This is What the I.T. Department Actually Does
What does the I.T. department actually do? Hey, no one is questioning what you do every day at work, but since you’re wondering what tasks and responsibilities fill up a tech’s work schedule we will let you in on all that goes on in the world of I.T. for small and large businesses.
From what an I.T. department is, what they do, and how an I.T. department is vital to the success of operations and your bottom line.
This is What the I.T. Department Actually Does
What is an I.T. Department
An I.T. department, or an information technology department, is there for the rest of your staff any time a technological problem arises. Such as with your computer, printer, phone, server, network, applications, and more. They are the people you call to solve your problems and get you back up and running again.
The above is what most people associate the I.T. department with. However, this is only the front-end and many people in the organization don’t see everything the I.T. department does behind the scenes.
Without the tasks getting accomplished that most people don’t see or realize tech professionals do, your organization would not run as smoothly, efficiently, and safely as it does. So what does an I.T. department actually do? Let’s talk about it below.
What Does an I.T. Department Do
On to the behind-the-scenes look at what an I.T. department does. As mentioned earlier, without one your business wouldn’t operate successfully or possibly at all. While that may sound like a bold statement, think of all the technology you use to accomplish daily business functions such as sending emails, downloading files, printing said files, presenting a deck for a meeting, attending virtual meetings, making phone calls, and so on and so on. You use tech a lot throughout the day and you need it to work properly every time in order to be successful at your job.
Aside from password resets, connection issues, and other technical problems that require more than restarting your computer, below is more of what the I.T. department actually does:
User management - Your I.T. department adds and removes users to different email groups, calendar views, and other permissions. This includes all new hires, current staff, and terminations. You don’t want anyone that no longer works there to be able to access their work emails right? When new hires start they need the correct devices for the job, and they need those devices to be set up properly for their work functions. You got it, the I.T. department does that too.
Performance monitoring - This one may sound like your typical computer and printer fixes, however, performance monitoring is different. While the team is ensuring your devices are performing properly they are doing this by managing the firewall to make sure malicious and unnecessary traffic stays off your network. They are deploying remote updates to your devices before something bad can happen from an exposed entry point.
Backup and disaster recovery - By now you likely know you need backups of your data, but who’s handling that, and are they handling that correctly? Your I.T. department should be! From scheduled data backups in multiple locations throughout the day, cloud replication, private cloud hosting, to the recovery of individual files you may have accidentally deleted (whoops, it happens). Not to mention, your I.T. team is the one who creates, tests, and executes (along with the help of others throughout the org) your disaster recovery plan if a worst-case scenario does happen. This could be anything that causes downtime from a power outage, fire, break-in, cybersecurity incident, etc.
Security awareness - You may have heard that you and your employees need security awareness training. But what is that? Who provides that? and Why? Lucky for you, you don’t have to hire another company to do this, as your I.T. department can deploy this training to your staff members. This training tests their cyber hygiene knowledge and keeps them updated on how to prevent a cyberattack due to negligence.
Threat detection - Sure you’ve got your firewall, antivirus, and VPN on, but without them being updated to include the latest version of malware you need someone monitoring your network for potential threats. The I.T. department does just that plus more when it comes to detecting the endless amount of cyber threats.
Information and identity protection - Now more than ever it’s important to have MFA or multi-factor authentication enabled for your accounts and devices. This is because just using a password to protect your devices and accounts is not very secure. If someone guesses or discovers your passwords (which is why you shouldn’t write them down) then they now have access to your account or device. Therefore, MFA requires a second form of verification that you are who you say you are before gaining access to the device or account. This is something your I.T. department can set up very easily for all of your team members.
Technology consulting - Last, but just as important as the other function of the I.T. department we have technology consulting. Think of this as your roadmap for all things that progress within your organization. You have to have the proper technology to implement new processes, new hires, new locations, etc. The right technology equals scalability which is necessary for profit and growth. Before adding on a new team member, consult with your I.T. department first. Do you have the right tech for them to do their job? Do they have an account set up? Email? Login? Thinking about switching to new software? Check with your I.T. department for compatibility first.
How an MSP Can Help
An MSP acts as your I.T. department plus more. More by giving your business the ability to receive top-of-the-line hardware and support at a fraction of the cost for an internal I.T. professional or in-house team. MSPs handle all your support tickets large and small, ensure your network is protected and backed up in case the unexpected happens, push out updates, and most importantly we keep your business up and running.
Considering a different I.T. solution for your office? Take the quick quiz below to see if managed I.T. services are right for your business.
