Our IT Department would like to introduce their very own collection of company mascots from the head office in London.

Each mascot is owned by one of the companies IT geeks (sorry, I mean " IT Professionals"). Every mascot is Microsoft certified and each  has to undergo rigorous training before they are allowed to sit on our desks and act as a screen wipe!!

Let me introduce the team. from left to right;

Gooner bear. Gooner bear looks after our North London clients. He will always fly Emirates when working abroad and he loves being one of the "Top four" company mascots.  

Norwich bear. You could say this bear is in a different league :) Norwich bear is by far the most intelligent mascot of them all. He is clever, good looking and very thoughtful  just like his owner. I wonder who that could be :)

Shaun the sheep. Shaun never lets the grass grow under his feet because he is always eating it. Shaun regularly works on Ceebies providing first line IT Support.  

Percy the pig. The company legend. Percy  is in charge of keeping all supplied with cups of tea and biscuits, although for some reason he refuses to make us bacon sandwiches?

Hammer bear. A key member of the team, hammer bear is in charge of marketing in East London, particularly the Upton Park area.

So there you hasve it. Thanks for taking the time to check out our team of company mascots!!

The importance of good IT Support cannot be underestimated.

IT Support is a priceless commodity. Most companies now rely on their IT in order to function properly as a business and an unreliable IT Network can soon end up costing you time, money and possibly even clients.

Years ago we all used to rely on good old fashioned pen and paper to get us by with records being kept in files and folders, but now everything has gone electronic and although technophobes do not like the idea of relying on IT, it does have its plus points. For example, how would you recover your work in the event of a fire if it was all paper based? quite simply you wouldn't, but if it was backed up electronically then you would still have a business.

IT like everything in life, has its problems. It isn't always the most reliable commodity in the world and files and folders do have a habbit of going missing every now and then, although occasionally the user has to hold their hands up when this happens. A computer network is a complex thing that needs to be looked after correctly otherwise  it soon becomes unreliable and making sure that your network is looked after by people that know what they are doing is of paramount importance, especially when we all rely on it so much.

So how do you choose a good IT Support company in London? Well, making sure that they are actually in London is a good idea. Most people in the know will realise that the majority of problems are fixed remotely by a first line of support engineers, but occasionally onsite support is required and that is when you need a company that are local enough to provide a quick response.

Chose an establised company.

You should consider choosing a company that is well established. IT Support is a tough industry that is very competitive with a large turnover of small businesses that come and go on a regular basis. You need your IT Support company to be just like your network, fast and reliable.

Get genuine references.

You should also ask for references. other peoples opinion on products and services is priceless but only if they are genuine. Make sure that ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to ask the awkward ones. Most people are very helpful, especially if they are happy with the service they are receiving.

Contract length.

Do not get tied into long term contracts if there is any doubt in your mind about the company. Long terms means being tied into a 12 or 24 month contract that cannot be broken and that will only spell bad news. make sure that you only opt for a rolling contract with a maximum of 3 months. That way if you are unhappy with the service you are receiving then at least you can leave without it costing you a fortune.

Finally, the small print.

Finally keep a close eye on that small print. Make sure that the company has the resources to deliver an unlimited support contract. Everything should be supported including 3rd party applications. Bespoke software can be an exception, but you should still expect some sort of assistance even if you pay the bespoke company for a separate support service.