When an error occurs or an incident is generated in relation to a technology used within the company, the IT department must be in charge of solving said incident efficiently and in the shortest possible time. It goes without saying that such support can accelerate the user experience greatly. There’s a great variety of service desk software to choose from.
Not all incidents are resolved in the same way or require the same degree of action, so the level of IT support varies depending on the type of incident that is generated.
What are IT support levels?
The IT support levels are the divisions that apply to the support that is carried out from the IT department or a company specialized in technical assistance, and that allows solving problems and incidents in less time and with a greater degree of efficiency. IT services can be performed remotely or in person, and in many cases, it is necessary to use both forms of support to be able to close or solve an incident.
Four levels of the IT support
The IT support levels are divided into four levels, each having its own characteristics, functions, level of training, and experience. Next, we will look at each of the IT support levels, their roles, and responsibilities.
Level 1 (L1) support
It is the first line of assistance where the technician will have to gather all the information related to the problem. The objective is to determine exactly what is happening and to define what is the cause that produces it. Once the problem is defined and its cause discovered, it is solved. This type of support usually deals with easily solvable problems that are mainly related to:
- Communication and networking problems (such as cabling problems).
- Resolution of incidents related to users and passwords.
- Software installation or reinstallation.
- Software and hardware configurations.
- The solution to queries or incidents remotely.
The technicians who are in charge of solving the incidents of this level of IT support have general computer knowledge. In the event that they cannot resolve the incident, they will take it to the corresponding level according to its complexity.
Level 1 support is also known as front-line support or front-end support. Although this service is usually provided by the company itself, in many cases it is outsourced, hiring the services of external providers (for example, due to not having technicians in the area where the incident takes place, and it cannot be resolved remotely).
Level 2 (L2) support
At this level of IT support, there are technicians with more experience and knowledge, who are usually specialized in help desk areas, with knowledge of networks, microcomputer systems, databases, etc.
Typically, level 2 support takes care of problems that have not been solved by level 1 technicians as they require more complex tasks, and they often face incidents such as:
- Data recovery.
- Wireless network configuration.
- Formatting of computer equipment.
- Firmware update.
- Supervise tools to solve incidents.
- Collect information to pass it on to N3.
Level 2 technicians are characterized by having technical competence in the IT area, providing more complete support than N1, as they have greater knowledge of the products, services, software, or hardware they support.
Level 3 (L3) support
Technicians operating at IT Support Level 3 have in-depth knowledge and experience in solving computer problems and have technical knowledge of computer products & services, advanced analysis, problem-solving skills, and excellent computer skills.
Among the main functions of this level of support are:
- Support Level 1 and Level 2 technicians if required.
- Manage, update and develop databases.
- Administration of the network structure and configuration.
- Perform system configurations and repairs on servers.
- Solve equipment configuration problems.
- Develop solutions to new problems.
Level 3 support is also known as high-level support or back-end support and takes care of the most complex and technical problems, providing efficient solutions to them.
Technicians at this level, in addition to their high training in IT and their experience in solving computer problems, must possess good social and communication skills, because part of their job is to serve customers and support personnel at lower levels. Therefore, the support level three technician is a “team player” who often coordinates, guides and assists other people in the process.
Level 4 support (L4)
IT-level 4 support refers to those specialized incidents that cannot be addressed by the company and that are usually resolved by external companies associated with manufacturers. A typical example of this type of N4 support is the incidents of printing systems, storage cabinets, applications, machine maintenance, etc. Most companies do not have technicians who provide level 4 IT support, so they hire specialized companies to solve incidents at that level.
How to manage IT incidents
When an IT-related incident is generated, a process is followed that begins with the entry of the incident, which leads to its registration and classification. Then a diagnosis is made that leads to the resolution and closure of the incident.
When an incident is classified, an N1 or N2 technician is assigned according to the type or degree of an incident (in specific cases, an N3 is assigned directly or an external company N4 is called). These technicians diagnose the problem by identifying the root cause, and attempt to resolve it. In case of success, the incident is closed as solved. If the problem cannot be solved, it is passed to the next level of IT support that will take care of the incident, relying on the information provided by the lower level.
