The Rejuvenation of Tech Support
by Bill Rose, SSPA Founder and Executive Director

In the July 27 issue of SSPA News, I wrote a column in response to a magazine cover I saw on a newsstand that read: “The Death of Tech Support.” You can imagine that lone headline on the Smart Computing cover really got my attention. When I opened it, I discovered the headline referred to six articles inside, all with titles suggesting that tech support is a dying profession. All of us in the tech support industry know that isn’t true – tech support is expanding and evolving, but it is NOT dying.

In my July Perspective column, I asked that we all, as an industry, send email to the Editor-in-Chief to let him know that tech support is indeed alive and well. It worked, we got his attention. Enough of the SSPA community sent letters to convince their editorial staff that a follow-up article from the perspective of tech support practitioners (imagine that…) is a good idea. That article should provide some balance to the other article and while it may not make for great cover copy, it will hopefully be closer to the reality we all know.

To help Smart Computing write their follow-up article, due out in the December or January issue, I’ve invited the magazine to send a writer to our upcoming conference in Savannah. Though we aren’t yet sure who that writer will be, it is likely that he or she will stop at least a few of you in the hall or during a meal to ask you about the state of tech support, how your support organization is changing, and how you plan to guide your tech support organization into the future. I hope you all take the time to share your perspectives.

I want to extend a big “Thank You” to those of you who took the time and put the effort into crafting a thoughtful response to Smart Computing. You made a difference and I hope everyone coming to Savannah will join the fray and take the time to talk with the magazine’s representative.

The SSPA staff will also be in Savannah so please take the time to talk with us about your membership, opportunities to share your expertise with the SSPA community, new programs, and more. If you want to schedule time with any of our staff, please send me an email. I’ll make sure you get connected with the appropriate person. Our staff will also be spending a good deal of time in our booth on the exhibit floor so please stop by and say hello. Again, thanks to those who sent emails and took action with Smart Computing.

Sincerely,

Bill Rose
SSPA Founder/Executive Director