Task-1:

1.1. Question-1: 

You are required to explain the tools (such as software diagnostic tools) and techniques (i.e. direct questioning) that enable an IT support technician to identify faults.

Answer:

The primary responsibility of an IT support technician is provision the entire non-technical staff of a respective organization or an individual with the helping hand towards solving problems that might exist within the computer system of the individual. There is the primary inclusion of multiple tools that help an IT support technician to resolve such issues. Some of the tools are,

1. Software diagnostic tools- these are the primary tools that help the technician to monitor the working of a software installed on the system. This software allows the technician to detect the problems related to the software and inform about potential breakdowns of the system that might occur. This provisions the technician to suggest solutions in regards to the problem that exists.
2. Troubleshooting software- these are the software that allows the IT support technician to have a proper monitoring over the network settings of the system to check the network connections for the system. Problems that exists within the network connectivity of the system can be identified with these software allowing the IT technician to treat the problems.

Some of the techniques that might be used by the IT technician are,

1. Questioning the individual about the time and the frequency of the visible problems that occur.
2. To constantly check the working of the network or the software to see the problems that are no easily detectable by the software.
3. To create a list of problems identified and the potential countermeasures to them.

1.2. Question-2: 

Examine the impact on technical support of the organisational policies and procedures of a local college; you need to consider what constraints that need to be considered i.e. not allowing users to access certain sites.  You can use a local college IT department as an example.

Answer:

For a local college to have a practical laboratory along with the provision to access the internet, there shall be certain organizational procedures for the IT technician to carry out as a part of abiding by such policies of the local college. In regards to this, the following steps are to be taken by the IT technician to uphold the integrity of the organizational policies,

1. Putting a block on social networking sites and other form of illegal sites that the students might have a potential tendency to visit during the educational time.
2. Putting a block on personal emails and only allowing to access the organization mail to allow personal contact with acquaintances.
3. The users also will not have a provision to access the online shopping sites using the resources of the college as a part of the organizational procedure and policies.

All of the above-mentioned sites shall be blocked by the IT technician as a part of abiding by the organizational procedures of the local college.

1.3. Question-3: 

Identify the ten most common types of fault that are logged on an IT helpdesk – how would you categorise each fault in terms of its priority?

Answer:

The topmost 10 primary common types of faults with which the consumers reach the IT helpdesk are,

1. Problems faced by the individuals while logging in.
2. The problem of the blue screen of death where the screen crashed and the individual is unable to carry on with the work.
3. Accidental deletion of important files by the user itself.
4. Closing the document on which the work was carried out is closed without saving it.
5. Slow processing of software and applications within the computer system.
6. Shutting down of the computer in an unexpected manner.
7. Problems that are faced while printing out documents.
8. Slow internet connection that might be taking time for loading pages on the search engine.
9. Automated disconnection to the wireless network while working with concentration.
10. “USB device unrecognized” that is a common problem faced by the individuals.

1.4. Question-4: 

Explain the reasons why it is important for IT support technicians to keep accurate records of faults and their solutions.

Answer:

The IT technicians who carry out the primary responsibility on a daily basis to provision the individuals with support in terms of the problems that are faced in regards to the technical field, need to keep a record of all the faults. Such faults that are found out in a particular system of a customers and to note down the countermeasures as well is an important part of the job that is carried out on a daily basis. Keeping a record of all the faults and the countermeasures are important for the following facts,

1. To access the same from any device and anywhere as and when required if the records are maintained on the server.
2. To get hold of the faults in case a similar fault in encountered on any of the systems that belongs to the individual as a reference.
3. To have a greater efficiency in work as keeping a record of the work can be required at any point of time.

2. Task-2: 

2.1. Question-1: 

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of an IT software company like Citrix outsourcing its IT technical support to India.

Answer:

With companies such as Citrix and other forms of IT software companies who outsource their IT technical support to India have the following advantages as well as disadvantages.

The advantages of outsourcing the technical support are,

1. Allowing the companies to focus on their business procedures rather than looking after the technical problems. This specifically increases the productivity of the companies.
2. Integration of the latest technology that aligns to the business requirements of the company in regards to the outsourced IT technical support.
3. Competing with the competitors belonging to the same field of business by implementing latest technologies to meet the demands of the business growth.

In regards to the outsourcing of IT technical support, the following disadvantages have been identified. These are,

1. Addressing the issues of the customers with a company’s own support staff, the customers get habituated to the way of dealing. However, when outsourced to some other company for technical support, the customers take time to adapt to the change.
2. Lack of personalization when the outsourced technical support make use of robotic answers rather than humans answering to the issues of the customers.
3. Outsourcing companies with IT technical support do not have a firm base and can get bankrupt overnight leaving the business organizations helpless in terms of IT technical support. This refers to a lack of assurance in terms of service from the outsourcing IT technical support companies.

3. Task-3: 

3.1. Question-1: 

Review a recent advance in support systems technology i.e. Remote IT support systems, cloud services, etc.; explain how it has had an impact on organisations offering IT technical support to its customers. You can also consider another example.

Answer:

With the increase and advancements that have been occurring within the field of technologies, the companies have been considering the usage of remote IT supports systems into the business procedures on a daily basis. As a result, the following impacts have been visibly identified to have impacted the business outcomes of the organizations in the following ways. These are,

1. Speed- in regards to the current dynamic that have the existence within the organization, the customer demands also have the necessary inclusion of getting quick assistance on the problems that are faced by them. This is the place where the remote IT support comes into play that is always active to resolve the queries posted by the customers on a daily basis.
2. Availability- remote IT system provisions the customers with the allowance to have a rapid assistance from anywhere across the entire globe in possession of an internet connection. Hence, the companies have contained the feeling of confidence to meet the demands of the customers in terms of issues as well with the help of the Remote IT support systems.
3. Profitability- in regards to the earlier scenarios where the technician had to travel to the place of the customers for resolving the issues faced. This incurred an extra amount of cost for the company. On the other hand, with the help of remote support systems, the primary investment of the customer covers the support service as well decreasing the expense on the company’s end and increasing the profit margins.
4. Efficiency- there is a probability for the remote IT support systems to highlight the resolution to the issues that is faced by the customer 90% of the total times. On the other hand, in regards to the software solutions there is a probability for the companies to solve the issues 99% of the total times the customers have approached with such an issue.
5. Sharing of knowledge- the service that is provisioned by the Remote IT support system has the primary involvement of carrying out an interaction that is real-time. This allows the customer to look at the entire procedure while the technician makes the necessary changes on the computer to resolve the underlying issue. This makes the customers to gather knowledge in regards to how a problem is solved when such issues occur.
6. Increase in satisfaction- with the obtaining of faster as well as more accurate solutions to the aroused issues, the specific users existing within the organizations have the chance to achieve something greater in terms of satisfaction as well as confidence with the usage of particular tools belonging to the working environment.

In regards to all the impacts that the Remote IT support system have upon the daily business outcomes of the organizations, it can be stated that the remote assistance service provision with a helping hand towards optimizing the flow of work as well as puts forwards efficient and positive results for the enterprise.

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