Running a virtual firm of any kind makes the team dependent on technology to access information and communicate with each other as well as clients.
As a result, robust IT systems and quality support are critical. For small businesses in particular, support is often an area that is too costly and not considered a priority.
For Woolley & Co, which has a team of eight lawyers all working from home offices and accessing a central secure server for client files and applications, maintaining its broadband connections and IT systems is more critical than most.
"One of the keys to the success of a virtual firm of any kind is information," explained Andrew Woolley, a partner and founder of Woolley & Co. "Our approach means that rather than clogging up our desktops with support applications, problems can be remotely fixed over the internet and as a result we can always access our data."
Aware that high-quality IT support was essential for the business to operate effectively, Woolley looked at the options.
"For virtual businesses in particular, support is a necessity, rather than a luxury. Having a wide geographic spread across the UK made it impossible to use a local firm, and it wasn’t viable for each lawyer to have their own specialist," said Woolley.
As a result, Woolley realised that a virtual approach was the ideal solution and chose IT Support Manager from BT.
IT Support Manger provides customers with a dedicated support team that can talk customers through how to solve problems they are experiencing and can access their desktops remotely to change settings. It also provides a first line of defence in the form of an easy-to-use diagnostic tool, which allows users to remedy simple problems.
The support team is made up of highly trained IT specialists who can provide solutions to software related queries for a subscription of £10 per PC per month.
"The helpdesk team can provide answers to even the most complex questions that we may have," said Woolley. "And, because there is a standard monthly charge, rather than an hourly rate, we’re not worried about any mounting costs. It also makes financial planning easier."
The IT Support Manager helpdesk doesn’t just deal with problems: as with any IT team, the technicians can also offer advice on future initiatives and developments.
"IT support means we have a virtual member of staff we can call on to remedy the situation, should anything go wrong – rather than worrying about finding someone if something happens. We often don’t keep to traditional office hours, as people want answers to problems there and then. As a result, we need to minimise our downtime and IT Support manager is helping us do just that."
Go to the IT support manager page.
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