I rather enjoy it when a blog entry triggers multiple follow-up discussions. Back on Feb. 2, I asked if 24x7 support was the new norm for help desk support.

Joe Panettieri, Former Editorial Director

February 10, 2011

1 Min Read
Help Desk: On Second Thought, Is 24x7 Support Overkill?

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I rather enjoy it when a blog entry triggers multiple follow-up discussions. Back on Feb. 2, I asked if 24×7 support was the new norm for help desk support. By February 7, multiple help desk and NOC (network operations center) providers were sharing their opinions on 24×7 support. Now, Do IT Smarter CEO Lane Smith is back with three rather interesting points…

According to his own internal metrics, Smith says:

  • 95 percent of his help desk volume occurs during normal business hours — from 8:00 a.m. eastern to 5:00 p.m. pacific.

  • Peak help desk volumes occur from 8:00 a.m. to noon pacific time.

  • In stark contrast, NOC services have no real peak at all.

Smith’s conclusion: “This really does validate the argument that Help Desk is NOT a 24X7 requirement for the majority of SMBs while NOC is a 24X7 requirement.”

Do I fully agree with that Smith’s conclusion? Not entirely. I think some of those after-hour help desk calls may come in from mission-critical customers. For instance, law firms or health care providers that work around the clock. Still, I’m splitting hairs and Smith (not me…) has built a profitable, sustainable Master MSP business. So maybe he’s onto something with his analysis of NOC and help desk requirements.

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About the Author(s)

Joe Panettieri

Former Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media

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