various frameworks.

For businesses operating within Microsoft 365 environments, Kaseya 365 offers an all-in-one solution to unify data security and compliance. It provides continuous monitoring, management, and protection of critical cloud data, helping ensure that your organization remains compliant while also safeguarding sensitive information.

Drive growth with Kaseya’s powerful tools

With Kaseya’s tools, managing compliance becomes much easier. You can streamline the entire process, reduce the complexity of handling multiple frameworks and focus on growing your business without sacrificing security. Schedule a demo of Compliance Manager GRC and Kaseya 365 today to see how these solutions can simplify your compliance efforts and help you meet your security goals.

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As we explore the nuances of RDCMan, we will also introduce how Kaseya’s VSA (remote monitoring and management) enhances these capabilities, providing a more integrated and scalable solution for IT management.

What is remote desktop connection manager?

Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) is a software designed to help system administrators efficiently manage multiple remote desktop connections. It is ideal for use in large environments like server farms and centralized data centers, where quick and easy access to numerous remote systems is crucial.

Core functions of RDCMan

RDCMan is a vital tool for system administrators, enhancing access, security and efficiency in managing networked remote desktops. Its scalability and robust management features make it an indispensable resource for effective IT infrastructure administration. Core functions include:

• Centralized access: RDCMan consolidates multiple remote desktops into one interface, enabling quick transitions between different sessions without the need for repeated logins.
• Streamlined management: The tool organizes connections into manageable groups, simplifying navigation and operation across extensive networks.
• Efficient connection management: Administrators can quickly manage and switch between sessions, saving valuable time and reducing the potential for errors.
• Enhanced productivity: RDCMan allows for the pre-configuration of login details, which speeds up the process of connecting to various systems.
• Scalability: Suitable for both small and large-scale operations, RDCMan supports network growth without performance losses.
• Security features: It offers encrypted credential storage and session logging, important for maintaining security and compliance in corporate settings.

How does RDCMan work?

RDCMan works by allowing users to organize their remote desktop connections into a single interface. This organization is achieved through:

• Grouping and organization: Users can create groups for better management and categorization of remote connections.
• Tabbed interface: Each remote desktop is accessible via a tab within the application, making navigation between sessions seamless.
• Credential management: RDCMan stores login credentials, allowing automatic authentication to remote desktops.
• Thumbnail previews: Users can view live thumbnails of connected desktops, making it easier to monitor and switch between tasks.
• Customizable settings: Configuration options such as display properties and connection settings can be customized for each remote desktop.

By consolidating remote desktop management into a single, easy-to-navigate interface, RDCMan not only saves time but also reduces the complexity associated with managing multiple remote connections. Its comprehensive set of features — from grouping and credential management to customizable settings — makes it an essential tool for system administrators looking to enhance efficiency and security in a remote desktop environment. Whether managing a small team or a large-scale operation, RDCMan provides the necessary tools to maintain an effective and secure IT infrastructure.

What are the key features of RDCMan?

RDCMan is equipped with several pivotal features designed to optimize the management of remote desktop environments. These features not only streamline operations but also enhance security and scalability within IT infrastructures. Here’s a closer look at what makes RDCMan a preferred tool for system administrators managing multiple remote connections.

• Time efficiency: RDCMan significantly reduces the time spent managing multiple connections by consolidating them within a single window. This centralized approach allows for quick navigation and control, saving valuable administrative time.
• Improved organization: With RDCMan, remote connections can be organized into distinct groups. This structure improves clarity and manageability, making it easier for administrators to oversee numerous connections without confusion.
• Enhanced security: RDCMan secures login credentials in a centralized repository, which minimizes the risk of unauthorized access. This secure storage is essential for maintaining the integrity and safety of remote desktop access.
• Scalability: As organizations grow, so does the need to efficiently manage an increasing number of remote connections. RDCMan scales effortlessly to accommodate growth, ensuring that expanding networks are managed without loss of performance.
• Intuitive interface: The user-friendly, tabbed interface of RDCMan simplifies the management process. This intuitive design allows system administrators to efficiently switch between multiple remote desktops with ease, enhancing user experience and operational flow.

The robust features of RDCMan make it an invaluable asset for any IT department, particularly those requiring high levels of organization and security in managing remote desktops. By integrating time-saving functionality, enhanced security measures, scalable options, and an intuitive interface, RDCMan not only meets but exceeds the demands of modern remote desktop management. For IT administrators seeking a powerful tool to streamline their remote desktop operations, RDCMan presents a comprehensive solution that drives efficiency and maintains security across multiple platforms.

The role of Kaseya VSA (RMM) as a Solution

While RDCMan offers basic functionalities for managing remote desktops, Kaseya VSA integrates these features into a more comprehensive IT management solution. Kaseya VSA extends the capabilities of traditional RDCMan by providing:

• Advanced remote monitoring: Proactively monitors and manages IT infrastructure efficiently.
• Enhanced security features: Offers robust security measures including automated patch management and real-time antivirus protection.
• Automated IT management tasks: Streamlines complex IT processes through automation, significantly reducing the workload and minimizing human errors.

By automating routine tasks and bolstering security protocols, Kaseya VSA ensures that IT environments are not only easier to manage but also more robust against potential threats. For organizations looking to optimize their IT operations, Kaseya VSA offers a powerful solution that extends beyond traditional remote desktop management, making it an essential tool in the modern IT toolkit.

Why should businesses consider Kaseya VSA (RMM)?

As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of modern IT demands, the importance of a reliable tool like Kaseya VSA becomes undeniable. It provides not just operational efficiency but a strategic advantage in managing and securing IT resources effectively. Kaseya VSA goes beyond mere remote desktop management by integrating advanced monitoring tools, automated management tasks and enhanced security features that together foster a secure, efficient and highly responsive IT environment. These capabilities make it an essential asset for any IT department, especially those facing the challenges of rapidly evolving and increasingly complex network infrastructures.

To discover the full potential of Kaseya VSA and how it can transform your IT management strategy, we invite you to download our whitepaper on fast and reliable remote desktop management. Take the first step towards redefining your IT operations by starting a free trial of Kaseya VSA today and experience firsthand the transformative impact it can have on your business.

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In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the features and benefits of the Kaseya Help Desk service and discover how it can set your business on the path to higher profitability.

What is the Kaseya Help Desk service?

The Kaseya Help Desk is an outsourced, white-labeled IT support service designed to provide your clients and end users with high-quality technical support. By troubleshooting issues consistently, swiftly and efficiently, the service will ensure seamless operations and uninterrupted productivity for your business on a budget.

Our dedicated Help Desk staff will triage, manage and solve the large volume of L1 and L2 tickets, freeing your technicians to focus on solving complex IT issues that need their attention and expertise. The expert technicians manning the Kaseya Help Desk will amaze your clients with service that is second to none, boosting your credibility and profitability.

The biggest advantage of the Kaseya Help Desk is its 24/7 availability. Your clients or users can dial in at any time of the day or night and have someone address their issues. This function is available to everyone, regardless of the size of your business. If you’re an MSP, a help desk operating round the clock can give your business a significant advantage over competitors, helping you win deals, acquire more clients and scale your business without worrying about operational constraints.

What makes the Kaseya Help Desk different?

As an industry “one of a kind,” the Kaseya Help Desk is here to redefine efficient and high-quality IT support with innovative features.

Maintain compliance with government rules

Keeping compliance and security in mind, the Kaseya Help Desk team operates entirely from within the region. The U.S. office, situated in Orlando, Florida, comprises U.S. citizens, while EU citizens staff the Ireland office in Dundalk. Whether it’s CMMC 2.0 or GDPR, the Kaseya Help Desk will meet all your compliance requirements.

White-labeled for your business’ success

The Kaseya Help Desk is yours by definition. Our technicians will answer the phone and respond to emails as if they were part of your team. They will use your runbooks from IT Glue and remediate tickets that show up in your PSA/ticketing solution, ensuring a seamless resolution process consistent with your policies and protocols.

Skilled staff provides top-notch service quality

The skilled technicians operating the Kaseya Help Desk service are experts at navigating a number of industry-leading solutions, such as VSA, Datto RMM, Vorex, BMS, Autotask and IT Glue. With a three-minute call pickup (SLOs), the Kaseya Help Desk guarantees swift response times, ensuring efficient issue resolution for exceptional end-user experience.

Cost saver and efficiency driver

With the current economic climate getting grimmer by the day, reducing costs and saving money is everyone’s priority. The Kaseya Help Desk service provides unlimited tickets per device model for complete support that unlocks business growth. By leveraging economies of scale, the Kaseya Help Desk ensures that our services cost you less than hiring a technician would. So, while your competitors cut back, you can scale your business and get a leg up without burning through your budget.

Benefits of the Kaseya Help Desk service

These are the top benefits of the Kaseya Help Desk service for your business:

Provide the highest level of service quality

Having technicians repeatedly perform mundane tasks can lead to exhaustion and decreased morale, ultimately affecting service quality. By redirecting their focus and expertise toward more challenging and impactful tasks, you can boost their productivity and morale and foster a sense of accomplishment within the team. As your technicians return to doing things they love, our team will be hard at work crushing tickets with remarkable efficiency and speed.

Accelerate your growth

Incredibly, 81% of organizations are experiencing a shortage of skilled tech workers. A lack of skilled technicians can force you to delay your growth plans and even rethink your long-term business goals. Even if you find the right candidate, you might miss the growth opportunity since onboarding technicians and getting them up to speed can take time. The Kaseya Help Desk has some of the best technicians, equipped with the knowhow to provide outstanding support so you can confidently scale.

Increase profitability

Outsourcing to the Kaseya Help Desk will instantly expand your margin since it is more cost-effective than hiring full-time technicians. This will immediately reduce your overhead expenses associated with maintaining an in-house staff while also giving you access to a diverse pool of technicians.

Decoupling sales success from operational woes for MSPs

Although many MSPs have a powerful and effective sales process, growing the support team becomes unaffordable. With Kaseya Help Desk, your operational efficiency and potential are virtually unlimited, enabling you to onboard clients and users without overloading your operations team. This seamless scalability ensures that your service quality remains uncompromised even during periods of rapid growth or increased demand.

Better work-life balance

Despite constant efforts to improve the work-life balance of IT professionals, increasing workloads and limited resources do little to solve the problem. A staggering 70% of MSP executives and 62% of IT technicians at small and midsized businesses (SMBs) reported working on a holiday or weekend.

IT professionals are being asked to do more with fewer resources every day, leading to acute burnout and stress. By significantly reducing the strain on their schedules, one of the outcomes of the Kaseya Help Desk service is to help IT professionals enjoy a healthier work-life balance. Eliminating burnout and stress leads to a decrease in technician churn, creating a more stable and satisfied workforce.

Elevate your IT support experience with Kaseya

The Kaseya Help Desk is a best-in-class IT support service designed with a focus on empowering MSPs and small to midsize businesses (SMBs) to exceed their highest growth targets. Partnering with Kaseya to manage your IT service delivery will help you streamline your help desk process, giving you opportunities to scale and grow.

Outsourcing your mundane tickets to our help desk will not only strengthen your process but also make it more cost-effective. Moreover, you can uncover more gains by channeling the skill and time of your technicians towards long-pending, high-priority IT projects. Gear up to see a dramatic improvement in your budget and technician workload. To find out more, click here.

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Whether you are an MSP providing a host of IT services to clients or a small and midsize business (SMB) with big ambitions, having a smart and reliable help desk plays a significant role in ensuring business continuity. It’s a service that your clients and users turn to when flustered by something as simple as a forgotten password or as critical as server issues before an important project delivery.

Through quality technical support and speedy resolution to problems, help desks play a pivotal role in helping businesses maintain uptime, provide seamless service delivery and win the trust of their clients and users. Whether you are looking to start a help desk from scratch or improve an existing one, our blog offers great pointers while also serving as a refresher. Give it a go, you’ll be wiser for it.

What is a help desk?

An IT help desk is a platform or tool that enables businesses to organize customer communication and respond to IT-related queries quickly and effectively. The IT help desk tool helps your IT team track and resolve IT issues generated from different channels from a single console. The tool saves time and promotes faster and more effective resolution of issues, thus enhancing the overall user experience and driving business growth.

What is the difference between a help desk and a service desk?

Although often used interchangeably, help desk and service desk are different from one another. Let’s take a look at what differentiates the two.

Help desk

A help desk provides technical support to end users, troubleshoots customer and user issues, and/or guides them through specific tasks and actions. Help desks can be incorporated with larger service desks or exist as a separate operation. The definitive goal of a help desk is to provide resolutions for user requests as efficiently as possible. Help desks are designed to be reactive in nature and are often considered a subset of the service desk.

Service desk

An IT service desk encompasses a broader set of functions as compared to a help desk. It is essentially a single point of contact between the service provider and the end users. As opposed to a help desk that is focused on problem resolution, a service desk is designed to take care of the overall business needs.

In addition to managing service requests and resolving incidents, a typical service desk also facilitates user communication. It focuses on improving the efficiency and performance of IT technicians, meeting service level agreements (SLAs) and shaping the way IT professionals deliver their services to both internal employees and customers.

What is the function of a help desk?

Most organizations deploy help desk management software to create, manage, process and resolve tickets. Here’s how a typical help desk management software resolves customer queries:

1. A user registers an issue by raising a ticket in the help desk management software.
2. The help desk team is then notified of the ticket via email, push notifications or SMS.
3. Next, based on the rules set by the team, the ticket is either automatically assigned to a technician or manually picked by one based on the skill set and availability.
4. Next is the ticket processing stage, where the technician assigned to the ticket will try to fix the issue. The technician may:
   • Interact with the user by posting replies and updates to the ticket
   • Attach files to the query for more information
   • Escalate the ticket to another team
5. Once the issue is fixed, the technician notifies the end user of the same and marks the ticket as resolved or closed.
6. Depending on the type of the ticket, the issue and its resolution may be posted to the knowledge base to help other technicians troubleshoot the same issues in the future.

Why is a help desk important?

An efficient IT help desk is a quintessential part of any successful organization. The fundamental aim of an IT help desk is to provide swift and effective resolutions for user queries. It is a critical business resource that helps in reducing downtime associated with customer support services, increasing efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction.

The help desk software prioritizes issues based on category, nature, level of criticality and more, enabling the technicians to multitask. Ticket management, which is the core function of a help desk platform, helps sort customer interactions based on demographics, date and urgency. By automating ticket management, you can easily speed up the process of case resolution.

Having a full-service help desk is critical for businesses to be more holistic in terms of services offered. While a service desk is more strategic in nature, a help desk is more tactical. As such, you need to get the tactical aspect right to build a strong foundation for your business.

What are the benefits of a help desk?

Now that you understand that a help desk is a vital part of any business, let’s discuss some of its benefits:

• Streamlined operations: A help desk solution acts as a one-stop shop to manage all your customer queries, complaints, needs, requests and support. It is essentially a single point of communication between you and your end users and helps resolve any IT issues swiftly and effectively.
• Increased customer satisfaction: Customer experience is at the crux of any business operation. To that end, an IT help desk facilitates a seamless experience for your customers when they interact with your business by providing them a uniform business response and predictable business response times as committed in the SLA. In addition to this, most help desk management solutions today provide similar experiences across various platforms, including smartphones, tablets, desktops and the like.
• Knowledge repository: A library or knowledge base that stores comprehensive information on IT issues and ways to troubleshoot them is an invaluable resource for businesses. An IT help desk management software helps curate this knowledge repository, helping IT teams resolve similar issues quickly in the future. Additionally, your end users can directly troubleshoot their common IT issues with help from the knowledge base. This will lead to lower ticket volumes in the long run.
• Improved ROI: Although deploying a help desk solution involves additional investment, these costs are offset by the high return on investment through higher team efficiency, greater productivity, enhanced product quality and greater customer satisfaction. An IT help desk also helps get real-time feedback on service and product issues, thus eliminating the costs associated with conducting post-release surveys.
• Strong reputation and brand image: As mentioned earlier, an IT help desk provides a seamless customer experience that leads to greater customer satisfaction. Happy customers are loyal to your business and more inclined to recommend your brand to others. As such, deploying an IT help desk can be very helpful in establishing a strong brand image and building a good reputation in the market.

What are some goals and objectives for a successful help desk?

Now that you understand how beneficial a help desk can be for your business, let’s discuss some common KPIs that you must track in order to evaluate how effective your customer support efforts are.

• Average resolution time: The average resolution time is an effective measure of how long it takes to resolve a user query. Evaluating the average resolution time helps you analyze whether you are providing your customers with the level of service promised and identify any potential opportunities to ensure faster and more effective service delivery.
• First response time: The first response time is the average amount of time a technician takes to provide an initial first response to a support ticket or query raised by a customer. It is important to minimize your first response time as much as you can to ensure customer delight.
• First contact resolution rate (FCRR): The FCRR is the percentage of help desk queries that are resolved during the first interaction with the customer. As such, the greater the FCRR, the better the customer experience. As such, it is imperative to continually track and improve your FCRR in order to enhance customer satisfaction and build a stronger brand image.
• Cost per ticket: Another important help desk metric, cost per ticket is a measure of the average costs involved in resolving a request. Tracking this metric will allow you to evaluate the efficiency of your help desk technicians and the resources you most commonly use to fix issues.
• SLA compliance rate: The SLA compliance rate is the percentage of IT incidents that are resolved within the agreed-upon SLA parameters. This metric is an effective measure of how compliant you are with your SLAs and when you must make an effort in order to improve it.
• Customer satisfaction: One of the most important help desk KPIs you must track, customer satisfaction can be measured by providing your customers with a way to rate your services and provide feedback on their overall help desk experience. Tracking this metric will help you ensure that you are delivering help desk services to the best of your capabilities.

What are help desk best practices?

Implementing an effective and efficient help desk is a major challenge that most growing businesses face today. Here’s a list of best practices that you must keep in mind to ensure your team makes the most of your help desk to minimize business disruptions, drive efficiency and enhance customer experience.

• Deploy a robust help desk solution: One of the major prerequisites of building a strong help desk is deploying the right help desk management solution that works for you. The right help desk solution will not only enable you to seamlessly handle large ticket volumes but also help control your overall IT costs.
• Automate common processes: A robust help desk software will allow you to automate common, low-value help desk workflows and processes and free up time for your technicians so they can focus on more critical issues at hand. For instance, by automating ticket distribution, you can ensure that any incoming tickets are automatically routed to the relevant technicians. This leads to faster ticket resolution and greater customer satisfaction.
• Establish your SLAs: Setting your SLAs is imperative to establishing standards for your help desk team and helping your technicians prioritize their work. These SLAs help set timeline expectations for customers and ensure that your support team is consistent with the support offered.
• Measure help desk KPIs and metrics: As mentioned earlier, measuring your help desk metrics and KPIs helps you analyze whether you are providing the best possible help desk support to your users or not. It also helps in identifying key areas for improvement to ensure the most effective and efficient help desk support for your users and enhance overall customer experience.

Help desk services with Kaseya

We understand that building a help desk is easier said than done, especially when skilled technicians are hard to find. Moreover, the constant influx of mundane tickets is an energy drainer, one of the main causes of technician churn.

In today’s environment, outsourcing your IT support services is a smart approach. Outsourcing your daily IT tickets to Kaseya Help Desk Services is a surefire way to provide quality IT services to your end users, accelerate growth and increase profits. Whether trouble comes in the form of economic headwinds, IT staff churn or increasing workload, we will ease the burden on your team by tackling all your L1 and L2 tickets. Our white-labeled service provides 24/7 ticket management, and our industry-leading service level objectives (SLOs) will guarantee satisfaction for all your clients and users.

We deliver a best-in-class user experience at a price that will knock your socks off. We look forward to working with you on your growth journey. Learn more about our services and join the waitlist today.

The post What Is a Help Desk? Understanding Its Function, Benefits, Goals and Best Practices appeared first on Kaseya.

By Daniel Garcia, CCO of Pia
Guest Author 

In today’s current technological climate, managed services providers (MSPs) are in demand more than ever. With more businesses looking to outsource their IT, there are endless opportunities to seize. That said, it’s important to recognize that the need to scale operations is equally key to business growth. 

As an MSP, you know that your technicians play a crucial role in your business. They’re the backbone of your service desks and often are the first people in the office and last out. Having an entire service desk operation, complete with technicians, enables you to deliver on the promises you make to your customers. However, all too often, the technicians get stuck doing mundane and repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Password resets, new user creations and user terminations are just a few examples. Doing the same repetitive tasks can often lead to employees becoming dissatisfied with their roles and looking for the nearest exit. 

What if there was a solution to this? What if there was a tool you could implement that would free up your tech’s time, enabling them to focus more attention on more complex areas of their roles? Sounds too good to be true, right? 

Automation Is Key to Success 

Implementing an automation solution will help your company improve its service desk. By definition, automation is the process in which technology is used to complete daily tasks with minimal human interaction. So, rather than your techs working their way through an endless stream of tickets, you can use the automation tool to quickly and efficiently sieve through the noise. The result? A better night’s sleep for your techs and improved operational efficiency across the board, which will result in higher customer satisfaction rates as tickets are being resolved promptly. 

Automating tickets will enable you to improve your operational efficiency. According to Logic Monitors’ recent research report, “The Next-Gen Managed Service Provider” (registration required), 95% of the 600 businesses surveyed say automating their processes is necessary to gain the time to focus on innovation and strategic goals. This suggests that if you automate the most time-consuming and repetitive tickets, your techs will have more time to focus on growing their skill set, building relationships with customers and working on areas that will help you grow your business and become more profitable. 

Let’s take the number of errors you usually see across your service desk. As humans, we all make mistakes and get a little burnt out sometimes. However, an automation solution will help reduce the number of errors. This is because when a ticket is logged in, specific instructions for that ticket and those like it will be triggered and performed the same way each time, leaving little to no room for error. 

In the same way that you will see a reduction in errors, you will also see an increase in productivity. Again, this is because each ticket has a set of specific instructions, which are automatically performed the same way each time, even if your techs are out of the office. This speeds up the resolution process and gives your techs more time to focus on other key aspects of their roles that will contribute to business growth and improved customer satisfaction. 

Which Type of Automation Is Right for My Company? 

As with any solution, the options available are endless, but finding the right one for your business can be challenging. Do your research before you dive headfirst into purchasing and implementing an automation solution. Spend some time hopping on a few demos and seeing how the solutions work and integrate. You should also consider if the solution can help mitigate your pain points. Can it help to save you time, money, and resources? Will it deliver faster ticket resolution times? And most importantly, does the vendor align with you and your business needs? 

Automating ticket resolution is a game-changer for MSPs. However, going through the buying and implementation process can be challenging as you need to fine-tune what works for you and your business. What can be said for automation is that in doing it, you will be allowing yourself to provide your customers with a lot more, which will ultimately contribute to ensuring your MSP remains profitable and grows in the right direction. 

This is a sponsored blog post.

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You could have easily circumvented this situation with access to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). As the name goes, VDI makes it easy for employees to access applications and data from any device, anywhere. Moreover, the infrastructure is hosted on a centralized server, ensuring better security and easy management of user permissions.

Our must-read blog explores the working of this transformative technology and how it’s helping users achieve high productivity even in remote and hybrid work environments.

What are virtual desktops?

VDI is a desktop virtualization technology that helps companies build and manage robust virtual desktop environments for their employees or clients.

A virtual desktop is a mirror image of your physical desktop setup, including the operating system, applications and all your important files. You can access it on any device, from anywhere, as long as you have access to a reliable internet connection. Each virtual desktop environment needs to be paired with a virtual machine (VM) that is hosted on a centralized server located on-premises or in the cloud. VMs, in turn, are created and managed by virtualization software called hypervisors, also hosted on the centralized server.

Companies can build several VMs and virtual desktop environments on a single server that users can access through a browser, thin clients, laptop and even their smartphones while in the office, at home or on the move.

What sets VDI apart from other desktop virtualization methods? Unlike session-based or application virtualization, where multiple users share a single virtual instance, VDI empowers each user with a personal and highly customizable virtual environment. Its USP is a one-to-one relationship between users and VMs, which is missing in other desktop virtualization technologies.

A surge in demand for employee efficiency and enhanced data security is expected to drive growth in the VDI industry, which is projected to reach 19.8 billion in 2031. In today’s remote and hybrid work landscape, VDI helps businesses provide employees more flexibility to access resources anytime and anywhere. In turn, companies can enjoy centralized management for enhanced security and infrastructure control while reaping the cost-effective benefits of bypassing hefty hardware investments.

History of virtual desktops

The concept of virtualization originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then in the early 2000s, under a new wave of virtualization, users started looking to virtualize everything from servers to storage and network capabilities.

As people started exploring the idea of applying virtualization to desktop environments, some VMware customers began hosting virtualized desktop processes with VMware servers. Enter VDI. Seeing this development and its potential, VMware launched a VDI product and ended up coining the term. Soon, other industry giants like Citrix and Microsoft followed suit, joining the VDI movement.

Fast forward to today, VDI has become a game changer in the world of computing. It has opened doors to unparalleled flexibility, scalability and efficiency, empowering organizations to embrace the cloud and revolutionize their desktop environments.

What are the benefits of using virtual desktops?

Virtual desktops offer benefits to both employees and employers. This technology makes accessing company resources easy for employees and managing IT a breeze for employers. Here are the core advantages of using VDI:

Provides centralized management: The core concept of VDI is to store all desktop instances on a single server, which makes it easy for IT teams to deploy, patch and maintain software, monitor data and enforce security policies. They don’t have to waste precious hours overseeing each endpoint individually, which is a drain on resources, but instead benefit from a streamlined and efficient IT management process.

Top-notch security: Since all the virtual desktop data and processes are stored on a central server, IT teams can easily control access to applications and sensitive data based on user permission. Moreover, IT technicians don’t have to juggle between managing security for various endpoints or chasing scattered data, making the implementation of robust security measures effortless.

Better flexibility and work-life balance: VDI allows employees to work from any location, effortlessly tapping into company resources, as long as they have an internet connection. Let’s say an employee has spent hours working on a critical application on their office system and, due to an emergency, has to work from home for an extended period of time. By accessing the VDI on their home computer, the employee can access the desktop environment as it was left and resume work seamlessly. Transferring files or lugging heavy storage devices is no longer necessary. This approach grants better flexibility and fosters a better work-life balance.

Consistent desktop environment boosts productivity: Users can not only access their virtual desktop environments from any device, but they can also take comfort in knowing that their personalized desktop settings remain consistent. It’s all too common for users to work on a specific software version on one system only to encounter compatibility issues when logging into another system with an older version lacking essential updates. VDI effectively resolves this problem by ensuring users have access to the same operating system, applications and tools with identical configurations across devices, which otherwise can take hours to sort through.

Scalability: VDI is a game changer for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and MSPs that experience rapid fluctuations in their desktop environment requirements. With just a few simple steps, a virtual desktop environment can be effortlessly created on a VDI-enabled server and swiftly made available to a new employee. Whether it’s accommodating a growing team or streamlining operations during quieter periods, VDI provides an agile solution that keeps pace with the ever-changing demands of a business on its growth trajectory.

Lower costs: The cost of investing in and maintaining hardware desktops is high, especially considering the lack of flexibility they provide to remote workers. By implementing VDI, businesses can not only reduce upfront hardware expenses but also reduce depreciation and maintenance costs. The beauty of VDI lies in its ability to streamline operations by minimizing the number of physical devices required, leading to significant reductions in server usage and energy consumption. These cost savings show up in the top and bottom lines resulting in a healthier financial outlook for the business.

How are virtual desktops managed today?

In simple terms, a virtual desktop environment relies on three key elements for smooth operation. Firstly, it requires storage to store virtual desktop images and data. Secondly, it needs computing power to enable users to run the desktop environment, complete with operating systems and applications. Lastly, a reliable network is essential to ensure uninterrupted access for users and prevent downtime.

Traditionally, businesses would invest in separate servers, storage and networking equipment, which often required complex integration efforts, especially when sourced from different vendors. Also, managing multiple vendors, license agreements and billing makes the process tedious and drains resources.

This is where hyperconverged infrastructures (HCIs) come into play. HCI combines storage, processing power and networking into a single unit, eliminating the need for individual components. The components within HCI are designed to seamlessly and efficiently work together, resulting in a more streamlined and faster infrastructure. This makes HCI the ideal environment for hosting a VDI, reducing complexity and simplifying the configuration and monitoring of virtual desktops. Moreover, HCI is highly scalable, allowing for easy expansion by adding more nodes as the VDI infrastructure grows.

In a nutshell, HCI is an efficient solution for managing VDI environments, allowing businesses to reap its benefits without breaking the bank.

How VSA manages virtual desktop infrastructure

We can’t stress enough that Kaseya VSA 10 is the one and only unified remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution that lets you manage your whole universe of devices in a way where each device is treated as first class, including your VMs.

VSA connects directly to the hypervisor and offers a single, consolidated view of your entire virtual infrastructure across multiple platforms. You can create a new Connector for each Hyper-V and VMware hypervisor you wish to manage and view and manage all your virtual devices on a convenient topography map.

VMWare and Microsoft Hyper-V are two leading server virtualization vendors. Hyper-V is a type-1 native hypervisor provided by Microsoft. It allows you to run multiple operating systems (OSs) and VMs on a single physical server. Similarly, VMware is a virtualization technology that allows you to run multiple OSs and VMs on the same physical machines.

Concluding thoughts

When it comes to managing virtual systems, VSA 10 offers unmatched speed and efficiency. Ahead of its time, it’s designed to help you easily discover, map and monitor virtual environments while providing increased security and scalability. Once you experience its capabilities, you will never consider returning to your old RMM. To experience the transformative and revolutionary power of VSA 10, schedule a demo today

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This blog explains how remote access works, the different ways to carry it out, the benefits, importance and more.

What is remote access?

In its most basic form, remote access is the ability to connect to a computer or network in one location from another place. This can be done in several ways, including via the internet, through a virtual private network (VPN) or by using specialized software, such as a remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool that allows one computer to control another.

IT technicians or employees no longer need to be present on-site to provide or receive IT support. A technician can remotely connect and support a device using remote access tools and technologies. In our post-pandemic world, where hybrid work is taking center stage, remote access makes it easy for employees to work from home or anywhere in the world. You can be out of town and still be able to manage your business without a hitch.

What is an example of remote access?

An example of remote access is when you use a computer, smartphone or tablet to connect to another computer or network from a different location.

There are several everyday scenarios in which remote access comes into play. For example, if you need to access files on your work computer from home, you will use remote access to do so. Similarly, if technicians need to troubleshoot an issue on an employee’s computer, who is working remotely, they would also use remote access.

In both these cases and many others, remote access provides a convenient way to get the information, software or help to do your job without being physically present in the office.

What is the difference between remote access and remote control?

Remote access allows you to access files and applications on another person’s computer without taking control of it. This is useful for people who need to work remotely, such as remote workers or people who travel frequently.

Remote control, on the other hand, allows you to take control of another person’s computer from your own computer. This is often used by IT support professionals to troubleshoot problems on someone else’s computer.

How does remote access work?

As already stated, remote access is the ability to access a computer or network remotely. There are many different ways to do this, but they all involve using some kind of protocols, tools, software and connections.

The most common way to get remote access is by using a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs are commonly used in businesses so that employees can access company resources from their homes or while on the road.

Another common way to provide remote access is via remote desktop protocol (RDP), a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that works with Mac operating systems as well. IT professionals use RDP to share data between connected computers or troubleshoot problems on other computers. Furthermore, RDP encrypts the data before transmitting it, making it a secure way to share information over public networks.

You can also use SSH (Secure Shell) to securely connect to another computer and transfer files back and forth.

Many tools and services also enable users to access files remotely on other computers. These include solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

What are the different types of remote access methods?

There are broadly three types of remote access methods: direct, indirect and VPN.

Direct remote access is the most common and simplest type of remote access. It involves using a computer or other device to connect directly to another computer or device over the internet.

Indirect remote access usually requires some intermediary server, such as a web-based email service, to relay messages between two computers or devices.

VPNs create a secure, private connection between two computers or devices over the internet.

The following are some common methods of remote access:

• Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP): PPP is a TCP/IP protocol used to connect two computer systems over a telephone network or the internet. It is a data link layer communication protocol that connects two routers directly without using a host or any other networking protocol. It can authenticate loop connections, encrypt transmissions and compress data.
• Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE): PPPoE is a combination of PPP and the Ethernet link-layer protocol that connects users to a network of hosts via a bridge or access concentrator. It encapsulates and transports IP packets over an Ethernet link using PPP.
• Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP): SLIP is a simple protocol that communicates over serial ports and routers using TCP/IP, enabling communication between machines that were previously configured to communicate directly with one another.
• Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP): PPTP is a networking protocol used to connect to VPNs. People who want to connect to a network in a different location than they are in use this protocol.
• Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP): Also known as virtual lines, L2TP connections enable corporate networks to manage IP addresses assigned to remote users. As a result, remote users can access corporate networks at a low cost. L2TP has two tunnel modes. The voluntary tunnel terminates at the remote client, whereas the mandatory tunnel terminates at the internet service provider (ISP).
• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): RDP is used to access a desktop computer remotely. Remote desktop users can operate their work system remotely (e.g., to edit or create files) and run applications just like they would if they were in front of their computer.
• Remote Access Services (RAS): RAS acts as a gateway or a server to let users connect to a company’s internal local area network (LAN) remotely.
• Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS): RADIUS provides centralized authentication, authorization and accounting AAA management services for remote access users in a distributed dial-up network.
• Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS): TACACS is an authentication protocol that allows remote communication with UNIX server.
• Internet Protocol Security (IPsec): IPsec creates encrypted connections between devices and ensures the security of data transmitted over public networks.

What is the most common form of remote access?

A VPN is the most common way to securely connect to a private network over the internet. VPN allows you to access resources on the private network as if you were physically connected to it. Businesses commonly use VPNs to allow employees to access corporate resources remotely. Individuals also use them to securely connect to public Wi-Fi networks and protect their privacy while online.

Using an endpoint management tool, you can create scripts to set up VPNs that provide secure access to your office environment for remote workers. Not only that, but it also makes VPN access easy for end users. Once VPN clients are installed on all of your remote endpoints, you can monitor those clients in your endpoint management tool to ensure they are up and running. If the client goes down, you can also auto-remediate the issue by restarting the VPN client via policy-guided scripts.

Why is remote access important?

In an increasingly mobile and connected world, remote access is more important than ever. It allows employees to work from anywhere, at any time, using any device. It also provides a way for businesses to connect with customers and partners in real time, regardless of location.

There are many benefits of remote access, but the following are the most noteworthy:

• Increased productivity: Employees can work from anywhere, anytime, using any device. This flexibility can lead to higher productivity since employees can better manage their time and work around personal commitments.
• Improved collaboration: Remote access allows team members to collaborate in real time, regardless of location. It helps enhance communication and teamwork.
• Lower costs: Businesses can reduce office space and equipment costs when employees can work remotely. Additionally, businesses can reduce travel costs by conducting meetings and conferences online. In addition, remote access supports bring your own device (BYOD) practice, so employers don’t need to invest heavily in buying computers for new employees.
• Enhanced security: When properly implemented, remote access improves security since it allows for better early detection and remediation of potential cybersecurity breaches. Additionally, data can be stored remotely off-site, reducing disaster-related data loss risks.

What are some benefits of remote access?

With remote access, you can keep your business running smoothly no matter the economic environment. It also keeps you up and running when a natural disaster like a hurricane or a pandemic strikes and threatens business continuity.

Most MSPs understand how hard it is to keep up with their clients’ ever-changing requirements. With seamless remote access, MSPs can check in on their clients’ endpoints from anywhere at any time. Additionally, remotely providing services to clients reduces costs and ensures continuity of service, improving client satisfaction. Clients are more likely to recommend MSPs with a faster response time than their peers.

For internal IT teams, uninterrupted IT service enhances employee satisfaction, contributing to higher productivity and lower employee turnover. Additionally, remote access helps companies reduce operational costs associated with the on-site management of employees and helps IT teams decrease ticket response times, thus minimizing downtime. Employees can easily share knowledge to complete projects and access cutting-edge technologies for improved productivity.

A common concern among MSPs and internal IT teams is ensuring security when employees and clients work remotely. The ability to monitor and patch vulnerabilities remotely allows technicians to ensure the security of networks and devices, basically the IT infrastructure in general.

What is remote access software?

Remote access software lets you access your device remotely without physically being able to see it. When you remote into a device, you can see the screen, access the files and use the software on the machine just like you would if you were there in person.

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software is a must-have tool for any enterprise with a fleet of managed devices. These solutions let companies keep tabs on their own and their clients’ network, check uptime and performance and generally stay on top of things constantly.

An RMM tool is also helpful for managing remote access to your network from the outside through an extended VPN or Remote Access Management system. These tools can help you filter which users have remote access privileges and track device usage so that you know who has access to which data and when.

Users can gain remote access to your company’s network through several different channels — an on-premises VPN, an internet-based VPN (also called a cloud VPN), a SaaS app, etc. Whatever kind of external remote access you set up requires management and tracking to ensure optimal security and performance levels.

Utilize remote access with Kaseya VSA

VSA is the only tool you need to manage your endpoints remotely. Through LiveConnect, you can monitor, control and troubleshoot your endpoints from anywhere, at any time, without disturbing the user. You can remote control any device, including PC, Mac, Linux, switches, servers, network devices, printers and more. You can also execute automated agent procedures directly through remote control.

It is impossible to discuss all the benefits of VSA’s remote access functionality in this article. Experience is the best way to understand it. Schedule a demo of VSA today and discover how easy it is to control your dispersed workforce and IT environment.

Schedule a VSA Demo

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Although this development isn’t a complete surprise, its pace was accelerated during the pandemic when technology adoption by small and midsize businesses (SMBs) got fast-tracked by five years. This left IT professionals in the lurch as the portfolio of devices to be managed increased exponentially. Markets acted quickly and developed bespoke solutions for each device type; for example, you could get a Mac tool for Mac management and a cloud tool for cloud management.

This became a boon and a curse at the same time. On the one hand, IT professionals had a way to manage various devices, but on the other hand, they had to juggle multiple device management tools, work with 10 different vendors and keep a tab on all of these contracts. Thus began the search for a unified tool that could do it all without a hassle.

This blog will briefly explain how IT professionals can effectively manage and control various network devices using a single cutting-edge solution. Dive in.

How To Remotely Control Network Devices

Multifunctional IT professionals require an integrated and unified IT management and security platform that is purpose-built to address their complex needs. VSA is that solution and offers complete IT management via a single-user interface. With a single click, VSA creates a secure communication channel to initiate a remote-control session for managing devices like routers, firewalls, switches and printers, on any network.

Networking devices are well-designed to be managed remotely, as even the old school routers could be configured and managed through a command-line interface (CLI). VSA’s remote control feature allows you to fully control/manage agentless devices without needing to install a VSA agent on them. So long as the vendor offers the option, you can remotely change anything about the current device configuration.

Use Cases for Network Device Remote Control

Network device management via remote access is not just quicker but more efficient, and you can manage security more effectively.

Rebooting

Besides your desktops, laptops and mobile devices, your network devices also need timely rebooting. It could be a bug fix, a performance improvement or a firmware update. VSA allows you to remotely reboot a network device, whereas, in the past, you had to have the device in front of you. The most compelling use case of the remote rebooting feature is the ability to shut down an interface to stop a broadcast storm, which can occur due to misconfigured networking switches.

Firmware or Software Updates

Firmware is a software that comes preinstalled on networking devices like routers and printers. It ensures networking devices follow instructions correctly and perform their functions as expected. Firmware also protects devices from malware and gives administrators a convenient way to manage device settings.

Just as you must update your operating systems (OS) and other software application regularly, firmware must be updated, too. Keep firmware patching up to date and remediate critical vulnerabilities remotely with VSA to maintain security of your IT infrastructure. It is a crucial security practice to keep your networking device from being used as a backdoor for a cyberattack. The firmware update can also introduce new features and fix performance-draining bugs. You can efficiently address the difficulties associated with patching firmware by automating the entire process using Kaseya VSA.

Configuration Updates

Networking devices may require configuration updates from time to time to either fix performance issues or troubleshoot a potentially dangerous problem. Consider the verbose logging feature. Whether you need to turn it on to troubleshoot an issue or activate it for additional logging, you can enable the function remotely using VSA to access information quickly.

Manage Your Network Devices With VSA

If you’re using bespoke software for network device remote control or your endpoint management solution (RMM) can’t manage networking devices remotely, it’s time to upgrade. With VSA, you can access state-of-the-art remote network management features and more from the get-go. Request your free demo today to see how you can manage all your device from one platform.

The post The How and Why of Networking Device Remote Control appeared first on Kaseya.

A help desk comprises of a group of skilled technicians using help desk software to troubleshoot IT problems. It allows technicians to track tickets from multiple channels quickly and efficiently and maintain business continuity and high productivity. According to Future Market Insight, the global help desk software market was valued at around $9.9 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach to reach a valuation of nearly $26.8 billion by the end of 2032.

An IT help desks prevent users from wasting productive time searching for simple solutions that an expert can provide in a minute.

What are help desk metrics?

A poorly managed help desk will not only disrupt business but also become a costly affair. Did you know that 89% of consumers will switch to a competitor following a poor experience? IT technicians use several metrics to track help desk performance and ensure that it remains productive, efficient and operates at its best capacity. IT technicians and executives can use these metrics to identify help desk features performing well and those that need improvement.

The metrics also provide insights into whether a help desk is on track to meet its key performance indicators (KPIs). Metrics drive KPIs. To illustrate this with an example, let’s look at the ticket resolution rate and average response time. With these metrics, the help desk can see if its KPI to increase customer satisfaction is being met.

In this blog, we’ll look at all the crucial help desk metrics, understand their importance and explain how to leverage them to boost business growth.

10 help desk metrics to measure

A help desk is the backbone of any organization. However, those selling technology solutions need a top-notch one. The success and growth of their business will eventually depend on how quickly and seamlessly their help desk resolves customer queries. The efficiency with which a help desk operates directly impacts user experience and can determine employee and client retention.

As with any business department, help desks must meet performance requirements. They have to ensure that users who raise a ticket or an IT query get the resolution in the fastest time. By tracking help desk metrics, technicians can ensure their engagement with users meets expectations.

Companies can analyze several metrics to determine performance. In this section, we’ll look at the top 10 metrics that all help desks should track to assess the efficiency and quality of their service and improve their customer service experience.

1. Ticket volume: Ticket volume refers to the number of incoming service requests or support tickets generated by the user. Tracking this metric will give you insights into how many tickets your team can resolve in a day, week, month and year. It will ensure that you maximize output without overworking the team.
2. Tickets by channel: Help desks can receive requests from multiple channels such as emails, web forms, live chat, social media, phone, etc. Technicians can train staff in the popular channels and determine where to station the most staff and what type of training to provide. These steps will lead to an efficient help desk.
3. First response time (FRT): It’s the time an agent takes to respond to a ticket as soon as it is submitted. FRT can be calculated in minutes, hours and even days. A quick first response rate positively impact customer loyalty and satisfaction. About 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response as important or very important when they have a customer service question. The goal of an efficient help desk is to reduce the FRT rate, which goes on to improve the customer experience.The formula for calculating average FTR is:
   FRT = Total FRTs during that particular minute or hour / total number of resolved tickets
4. Average response time: This is the average time an agent takes to respond to a query within a defined timeframe. The FRT metric calculates how long it takes an agent to respond to a ticket, whereas average response time calculates how long it takes each agent to respond to a ticket within a specific timeframe. This metric can be used to identify peak productivity hours.The formula to calculate this metric is:
   Average response time = Total time taken to respond during the selected time period / the number of responses in the selected time period.
5. Ticket resolution rate: An IT help desk agent’s performance and quality of work can be determined using this metric. It compares the number of tickets an agent solves within a timeframe with the number of tickets assigned to them. A high ticket resolution rate reflects well on the customer service team. It means that the team is resolving tickets promptly and is on track to meet KPIs.Ticket resolution rate = No. of number of tickets solved by an agent / the number of tickets assigned x 100
6. First contact resolution rate (FCRR): The FCRR is the percentage of help desk queries resolved during the first interaction with the customer. As such, the greater the FCRR, the better the customer experience. Therefore, it is imperative to continually track and improve your FCRR to enhance customer satisfaction and build a stronger brand image.
7. Average resolution time: The average resolution time is an effective measure of how long it takes to resolve a user query. According to a report by CMO Council, a fast response time is the most important element of the digital customer experience. Evaluating the average resolution time helps you analyze whether you are providing your customers with the level of service promised and helps identify any potential opportunities to ensure faster and most effective service delivery.
8. Agent utilization: Agent utilization is the ratio of work produced by IT help desk technicians against their work capacity. An agent who puts in six hours of work in an eight-hour shift is working at a utilization capacity of 6/8 X 100 = 75%. Agent utilization is the best way to measure labor productivity. Keeping a tab on this data can help lower help desk costs while increasing output.
9. Agent performance: Agent performance measures how each help desk agent is performing on each of the help desk metrics. Through this, we can identify agents who perform well and those who do poorly. This data can be used to identify best practices and design training material for new or underperforming agents.
10. Customer satisfaction score (CSAT): Customer satisfaction scores are the simplest way to determine how happy or unhappy a customer is with your service. At the end of an interaction, customers are often asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale. It could be a 1 – 3 or 1 – 10 scale. To determine the score, all the positive responses are divided by the total number of responses collected and divided by 100%. Based on this percentage, you can determine whether customer satisfaction is at an all-time high level or if there is room for improvement. According to Hubspot’s Annual State of Service Report 2022, CSAT remains the most important KPI for almost 75% of customer service leaders.

Why are help desk metrics important?

The IT help desk plays a key role in managing an enterprise’s IT systems and infrastructure. It is the primary touchpoint for every IT issue, problem and request. Measuring and benchmarking key IT help desk metrics is essential for CIOs and IT operations leaders looking to improve business alignment and value, end-user productivity and reduce the total cost of IT support.

Now that you understand that a help desk is a vital part of any business, let’s discuss some of its benefits.

Capacity planning

Amazon is an undisputed leader in its field due to its excellent customer service. To achieve sustained growth and build brand loyalty, companies must provide top-notch customer service consistently. By tracking help desk metrics, business leaders can take the correct call regarding whether they have the resources to scale their business up or not. In a nutshell, capacity planning and customer service go hand in hand since an overburdened help desk will result in more errors and a lower customer retention rate.

Resource optimization

Help desk optimization lowers costs, increases productivity and improves output quality, which leads to higher customer satisfaction. Metrics such as agent performance and agent utilization will help you decide whether to hire more help desk agents or whether to maximize the utilization of your current staff.

Increase transparency

Measuring metrics allows for accurate estimation of a help desk’s performance. It fosters accountability and keeps stakeholders updated on how things are going. When clear systems and processes are in place, problems get resolved quickly, and the people responsible for solving them understand what needs to be done.

Uncover challenges

By looking for patterns and trends in the metrics data, technicians can spot common issues and take steps to fix them. Regularly performing this step helps ensure that the process runs smoothly and that problems are caught early on.

Identify opportunities

Metrics guide help desk managers to change and update their strategy as and when needed. By guiding technicians to prioritize critical tasks over noncritical tasks, it keeps the help desk on track to meet SLA requirements.

How can I improve my help desk efficiency?

Implementing an effective and efficient help desk is a major challenge that most growing businesses face today. Here’s a list of best practices that you must keep in mind to ensure your team makes the most of your help desk to minimize business disruptions, drive efficiency and enhance customer experience.

Create a knowledge base and self-service portal

A library or knowledge base that stores comprehensive information on IT issues and ways to troubleshoot them is an invaluable resource for businesses. An IT help desk management software helps curate this knowledge repository, thus helping IT teams resolve similar issues quicker in the future. Additionally, your end users can directly troubleshoot their common IT issues with help from the knowledge base. This will lead to lower ticket volumes in the long run.

Establish consistent reporting

The solution should feature a dashboard that offers real-time information on the progress and status of tickets, allow you to easily generate custom reports and help you gain insights to make the right business decisions quickly and confidently.

Solicit customer feedback

Although deploying a help desk solution involves additional investment, these costs are offset by the high return on investment through higher team efficiency, greater productivity, enhanced product quality and greater customer satisfaction. An IT help desk also helps get real-time feedback on service and product issues, thus eliminating the costs associated with conducting post-release surveys.

Integrate and automate

A robust help desk software will allow you to automate common, low-value help desk workflows and processes and free up time for your technicians so they can focus on more critical issues at hand. It should also provide seamless integration with RMM and IT documentation tools and enable technicians to easily remote into an endpoint from the ticket window to troubleshoot the issue. According to Kaseya’s 2022 MSP Global Benchmark Survey, a whopping 96% of MSP respondents said they believe integrating core applications like RMM, PSA and IT documentation is important to their business.

Improve your help desk performance with Kaseya

Kaseya BMS is a professional services automation (PSA) tool that provides help desk capabilities designed to help you spend less time tracking tickets and more time serving your customers. It will allow you to crush IT tickets in record time by enabling you to upgrade your helpdesk functionality.

It enables you to better track tickets until customer issues are resolved and capture more billable revenue through improved billing per contract. The outcome: improved customer service and greater profitability. BMS works seamlessly with Kaseya VSA, our endpoint management and network monitoring solution, and IT Glue for knowledge and configuration management.

Run your help desk and IT operations confidently and efficiently with BMS. Request a free demo today!

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A service request may be defined as a formal request that a client or an employee of the client makes, asking a service provider to provide them with something that would be useful in the business’s day-to-day operations. In other words, a service request is typically raised to procure something you didn’t have to begin with.

An Example of a Service Request

There are numerous kinds of service requests a user can raise. These could include simple requests for advice, approval or information. A user might also raise service requests to access printers, reimburse expenses, reset passwords or upgrade to a newer version of software.

Usually, service requests have a high probability of involving standard or pre-approved changes. For instance, a company may have a policy to provide employees with extra storage space when they run out.

In this case, an employee may raise a service request for extra memory, which is a standard, pre-approved change that does not require a long process of perusal and approval.

What Is Service Request Management?

Effective management of service requests is imperative for maintaining team efficiency and ensuring business success. Service request management involves the processes and tools that provide all the departments within an organization (e.g., compliance, IT, marketing, finance and human resources) with a self-service platform to accept, keep track of, respond to and close a variety of service requests from customers, employees and external vendors.

Service request management streamlines the aforementioned processes, especially when it is configured to behave in a manner that aligns with organizational needs. Service request management enables users to submit service requests, assign responsibility for requests and track their status from the time they are submitted to the time they are closed.

What Are the Main Steps in Service Request Management?

Let’s look at the various steps involved in the service request management process:

•  A user submits a service request from your service management portal.
• The service request is assigned to a service desk agent from the IT service team.
• The agent assesses the request based on the standard qualification and approval processes. If required, they might forward the service request for business or financial approval.
• The service desk agent either processes the request or sends it across to the relevant team.
• Once the service request is resolved, the agent closes the ticket and follows up with the customer to ensure that they are satisfied with the resolution.

What Is the Difference Between Service Request Management and Incident Management?

Often confused with each other, incident management and service request management are starkly different concepts. While a service request is a user request to procure access to something they need for their day-to-day operations, an incident can be defined as an unplanned or unanticipated error or disruption in IT service delivery or a considerable reduction in the quality of IT service. Examples of incidents include a server outage, laptop not starting or broken printer.

As mentioned previously, service request management consists of the processes and tools required to manage service requests from internal and external users. However, incident management is targeted towards restoring services after an interruption, with minimum downtime. Incident management ensures that there is minimum loss of business efficiency and productivity and quality of service delivery is maintained.

What Is the Purpose of Service Request Management?

The global market for service request management solutions is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period 2021 to 2027. Some key reasons why effective service request management is business-critical include:

• Maintaining business productivity and efficiency at all times
• Ensuring minimum downtime and business interruption
• Alleviating day-to-day workload on IT teams
• Reducing impacts or risks of having malfunctioning or inadequate services and processes
• Improving service delivery and ensuring customer satisfaction

Service Request Management Best Practices

Service request management makes it easy to ask for help with simple self-service, provide answers with knowledge base suggestions and streamline request fulfillment to deliver optimum service. In light of that, there are a few things that IT service teams should be prioritizing.

Service request management helps streamline request processing for delivering optimum service and minimizing downtime. As such, we’ve put together some best practices that will help improve your service request management and make it more efficient. Read on.

• Automating self-service can significantly reduce the workload on your IT team and free up time for your service desk agents to focus on more strategic tasks. For instance, automating follow-up communication with users can help save time that your agents spend in responding to customers, keep customers updated with estimated resolution time and improve customer experience.
• Make sure to automate and standardize the approval process where possible. For example, any service request for a new monitor will be pre-approved and also automatically processed. This will save time on repetitive tasks and unnecessary additional formalities.
• To make self-service more efficient, you must integrate knowledge, provide customers with easy access to the knowledge base and redirect service tickets to easily searchable knowledge base articles. This will help make the self-service experience easier and more fulfilling for your customers.
• Focus on your most popular service request and build from there based on feedback and usage. Create a self-service catalog based on what your users are looking for to provide them with an efficient customer service experience.

Support Service Request Management With Kaseya

Kaseya BMS provides the software you need to run your business more efficiently at a fraction of the cost. With Kaseya BMS, you can easily create, manage and resolve all your service requests and tickets and keep your customers happy.

Seamless integration across Kaseya BMS, Kaseya VSA and IT Glue enables you to optimize your daily IT operations with 30% fewer tickets that are resolved 40% faster, saving you time and money in a way no other solution can.

Want to know more about Kaseya BMS? Contact us now!

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