I have often been asked by clients about what makes our IT support engineers at Tranter IT unique and what they should look out for when selecting IT support engineers for their companies. I know a lot of business owners also have such questions especially as not every business owner can consider themselves a tech guru. This is why I have taken the time out to put out an article on the things your company should be looking out for when choosing an IT support engineer for your company.

It is no news that no organization in this current age can survive without IT. With that in mind, here are a few skills to look out for when choosing the right technical support engineer for your company or while evaluating your current technical support engineer.

• Communication Skills: An IT support engineer should be able to effectively communicate technical issues to his colleagues. He must be able to listen and understand the technical problems being faced by a user and communicate solutions to such user effectively. In essence, he must be able to break down technical terms to smaller pieces as much as possible.

• Time Management Skills: An IT support engineer must be able to effectively spread his time among the different technical tasks that he must attend to in a day. He must possess strong time management skills and be able to achieve more in less time.

• Patience: Just like customer care agents, IT support engineers often have to attend to frustrated and impatient users. Therefore, he must be able to patiently listen to complaints and walk the user through the process of resolving technical issues and ensuring that such issues do not reoccur.

• Technical Skills: Of course, an IT support engineer must be skilled at working with various software and hardware, web-based applications and more. He must also display an interest in self-development and be willing to update his skills when needed. IT is always evolving; therefore, the right IT support engineer must be one that is willing to always get updated on the latest trends in the industry.

These are the things to look out for when choosing your IT support engineer. Remember, they must possess communication skills, technical skills, time management skills and be able to patiently attend to users’ complaints.

At Tranter IT, these are the skills we ensure that our IT support staff must possess. We ensure they go through a rigorous training to keep them up to date in the IT industry.

What do you think? What other skills do you look out for when choosing an IT support engineer? Please share below.

PS: At Tranter IT, we provide IT support engineers for growing businesses under our 10+ IT support platform. If you want to get a highly experienced IT support staff equipped with all the skills mentioned above and more, contact us here: https://www.tranter-it.com/10plus to sign up for a free consultation with us. If you already have an IT support staff that you want to retain, we can also adopt the staff and constantly update their skill set and IT knowledge, thereby rendering better quality service to your organization.

Melanie Ayoola

Executive Director, Tranter IT

In a bid to increase the efficiency of the IT helpdesk in every organisation, ManageEngine, an enterprise IT management software company, in partnership with Tranter IT, has unveiled new features on its ServiceDesk Plus solution.

The unveiling was held at the annual workshop for the flagship product of ManageEngine, ServiceDesk Plus, at the Fourpoints by Sheraton Lagos on Thursday, 23 May, 2019.

ServiceDesk Plus is built on ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure) version 4.0 framework and ISMS (Information Security Management System).  This Solution is designed to deliver top of the range automated helpdesk services to enterprise organisations. One of its objectives, according to Lare Ayoola, Tranter IT’s CEO in an interview, is to help organisations deliver business objectives through low-cost and optimized IT services.

The IT service desk in any organisation is intended to be a primary point of engagement between the IT department and the organisation. It is the single point of contact (SPOC) between the service provider (IT) and users for day-to-day activities. ServiceDesk Plus provides great visibility and central control in dealing with IT issues to ensure that businesses suffer the least possible downtime drastically improving the productivity of the entire organisation. ServiceDesk Plus can be deployed on cloud and on premise.

“ServiceDesk Plus integrates with other ManageEngine solutions such as Desktop Central, Asset Explorer, AD360, Self Service amongst others.” said Karthik Ananda Rao, Chief Evangelist for the ManageEngine Suite of solutions. “Over 150 built in reports and analytics help organisations make informed decisions. The advanced integrations in ManageEngine solutions allow for quick access the ServiceDesk’s key performance indicators without writing complex database queries all from one console”. 

The new Artificial Intelligence feature of the cloud version of ServiceDesk Plus is Zia, a customised virtual support agent which can be the first point of contact for the service desk. Zia helps perform simple service desk activities and fetch information, so customers do not have to rely on a technician. Essentially allowing the user access to the needed information to solve their own IT issues where needed.

“With access to a conversational virtual support agent, technicians in the field can now perform service desk tasks with simple hands-free voice commands. Now that’s efficiency” Melanie Ayoola, Executive Director, Tranter IT noted in a statement.

Everybody loves speedy internet, so it’s no surprise that every major telecom in the world is working to make it even faster. Smartphones, watches, homes, and cars are increasingly requiring stable internet connections. In order to pipe in enough bandwidth for that precious wireless feed, we’re going to need an entirely new form of wireless signal—that’s where 5G comes in.

Similar to 4G and 3G before it, 5G is a wireless connection built specifically to keep up with the proliferation of devices that need a mobile internet connection. It’s not just your phone and your computer anymore, either. Home appliances, door locks, security cameras, cars, wearables, dog collars, and so many other inert devices are beginning to connect to the web. Gartner predicts that 20.8 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. By comparison, there are currently an estimated 6.4 billion connected devices in the world. That’s a lot more devices asking for a quick connection.

To make 5G and the future of wireless internet a little easier understand, we decided to break down exactly what it is and how it will make your life better in the very near future.

What exactly is 5G?

The “G” in 5G stands for “generation.” Wireless phone technology technically started with 1G, and in the early 1990s, and it expanded to 2G when companies first started enabling people to send text messages between two cellular devices.

Eventually, the world moved on to 3G, which gave people the ability to make phone calls, send text messages, and browse the internet. 4G enhanced many of the capabilities that were made possible with the third generation of wireless. People could browse the web, send text messages, and make phone calls—and they could even download and upload large video files without any issues.

Then companies added LTE, short for “long term evolution,” to 4G connectivity. LTE became the fastest and most consistent variety of 4G compared to competing technologies like WiMax. The difference between WiMax and LTE is similar to the difference between Blu-Ray and HD DVDs: Both technologies achieved similar outcomes, but it was important to create a standard for everyone to use. LTE did just that, and it made 4G technology even faster.

5G will build on the foundation created by 4G LTE. It’s going to allow people send texts, make calls, and browse the web as always—and it will dramatically increase the speed at which data is transferred across the network. 5G will make it easier for people to download and upload Ultra HD and 3D video. It will also make room for the thousands of internet-connected devices entering our everyday world. Just imagine upgrading your data connection from a garden hose to a fire hose. The difference will be noticeable.

5G To Transform Lives

But is 5G really that much faster than 4G?

In short: Yes. Speeds will be significantly faster. Currently, 4G LTE transfer speeds top out at about one gigabit per second. That means it takes about an hour to download a short HD movie in perfect conditions. The problem is, people rarely experience 4G’s maximum download speed because the signal can be disrupted by so many different things: buildings, microwaves, other wifi signals. The list goes on and on.

5G will increase download speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. That means a full HD movie can be downloaded in a matter of seconds. It will also reduce latency significantly (giving people faster load times). In short, it will give wireless broadband the capacity it needs to power thousands of connected devices that will reach our homes and workplaces.

How does it work?

There are already huge consortiums of major global telecoms working to create worldwide standards around 5G. Although most of those standards haven’t been solidified, experts expect it to be backwards compatible (with 4G and 3G) in addition to having some interoperability across the world.

In their most basic form, cell phones are basically two-way radios. When you call someone, your phone converts your voice into an electrical signal. It transmits that electrical signal to the nearest cell tower using radio wave. The cell tower bounces the radio wave through a network of cell towers and eventually to your friend’s phone. The same thing is happening when you send other forms of data (like photos and video) across the network.

Typically, when a new mobile wireless technology comes along (like 5G), it’s assigned a higher radiofrequency. For instance, 4G occupied the frequency bands up to 20MHz. In the case of 5G, it will likely sit on the frequency band up to 6GHz. The reason new wireless technologies occupy higher frequencies is because they typically aren’t in use and move information at a much faster speed. The problem is that higher frequency signals don’t travel as far as lower frequencies, so multiple input and output antennas (MIMOs) will probably be used to boost signals anywhere 5G is offered.

What is 5G and why it will rule the world?

After 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G LTE now comes 5G. It is the fifth generation of wireless network that is expected to be launched in 2020 in India and rest of the world. 5G will be based upon the combination of the existing wireless technologies like GSM, Wi-Fi, LTE etc and the new radio access technologies.

5G will bring higher capacity than the existing 4G network. It is expected to increase the data rates beyond 1GB per second and will provide higher broadband density to the users. It is estimated that peak download rate of data will be of 20/Gbits and upload rate will be of 10G/bits. There will be low latency and low battery consumption while using 5G that means it will increase the battery life upto 10 years and reduce network energy usage by 90%. Several hundreds and thousands of computers will be able to access simultaneous connections at a very high rate. Spectral efficiency will also be increased in 5Gnetwork.

5Gnetwork will benefit the telecommunication sector to a great extent. It will provide better usage of smartphones by increasing their speed. It will introduce VR (virtual reality) and AR (Augmented reality) in smartphone sector.

5G will also bring a biggest change by starting the era of driverless smart cars and smart homes.

More than just speed

ADVANTAGES OF 5G

5G network will benefit not only business person but also the commoners. There are several new things that will emerge along with 5Gnetwork making it more reliable and efficient.

Here are some of the things we will be benefited with:

• Greater speed (enough to download a movie in few seconds)
• Greater capacity (1,000 times capacity of 4G)
• Reduced Latency (stop delays)
• Provide high resolution and larger bandwidth
• It will gather networks on one platform
• Lower battery consumption
• Simultaneous connections can work together
• Provide uninterrupted and consistent connectivity.
• Allow access to parallel multiple services
• Remote place access grant
• Detect natural disasters

“We are absolutely convinced that 5G is the next revolution,” Tim Baxter, president of Samsung’s US unit, said during a press conference.

Here’s just a taste of what 5G will be able to unlock.

Self-driving cars

While companies like Google and Uber are investing in self-driving cars now, many in the industry don’t believe a fully autonomous vehicle is possible without a 5G network.

“We are absolutely convinced that 5G is the next revolution.” Tim Baxter, president of Samsung’s US unit.

That instantly responsive network and ubiquitous coverage means the cars will be able to use 5G to talk to other cars and sensors built around the city, from street lamps to gas stations.

“It not just about the cars,” Adam Koeppe, vice president of network planning for Verizon, said in an interview Monday. “It’s about urban design and technology.”

Elon Musk Tesla 3

WHAT ADVANTAGES WILL 5G OFFER?

Each new generation of wireless technology has brought faster, more reliable cellular and internet connections. In the 1980’s, first-generation technology made communication via cellphone possible. The next generation, 2G, allowed for more efficient and secure phone calls, and introduced mobile text messaging. 3G ushered in the smartphone era, and 4G/LTE gave us the high-speed connections that make it possible to stream high-definition video on our phones.

5G is projected to bring three main benefits

– Faster speed: Data transfer speeds are projected to be about 10 times higher with 5G than is possible with 4G. That means significantly faster transmission of images and videos. With 4G/LTE, downloading a high-definition movie might take about 10 minutes. With 5G, it should take less than a second.

– Shorter delays: Though it’s not always noticeable, there is often a brief lag in time from when data is sent to when it’s received. 5G should reduce this so-called latency, making it possible, for example, to watch high-speed virtual reality video with no delays or glitches.

– Increased connectivity: Cell towers equipped with 5G technology would have greatly increased capacity over 4G/LTE. That means more people — and more devices — should be able to communicate at the same time.

WILL I NEED A NEW PHONE?

Just as 2G phones couldn’t connect to 3G or 4G networks, today’s 3G and 4G/LTE phones will be unable to connect to a 5G network. So experts predict you’ll need a new phone. The cost of a 5G phone is unclear, but monthly 5G service is likely to cost more than 4G/LTE service.

WHEN WILL 5G BE AVAILABLE?

Samsung and Intel debuted 5G technology at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where it was used to stream live VR coverage of sporting events. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are continuing to develop and test 5G technology and expect 5G service to be available in some U.S. cities later this year. Access to 5G is expected to expand dramatically in 2019.

Source: https://gizmodo.com/what-is-5g-and-how-will-it-make-my-life-better-1760847799

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/tech/what-5g-next-wireless-revolution-explained-ncna855816

When you first step into the compound and look at the environs of Tranter IT, there is a curiosity that engulfs you and makes you eager to see what lays behind the building structure which boasts of over 40 years of existence.

A look into our offices, you’ll see staff who are sharing ideas, discussing future possibilities, being productive and most importantly the existence of genuine Love amongst the staff.

As we celebrate Valentine’s day, our interview today is with Adedayo Odubanjo, the Head, Human Resources, Tranter IT Infrastructure Services Limited and Tranter International LTD. Adedayo gives an insight on how she encourages employee motivation and a healthy work environment with love, which helps in fostering productivity and overall growth of the company which has almost 350 staff including about 300 IT Engineers.

Read the rest of Adedayo’s interesting interview below:

Fabwoman: Would you rather be doing anything else other than Human Resources?

Adedayo: [Smiles] Over my 10 years’ experience as an HR professional, I have acquired knowledge in social media marketing, digital marketing and also been an editor for a couple of websites so I will say that while I will continue to be an HR Professional, I am open to learning other skills that will help me be the best I can be.

Fabwoman: What is it like being the Head, Human Resources of an IT firm?

Adedayo: Because Tranter IT also renders IT support to clients all over Nigeria, it is quite demanding but I have learnt to put my Empathy, Conflict resolution, Critical thinking, Multitasking and Proactive skills into use on a high scale. The guidance of the Executive Management has also helped me perform my job effectively and efficiently.

Fabwoman: What are the core values of your organisation that has kept it in existence for over 28 years?

Adedayo: The core values of the Tranter Group are Team Work, Excellence, Integrity, Accountability and Innovation. We have however found out that even with all these values in place, the key to overall success at Tranter IT is the ability to show love to one another. The CEO, Lare Ayoola, has shared in various instances, the importance of love in creating a healthy and transparent environment which in turn leads to an organization’s overall success. Mr Ayoola believes that when you speak openly about your business to your employees and they feel comfortable coming to you with anything that’s on their minds, this can do wonders for the collective motivation of the workplace. That’s because love gives birth to transparency which in turn builds trust; when people understand that the Executive Management aren’t hiding anything, and that they’ll listen to anybody, they’re far more likely to respect and appreciate them. Employees are more comfortable bringing up what they like and don’t like, and there are more chances to nip potential problems in the bud by resolving them in a timely fashion.

Fabwoman: You say Love is the key to your organization’s success, how are you celebrating Valentine’s day with your employees?

Adedayo: [Smiles], It’s a tradition for us to share gifts amongst ourselves, so everyone looks forward to Valentine’s day, knowing they will be made to feel special and loved by their fellow colleagues.

Fabwoman: Any final words?

Adedayo: With genuine love, you can never go wrong. Love should not only be shown through words spoken but also by consistent actions and acts of service. Love should also not only be shown on Valentine’s day but every day.

Fabwoman: Thank you for your time with us

Adedayo: Thank you for having me.

Source: https://fabwoman.ng/valentines-day-special-love-is-the-key-to-our-success-at-tranter-it-adedayo-odubanjo/

If you have IT professionals on your company’s staff, there’s a good chance you are paying a lot of money to them. The average Nigeria-based IT Support professional makes about ₦100,000 per month. It’s why so many companies are making the decision to outsource IT these days.

Have you considered doing it? If so, you might be concerned about how outsourcing your IT needs could affect the overall well-being of your company. The IT professionals on your team obviously play a vital role in everything from the security of your internal computer network to the development of your company’s website.

But the truth is that there are plenty of reasons to seriously consider outsourcing your IT to a company you can trust. Take a look at 10 of those reasons below.

1. You Can Control Costs When You Outsource IT

If your website suddenly crashes or your computer network stops working, the IT professionals on your staff will be well worth the money you are paying them. They’ll spring into action and fix whatever problem has popped up.

But what about when everything is up and running just fine? While there is some basic day-to-day IT maintenance that needs to be done, the truth is that your IT professionals aren’t going to be working all the time, even though you’re technically paying them to.

When you outsource IT, you won’t have to worry about this aspect. You will get to pick and choose which IT services you need. Those services will, in turn, be the only things you’ll need to pay for.

Lowering your operating costs is easily one of the big pros of outsourcing IT.

2. You Won’t Have to Worry about Recruiting Quality IT Professionals

Outside of paying the IT professionals on your staff, you also have to spend time recruiting new IT members to replace those that leave your company for whatever reason. This can waste a lot of time for your HR department.

When you make the decision to outsource IT, your IT company will be in charge of handling recruiting and putting the right people in place to handle your needs. In most cases, you won’t ever come into contact with those people, but you can rest assured knowing they have the skills and experience it takes to tackle any IT issue.

3. You’ll Have Access to IT Professionals with Proper Training and Experience

In addition to hiring IT professionals to be on your staff, you also need to make sure they have the proper training at all times. And because the IT world is always changing, there are always new courses that those in it need to take.

IT training can be expensive for you and your company. It can also leave you without an IT professional on your staff on certain training days, which can leave your company vulnerable.

If you decide to outsource IT, it will be up to the company you work with to take care of training their employees and ensuring they have enough experience to tackle certain jobs. You won’t ever have to spend another dime sending an IT professional to a training course.

4. You Will Also Get Access to the Latest Forms of Technology

There are new forms of technology that are popping up every single day and making it easier for your company to function. Problem is, many companies have IT professionals that don’t have the time to investigate new forms of technology and incorporate them into the mix.

You can stay one step ahead of the game when you outsource IT and work with a company that always has one eye on the future. You can also ask questions about specific types of technology, like cloud computing, and see if it would make sense for you to start using them.

5. You Will Reduce the Responsibilities of Your Other Employees

Far too many companies rely on someone other than an IT professional for their IT needs. They say, “Tolu in accounting and Yvonne in HR have some experience fixing computers, so let’s let them handle our IT needs!”

As you can probably imagine, this is a terrible approach to take. Outside of the fact that “Tolu in accounting” and “Yvonne in HR” aren’t certified IT professionals, they also have their own responsibilities they need to take care every day.

Tolu and Yvonne will appreciate you making the decision to outsource IT rather than asking them to continue to try and fix all your IT problems.

6. You Will Be Able to Speak with an IT Professional 24/7/365

No matter how hard your IT professionals work, they aren’t going to be on the job all the time.

They’re going to go away on vacation or take a sick day every now and then.

If an IT emergency pops up when they’re not around, what are you going to do?

When you outsource IT, this will never be a problem, as most IT companies offer 24/7/365 service to customers. You can get someone on the phone at any time of the day or night to discuss an IT issue.

Start Outsourcing your IT Today for as low as ₦30,000

7. You Can Take a More Proactive Approach to IT Maintenance

One of the other big issues that many companies encounter when it comes to IT is that they’re too reactive.

Something breaks–and then they fix it. Then something else breaks–and they fix that, too. And so on and so forth.

Rather than only reacting to problems, why not be proactive instead? Being proactive is one of the keys to maintaining a successful network.

Your IT company should be able to spot potential issues and bring them up before they cause serious consequences. This should be more than possible since they’ll be monitoring your IT systems 24/7 once you bring them on board.

8. You Will Have the Chance to Learn about New IT Services and Solutions

While it’s important for your IT company to be proactive when you outsource IT work to them, it’s important for you to be as proactive as possible, too. This means bringing up problems you might be having so that your outsourced company can find a solution for you.

For example, let’s say you’ve been thinking about trying to increase the mobility of your office. You want your employees to be able to work from home more often if they want.

This might sound simple enough. But in reality, there are all kinds of security issues that could prove to be problematic. Your employees could also have trouble accessing your network when they’re not actually in the office, which could cut into their productivity.

The right IT company can find a workaround for you and make your company more mobile in no time. People will be able to start accessing your network from wherever they want when you outsource IT to the right company.

9. Scalability: Scaling your support team to handle the large load can be overbearing and taxing to your engineering/development team, not to mention expensive. Expert support teams have streamlined processes to scale quickly in all facets of support.

10. You Will Have More Time to Focus on Running Your Business

While all of the reasons listed here are important, this one is, without a doubt, the most important reason of all.

Your business is very important to you, and you work very hard to keep it afloat. You spend tons of time, energy, and money doing whatever you can to make it as successful as possible.

But if you are working with an IT department that is over-matched and unable to keep up with the constant demands that come with the job, then you are likely having to deal with one IT problem after another rather than dealing with the real issues affecting your company.

How nice would it be to hand over control of your IT department to a company you can trust to handle your network with care? With services like 10+ IT Support powered by Tranter IT, you can get back to doing what you do best: running your business!

Saving money when you outsource IT work will be nice. So will eliminating the headaches that come along with fielding calls and emails about IT problems. However, the best perk of doing it will be spending more time running your business rather than thinking about your company’s IT needs.

Outsource Your IT Now Starting at only ₦30,000/Month

Don’t spend another second stressing out over your company’s current IT shortcomings. Cut your IT department costs now by outsourcing.

10+ IT Support is offering a 50% discount on their services starting at ₦30,000/Month . Learn More Now

If you have enjoyed this read, check out our blog for more information on meeting your company’s IT demands.

Source: itbriefcase.net

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Happy 2019! God bless Tranter IT and all who help and serve her.

I greet you with an excited heart and a lot of hope and expectation for 2019 and 2020. The last three months have been some of the toughest months of my life and indeed they were months that required a huge amount of faith, but it was all worth it and we have conquered. In the midst of an economy that seems to point downwards, we are making positive, aggressive plans to invest in new businesses and to expand our product range and dramatically increase our sales and profits thereby increasing our strength and the job security of us all. While many are shrinking or shying away from the investment we are investing aggressively. I believe that there is no other way to go if we are to ride the storm that is coming. A smart driver increases speed as he approaches a steep hill so as to have the momentum and speed to reach the pinnacle of that hill and have an easy ride down the other side.

In addition to our existing services such as Manage Engine, Enterprise IT and Digital Banking Support, hardware, software, printing inks and accessories sales , we are moving positively and surely into TechMed, Health care services, IoT solutions and networks, printing solutions for plastic cards and labels, wireless logistics solutions and IT Support for the SME market. These strategic business moves will open up very large markets for us and generate huge returns. To succeed we will have to act as an adhesive team and work smart, hard, diligently and conscientiously keeping our eye on the goals and not on our present situations whatever they may be. I am making and I will still make great sacrifices over the next two years because I believe in the future of Tranter IT and the thousands of jobs that we are going to create as well as the growth that all our staff will experience within two years from now. I ask you to join me on this journey to success, prosperity and greatness.

We are indeed fortunate to be where we are. We are at the door of prosperity and financial security and all we have to do is to remain focused and dedicated to the success of our existing lines of business. God will take care of the rest, as He has promised and as He is guiding us.

Many doors are flying open for us to achieve success in the very near future. Helpers are coming in droves. Clients are turning friendly. Enemies are quiet. God is with us on this journey and we remain blessed in Tranter IT. Join me, join the management, join hands with all our colleagues in embarking on this very exciting journey towards cutting edge solutions and excellence in all we do.

As usual I remain grateful to you all and of course, I love you all. God bless you and give you His grace, His peace and His protection this year and in the years to come. You are His children and He will remember you for good while He protects you and increases you. Amen

Lare Ayoola

Executive Chairman, Tranter IT