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Every company that is even remotely connected to technology has a help desk. Even most service businesses that don’t directly involve technology often do.

Whether you serve internal or external clients, this help desk can help you triage issues, find larger problems, and fix them both on an individual and on an institutional basis.

Too many companies, though, waste efforts in running these help desks the old-fashioned way. They track tickets manually, or through legacy systems that live on local computers or network drives. Changing this would require potentially significant re-training efforts, so they go to significant lengths to not rock the boat.

Put simply, that’s a shame. It’s especially tragic considering that the solution is right in front of them. While many companies of all sizes still host their help desk locally, a wide range of platforms have long moved to the cloud. Should your business follow? Consider these 5 benefits of moving your help desk efforts to the cloud.

1) Allow for more FlexibleWorking Conditions

Help desk professionals are used to long hours. They’re the front line in making sure that all customers have their questions answered and problems solved. They have to work together, often stepping in spontaneously based on individual expertise. So why limit their effectiveness through a local solution?

Cloud-based help desk software makes the process much more natural. Your help desk pros are able to check their tickets and even work on them from multiple devices, and on the go. That way, should something go wrong, they can be more flexible in addressing the issue and finding a solution.

2) Attack Urgent Problems More Dynamically

The above flexibility is absolutely crucial when a major issue arises. Sure, you want to make sure that even small questions can be answered quickly. But what if the system goes down? What if the CEO needs to have a specific piece of software working before a crucial meeting regarding a merger? The lack of flexibility in a locally installed solution, previously just an annoyance, now becomes a major issue.

With a cloud-based solution, you can attack that type of urgent project much more dynamically. You can call in experts, even if they aren’t on the premises at the moment. As a result, you can maximize your potential in dealing with crucial issues quickly, efficiently, and effectively. Who doesn’t want the IT department to get a little bit more credit?

You might not have to deal with many of these types of problems on an every day basis. But sooner or later, they will come up. When they do, it makes sense to have a software solution available that prepares you well for an answer even before the question arises.

3) Scale Your Business and Help Desk Efforts More Easily

The goal of most businesses is growth. And as your customer base or employee population grows, so will your help desk needs. Sure enough, a local solution or manual entry may work well for 5 employees or a small business that serves 200 customers. When those numbers grow to 50 and 2,000, respectively, you’ll need a different option.

Scalability, then, is another major benefit of cloud-based software, especially in the help desk space. Rather than having to build a new solution or upgrade your server space every time you need to account for increased ticket volume, you can rest easy knowing that the same solution you’ve always had can grow with your company.

You may not care about that type of scalability now. But you certainly will if your business continues to be successful and grow. Just as is the case with the previous point, the same truth remains: when that happens, it makes sense to be prepared already and have the systems in place to grow with you.

4) Maximize Your Data Security

Cybersecurity is a natural topic on most business owners’ minds. No matter the size of your operations, you’re at risk. Countless businesses get attacked every year, and many of them never recover. Whether you have to worry about data leaks from disgruntled employees or collateral damage from a larger hack, the key is preparation.

You may trust in the security of your local system. The truth is that any locally installed software is inherently vulnerable. A cloud-based alternative, on the other hand, allows you to be more comfortable knowing that additional security measures are in place. That might sound counterintuitive at first, but cloud-based software solutions are generally much more safe.

Think about the potential dangers of exposing your data. Everything in your help desk software is likely sensitive information related to your customer. A breach could be both a business and a public relations nightmare. Going to the cloud can help you minimize that danger, keeping your data more secure instead.

5) Leverage Dynamic Updates For Ongoing Support

Finally, don’t underestimate the dangers (and benefits) of upkeep. To be safe, and to remain functional, your help desk software needs to be continually updated. These updates or patches happen so regularly that you might have to shut your system down to account for each of them.

A cloud-based solution, on the other hand, allows for that process to happen more naturally. Updates are more dynamic, and you might not even notice the smaller bug fixes. Rather than having to shut your whole system down, you can rest easy knowing that each update improves your software without jeopardising your operations.

Taking Your First Step in Moving to the Cloud

At the conclusion of this post, it should be clear that moving your help desk to the cloud has significant advantages not just for your business, but each of your employees. That, in turn, leaves one final question: where do you start in making that transition?

The first step is finding the right solution for your needs. Look for an option that’s priced for your business size, but still allows you to grow. Dynamic ticket entry and management is also vital. With that type of research in your back pocket, you can rest easy knowing that the solution you choose will actually benefit your business.