Your IT Help Desk Solution: Between On-Site and Cloud

Once upon a time, the decision of how to install your customer relationship management software was simple: on-site. Today, cloud computing has changed the calculus for how businesses install, use, and manage the software that is vital to their operations. Cloud computing offers a number of advantages over on-site installation of IT Help Desk software, but on-site installation has its own benefits as well. Ultimately, both methods of IT Help Desk installation are viable; the question comes down to your preferences in regards to management, maintenance, ownership, and control.

On-Site IT Help Desk: Control, Flexibility, Customization

Having your IT Help Desk server and software installed on-site means having greater flexibility and more control over your system. Whenever a change needs to be made to your system or software, you have immediate physical access to both the hardware and the software, whereas with a cloud-based system you must go through the owner/manager of your off-site server to have any substantial changes made to your system. If you want to increase security, or add new features to your IT Help Desk software, or integrate systems together, on-site installation makes all of this possible immediately.

Speaking of security, on-site IT Help Desk software is generally more secure, much in the same way that your personal data is safer on your personal computer than it is in a credit card company’s database. You can put tougher security measures in place for your on-site IT Help Desk system. Furthermore, malicious hackers are less likely to attack your individual system – whereas a sufficiently large or popular cloud server is often subject to cyber attacks.

Finally, you have total and complete ownership of your on-site IT Help Desk system. You are free to do with it as you please; you can radically customize your system, or even throw it away the next day and forget about it. Furthermore, if you intend to use this IT HELP DESK system for some time to come, the upfront cost of having it installed is considerably less than the cost of paying for your system to be hosted on the cloud for years to come.

Cloud IT Help Desk: Quick, Affordable, Easy

An IT Help Desk system on the cloud offers several benefits that on-site installation does not. First and foremost, a cloud-based IT Help desk is fast. The system can be up and running and accessible by you and your employees not long after you’ve engaged the services of your host. This means that you can quickly begin reaping a profitable return on your relatively small investment into your IT Help Desk system, whereas with on-site installation, it will be some time before the considerable cost of your system’s installation will be recovered.

A more obvious advantage that a cloud IT Help Desk has over an on-site IT Help Desk is that of accessibility. Hosting your IT Help Desk on the cloud means that you and your employees can access your IT Help Desk system anywhere, anytime, for any reason. You can work from home or on the go, with no negative consequences to your work process. This ease of access can increase efficiency, speed, and therefore profitability for your business.

Your cloud IT Help Desk also receives frequent updates along with experienced and quick maintenance. With an on-site IT Help Desk, you must devote a portion of your IT department to updating and maintaining your IT Help Desk system, which becomes a constant drain on the resources of your IT department and your business as a whole. With a cloud IT Help Desk, your host’s team is responsible for updating and maintaining your system, leaving your business free to pursue other interests. Furthermore, software updates are considerably more affordable with a cloud IT Help Desk, as the host only passes on a portion of the cost of the software license. With an on-site IT Help Desk, you must pay the full cost, every time.

Either Way, You Win

If you are someone who wants more control over their IT Help Desk system, someone who enjoys flexibility, customization, and the assurance that comes with ownership, then on-site IT Help Desk installation is for you. However, if you prefer to use the IT Help Desk system without concerning yourself or your employees with maintaining, monitoring, or updating that system, and if you enjoy ease-of-access along with quick returns on your investment, then a cloud-based IT Help Desk is for you.

Both approaches to IT Help Desk installation have their advantage, and along with your personal preferences, you have to consider your team. Will your IT team be up to the task of maintaining your on-site system in addition to their other duties? Will your employees use your IT Help Desk system from home or while traveling if it is on the cloud? Regardless of your choice, IT Help Desk software revolutionizes how a business functions. The only question is, will all this power be on-site, or on the cloud?