In this interview, we speak to Stephen Borg, Managed Services Projects Team Leader at STL, about his role at the company, and about the range and scope of Managed Services which Smart Technologies offers its clients.

Hi Stephen, can you tell us something about your role at STL?

As team leader for Managed Services Projects, where I manage a team of five people, my supervisory function is mainly that of making sure that all client tickets are completed in a timely manner, and to give guidance and assist the team in meeting all its challenges.

Generally speaking, as a Managed Services team, our priorities are to provide a proactive and consistent service, while being ready to come up with plans of action in cases of emergency. The mainstay of our service is the monitoring and maintenance of our clients’ IT assets, and continuously upgrading these with the latest firmware and software updates, following procedures created in-house as a result of hands-on experience (we currently monitor over 200 servers and 1,500 workstations). Our role also encompasses the documentation of server infrastructures.

And what do you think are the personal qualities which help you most in making an impact in this role?

Foremost among these, particularly within the Managed Services perspective, is the skill of being good communicator, including the ability to explain technical issues to a client, in a way that they can understand their implications. One must also be good at problem-solving, quick to act under pressure, while remaining calm when facing critical issues.

As a team leader, clear communication with the team members – especially regarding targets, in passing on knowledge and providing support to all the team – is fundamental. You also need to be an organised planner, able to manage the daily schedule of pending and incoming tasks in such a way as to keep any downtime at the client to an absolute minimum, and to complete every task within a reasonable time-frame.

STL offers its clients a range of Managed Services. What do these consist of?

Our services include a Help Desk function manned by our technicians to provide Desktop Support and 24/7 Network Monitoring. We also provide Virus and Microsoft Patch Management updates, onsite or remote backup monitoring, Spyware monitoring, the installation of standard server and PC software (new or updates/upgrades), together with the annual tune-up of network and servers. Following any crisis event, we also come in with a disaster recovery plan of action. More recently, we have started implementing Datacentre Monitoring in line with the managed data centre services offered by STL and Melita Plc through the Smartcloud brand. As part of our service, we also conduct an annual Technology Review at each of our clients and jointly formulate a plan going forward.

Why would the outsourcing of such services prove to be a feasible option?

Having an external professional IT team always on call will always give you greater peace of mind, and avoid gaps left by eventualities such as absent IT personnel, regular IT employee turnover etc. However, the biggest advantage of outsourcing IT services to a company like STL, is that we have a team with vast experience and diverse backgrounds of expertise. This, together with the direct relationships we enjoy with major suppliers such as Microsoft, Veeam, and HPE, makes our support much more effective and efficient. Outsourcing your IT requirements can be a smart idea, especially when you’ve got a Managed Services team like ours taking care of you!

For more information about STL’s managed services you can visit https://www.stl.com.mt/managed-services/ or contact Stephen directly at stephen.borg@stl.com.mt.