KEY POINTS:
Forget picking up the phone when your printer goes on the blink or your software application crashes - these days, international ICT vendors are more likely to encourage you to engage in web chats, scroll through a list of frequently asked questions online or participate in a support forum with other small businesses.
The vendors hope small business owners and managers will use these interactive Web 2.0 services to gradually improve their ICT knowledge and solve many of their own support problems.
One example is HP's new TotalCare programme - announced as available for New Zealand customers at a recent HP Asia Pacific media event - and described as an "end-to-end portfolio of support, services, options and programmes". TotalCare is delivered almost exclusively online and offers help for choosing, using and protecting HP products, as well as upgrading them.
The software and services are mostly free and include specific tools; some practical for everyone, like the Print 2.0 browser plug-in to ready web pages for printing (no more missing right-hand margins); others like SpacePilot 3D giving 3D animators and graphic designers something new to play with.
On the support front, there are online diagnostic tools and links to web chats and user forums for the product in question.
At first glance, using a package of online support services seems logical and inexpensive. But is it wise? A month ago, I bought Symantec software online, only to discover the unlock code had not been provided. When I went to Symantec's website to find the 0800 phone number for New Zealand, the site kept re-diverting me to a web chat page to "suggest" I use that instead of placing a call. When I finally gave in and punched in a question, I didn't receive a reply or even an acknowledgment. Were I a small business on a tense customer deadline, I doubt I'd have got that far.
While everyone has a horror story about ringing an ICT helpdesk located in Asia and struggling with the language barrier, most small businesses still want an IT support phone number at hand if there is a problem with their network, software or hardware devices. Ideally, they'd like that to be a local number with a local speaker on the other end but, as HP rightly points out, few small businesses are prepared to pay for that. Instead, most call the company they bought their hardware or software from, often to find the reseller is far from an after-sales service specialist. (This is why small businesses should check the small business pages of IT provider websites for recommended resellers.)
"There's a lot to be done on channel training, certifications and renewals. We have support improvements planned for New Zealand and recognise that the [phone] support in the region is too low-level because it is designed for low-level IT problems relating to developing countries in the [Asia-Pacific] region," says Adrian Koch, senior vice-president personal systems for HP Asia Pacific and Japan.
Warwick Grey, small business manager for HP New Zealand, says HP has teamed up with business organisations like the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, running free "Right Click" seminars to provide small businesses with ICT education and support. But few small businesses make the time, which leads Grey and other HP executives to believe online support services with offshore telephone support is next best to having ICT knowledge internal to the business.
But what do local ICT support experts think of that? Damian Funnell, of FFF Managed Technology, says such support is "largely useless" unless the small business knows exactly which questions to ask. And Pam Martin, director of Extra Mile Training, says because some small owners lack basic computer skills, they are unlikely to use interactive web tools for IT support.
"Someone who has grown up with MSN and chat rooms is more confident but a lot of people, especially men, are unwilling to go online and look stupid. People who use online services tend to know what they are looking for," says Martin.
Michael Russell, of OriginIT, also questions why small businesses would spend time using online ICT support services when they could be running their businesses.
"Mid-sized businesses are focused on running their business and don't have the time or necessary skills to try and fix many of the IT issues they experience. With a plethora of products all trying to work together, it is difficult for companies with limited or no internal IT resource to keep up with the constantly changing environment. Businesses want an IT partner they can call on to take full responsibility."
The consensus seems to be that using online ICT services for DIY support is fine for the IT-savvy. The rest of us may do better to invest in a monthly subscription to an ICT support partner who can do the thinking for us - and be on the end of the phone when needed.
