Marketmantra: Full-fledged support

Updated on: Monday, July 18, 2011

Organised technical support is all about providing a professional multi-tiered on-site, online or in-store support to individuals and enterprises in case of any technical (hardware or software) failure.

Consumers and small businesses today look at technical support as a one-stop shop for all their IT requirements — be it support services, product or even IT consultancy. It is no longer the prerogative of large enterprises to seek and execute cutting-edge technology and support to enhance business goals. Small businesses and individual users too are looking towards accepting an organised professional technical support service provider within the ambits of their core business. There is a big transformation happening in these businesses in terms of going online with cloud-based services and automating the internal operations.

Industry status

With more than 25 million SMEs forming the core backbone of Indian GDP (contributing greater than 40%) and less than 20% of these SMEs being ICT enabled, there is a huge potential in this industry. The technology support services market for the consumer and SMEs in the Indian domestic space is in excess of a billion US dollars per-annum. This is growing at a compounded annual rate of 20-25% every year. The consistent overall growth of the Indian economy of over 8% every year for the last decade has fuelled a consuming class culture within the Indian diaspora. With over 300 million consumers, there is a greater need to provide the framework for technology support.

GROWTH AREAS
An increasing dependence and adoption of newer technologies (computers, electronic computing devices like iPads etc, mobile/telecom revolution etc) is driving the need for technical support. Gone are the days when one would have waited for days to get their system up and running. Today, solutions need to be provided within hours. Businesses/individuals are looking for service providers with efficient workforce and at the same time, most advanced tools available to resolve their problems remotely and instantly.

SKILL-SETS REQUIRED
Freshers entering this space must have a solid academic base. Students with a background in BTech, BCA/MCA, hardware/software diploma can get into this area. One should love technology and be a quick learner to excel in this space. The practical aspects of the job — an ability to analyse and execute lasting and effective solutions to drive the customer experience — are areas that matter. On many occasions, hands-on experience covers for the lack of academic certifications. We, as a business, are always on the look-out for professionals who might be working at the local hardware store but may have the potential and the eagerness to grow in the right environment.

REMUNERATION
Typically, remuneration for freshers ranges between Rs 10,000 and 15,000. For people with experience, the starting salary would begin from Rs 20,000 and above, depending on the organisation they work for. Based on one's performance, the annual salary increments could be between 15-20%. With experience, freshers can migrate towards the technical/managerial and supervisory positions.

Times of India

Marketmantra: Full-fledged support

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