Computers and Technology

IT Support refers to the processes needed to keep IT hardware and software products in good working order throughout their entire life cycle. The term is mainly used to refer to software but the close linking of hardware and software these days means that it is not possible to delink the two in any discussion involving the maintenance of information technology.

The Process of IT Support
IT maintenance is a continuous process where modifications to hardware and software are logged, tracked and tested for impact analysis. Modification and testing is common as is the upgrading to newer versions of the product(s). The process also includes training and other day-to-day support activities. The main IT maintenance activities include:

Certification is useful for a number of reasons. It has a variety of benefits in and out of work, from improving career prospects to aiding self-improvement. Here's our top reasons why you should certify and what benefits it can give you.

(1) Our number one reason for certification is that it can improve career prospects and in turn your salary expectations. Those with certifications and degrees once they have got their foot in the door, tend to climb further up the career ladder than those without. Over time a certification can double your income, making it a worthwhile investment in your future.

(2) A certificate, which may need to be renewed (notably CompTIA certificates from January 2011), can be shown to demonstrate that you are refreshing your skills and knowledge almost as quickly as technology changes. Although, it may cost more to renew certifications, the benefits outweigh the cost, as an up to date employee is far more valuable than someone who is not keeping up with the times.

Dual monitors, often thought to be twice as efficient at putting application windows in front of the user. That much is true, but twice the mass of readily available information does not equal twice the productivity. Whether you believe I'm right or wrong depends on what kind of use you'd imagined the second display would get. Let me explain.

Single-tasking
There are lines of work where you can be more effective at "shipping the product" when you can focus on one thing at a time. These are usually creative tasks, such as copywriting, front-end web design or graphic design.
A note regarding graphic design: though it's mainly a single-tasking job, huge monitor area or even dual monitors can be helpful when working with large images, and a common use for the second display is to hold toolbars at. In this sense two monitors serve the purpose of more comfortable single tasking, which can improve efficiency.
Being a person who works with text, I find all kinds of distraction to be very harmful to the quality of my work as well as the volume I'm able to produce in any period of time. The creative mind, when forced to come up with something new, tries and grabs any little detail it can. Let that be the menu bar at top of the screen or a secondary monitor filled with unnecessary clutter.
And it's not only me who thinks that; writing applications pop up by the dozen, which do one thing and nothing else at all. They're called dark-room apps. Basically, they're full screen text editors, with the sole purpose of hiding everything but the text from you.
Imagine what kind of devastating blow would a second monitor deal to the productivity and efficiency of the person who thrives on the focused attention he pays to the piece on his screen.
That granted, not all tasks are single-tasking heavy. Programmers, as I found out, can actively work on two separate displays at any given time without losing track of active windows on either.

Whether you are inheriting an existing IT infrastructure or building a new one from the ground up, there are essential technologies and strategies that must be implemented to ensure a secure and stable environment. Through years of providing administration/implementation services of information systems/networks, I have achieved a high level of client satisfaction by implementing the following solutions/strategies.

Backup/Disaster Recovery (DR) Plan - Whether your environment consists of a single desktop with a few gigabytes of data, or a large firm with terabytes of data, a backup strategy and DR plan must be defined, implemented, and most importantly tested. While cloud backup solutions offer all of the protection with none of the hassle, traditional backup technologies such as tape are still an effective solution. The goal should not be simply to implement a data backup strategy, but a data recovery solution. DR plans can consist of a replicated site location with identical equipment on standby in the case of an emergency, or simply ordering new equipment and restoring from backups if needed. Creating a DR plan is usually started by asking management the question, "What would happen to your company tomorrow if the office burns down tonight?"