Background
Support.com Inc. is a leading provider of support services and security software for businesses and individual consumers. A company called Replicase Inc. was founded in 1997 with a focus on automating problem-solving in applications, such as self-healing software. In 1999, a new strategy was established – providing software support to corporate clients. The company received its current name, Support.com Inc., by identifying the promising direction of remote support early on, and it achieved remarkable results over the next twenty years (Support.com, 2021).
Support.com Inc. assists customers with application support and maintenance for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android platforms (Support.com). During the pandemic, the company’s strategy and campaign to offer all new customers a free month of technical support helped them feel confident in the market and achieve economic growth (Heusser et al., 2020). In 2020, Support.com Inc. hired over 100 new remote customer support employees (Heusser et al., 2020). The company has several products in high demand from customers and is confidently navigating the crisis of our time, thanks to its focus on remote work.
Major Services
Support.com Inc. provides a wide range of services to support businesses and individual users. The firm’s flagship product is Tech Solutions, a 24/7 remote support service for businesses and users. Support covers any device and all kinds of issues, including connecting new home and car devices to a shared smart network (Crabb, 2019). For businesses, it reduces the burden on the internal IT team and allows for fewer costly technicians.
The service includes server support, proactive monitoring, consulting, third-party vendor management, and assistance with employee administration. Technical support is provided in real-time and using any form of communication available to the user. Additionally, Support.com offers step-by-step instructions for resolving the most common issues and provides self-support tools (Crabb, 2019). Thus, Tech Solutions is capable of integrating various devices on different platforms into a single network, which helps customers and companies using them.
The Nexus self-support service was created in 2013 to optimize interaction with the support service. It utilizes Guided Paths technology to enable users to access pre-built solutions for servicing mobile applications, websites, and programs. It is designed to expedite and optimize the processes in the work of the support service, as some clients may be dissatisfied with the frequency of recurring problems. The Nexus Self-Support program is regularly updated and self-learning, adapting to new emerging issues (CRM Magazine, 2015).
The service assists users in installing, configuring, using, updating, and troubleshooting a wide range of technical products (CRM Magazine, 2015). If the user cannot operate independently, the program redirects them to support, who has full access to data about what the client has done and the steps they have taken. About half of the customers prefer access to a self-service program before contacting support (CRM Magazine, 2015). As a rule, it hastens the work process since the user does not have to wait for assistance.
SUPERAntiSpyware should be noted, and it is a product that helps to detect spyware, fraudulent adware, and virus programs. Although the product is not intended to replace antivirus software completely, it serves as an addition to it, and its advantage is full compatibility with other antiviruses. The limited version of the product is available for free. However, users need to keep the program updated in such a format and are unable to use all the recovery functions (Capterra, n.d.).
In 2011, SUPERAntiSpyware had low ratings due to the lack of real-time protection, limited functionality, and a narrow database (Capterra, n.d.). Currently, the program has a rating of 4.4 on Capterra, with many users noting the ease of use, excellent compatibility with other software, and helpful features as an addition to the main antivirus (Capterra, n.d.). Although the product has weaknesses, it is increasingly in demand by users in the modern world.
The Environment Surrounding Selected Products
The environment surrounding the products of Support.com Inc. is a combination of brick-and-mortar and cloud-based solutions. It means the company has its hardware infrastructure that needs maintenance and support. It includes its own servers and other equipment used by workers (Soto-Acosta et al., 2018). The company has offices that need physical protection of premises and technical resources.
In addition, Support.com leverages the cloud, which enables it to reduce costs and quickly expand its customer base and workload at no additional expense (Support.com, 2021). However, the cloud environment needs maintenance and logical security (firewalls, traffic monitoring, and analysis) (Soto-Acosta et al., 2018; Huang et al., 2007). Enterprise IT uses various environments and equipment (Soto-Acosta et al., 2018). Given the nature of Support.com, which works with employees and customers remotely, the company needs to combine its technical and server capacities with outsourcing providers.
Industry and Competitors
The IT services market is a rapidly evolving area, where constant growth in both demand and supply is anticipated. Experts estimate that the IT services sector will grow by 10% annually over the next five years (IT services market analysis, n.d.). At the same time, both the number of software and cloud applications, as well as the volume of information threats, will increase. Thus, the demand for data support and protection from users and businesses will constantly increase.
Digital transformation will continue to evolve, affecting businesses of all sizes, from small to large. Soon, even small and medium-sized businesses will only be able to do with websites, accounting applications, and other software to improve organization and management. It will apply to businesses in developed countries, such as the United States, at an increasing pace; the trend will also unfold in second- and third-world countries.
Therefore, remote IT support services for business processes worldwide will be in especially high demand. The volume of data exchange is expected to continue growing, and therefore, companies should prioritize the use of cloud storage and cybersecurity services (IT services market analysis, n.d.). Service providers need to focus on continuous infrastructure expansion and growth without compromising stability or security.
The demand for IT support services is expected to increase among ordinary users as technologically complex devices become increasingly interconnected within the same network. Already, many people use a smart home or create a single network of their technical devices at home, in their car, or at the office (IT services market analysis, n.d.). Significantly, the development of programs that can work with various software without conflict will be important. The demand for information security will grow from users. People are becoming increasingly interested in VPNs and anti-spyware software, as modern users are concerned about potential data theft or leakage. Most IT organizations have vulnerable ecosystems. The firms that guarantee the best protection, speed, and security, while maintaining equal efficiency in the services provided, win.
Support.com is one of the most well-known IT support companies in America, as it is one of the oldest firms to have chosen the prominent path of development quite early. The company managed to conquer a large market segment; however, it faces numerous competitors and alternatives. Therefore, Support.com cannot remain within its existing operational framework. It needs to focus on improving its products and their targeted marketing (Webster, 2005).
Support.com’s biggest competitor is Atera, a remote monitoring and control platform. The company offers a fixed-cost model, which is convenient for growing small and medium-sized businesses that do not incur additional costs (SourceForge, n.d.). SysAid is another company-oriented corporation that serves small and medium-sized businesses. It has an automated help desk and a real-time audit of all cheating. Vivantio is a leading B2B software firm that utilizes a hybrid environment for scalable solutions (SourceForge, n.d.). Many more companies are direct competitors to Support.com. If the company finds its niche, it can retain its competitive edge.
Current and Potential Market Segments
Currently, Support.com specializes in servicing individual customers and small and medium businesses. Tech Solutions is utilized by businesses and clients, in conjunction with the Nexus self-support service, to streamline housekeeping and business operations and reduce IT costs. There are still benefits for businesses that use Support.com’s services compared to customers. Another problem for the company is that it specializes in the US market, overlooking the markets of other developing countries.
Examining Support.com’s growth rate and interest in its stock reveals that the company is neither a promising nor a risky investment (MarketBeat, 2023). It is due to the low level of product competitiveness and problems in company management (Liu & Atuahene-Gima, 2018). Over the past two years, the company’s management has made decisions that have undermined its credibility. Currently, the management trust rating is 37%, which places Support.com in the bottom 10% of IT companies in terms of management trust. Merger attempts with a Bitcoin mining company in 2021 undermined Support.com’s stock price (MarketBeat, 2023). Customers would like the company to focus on developing its products, rather than engaging in political and financial games.
Support.com has growth potential for all of its products. The potential market for Tech Solutions and Nexus self-support is small and medium-sized businesses in third-world countries. They are interested in a product that combines different software on different devices and removes conflicts among them. Often, small and medium-sized businesses use the software that is available to them or with which they are familiar. It can combine global brands and local developments specific to different countries and regions (Steenkamp, 2020).
Support.com has extensive experience in integrating services into multi-software environments. Thus, the company needs to return to the early stages of existence, when they ensured the conflict-free operation of various systems (Lee et al., 2019). Moreover, small and medium businesses need to reduce their costs for IT and similar expensive services. A product like Nexus self-support is ideal for marketing purposes.
One of the most promising consumer products in the US market is SUPERAntiSpyware. It demonstrates its high rating and user reviews, which highlight the convenience of using the program as an anti-spyware agent (Capterra, n.d.). In current conditions, when data theft or leakage is a daily reality, people have raised questions about programs that ensure the cybersecurity of bathhouses. SUPERAntiSpyware has the potential to win over more users if it proves to be more effective than simple antivirus software.
Recommendations
The Support.com Board of Shareholders should pay attention to the level of employee confidence in the management. For the management of the company, it is necessary to focus on conquering new markets and new marketing strategies (Sheth & Parvatiyar, 1995). Thus, improving relationships among involved parties is critical (Palmer, 2002). Existing products can be sold differently and remain competitive. Together with Tech Solutions, Nexus self-support should be targeted at small and medium-sized businesses as time- and money-saving technologies.
Users need to be shown how using Nexus self-support can be cheaper than the fixed-cost model from Atera, as the program is constantly updated, reducing the need to resort to paid services. It adheres to the principles of meeting consumer demands by analyzing their behavior (Michael & Becker, 1973; Laros & Steenkamp, 2005). In turn, Tech Solutions should have a well-thought-out pricing grid that allows customers to choose the services they are interested in and cover the rest of their needs with the help of self-service.
SUPERAntiSpyware already has positive ratings and should increase its reach to the audience. Firstly, the company should focus on marketing and advertising the product to citizens with a high need for cybersecurity (Martin, 1999). Secondly, it is necessary to consider the service’s problems and expand its free functionality. Users report experiencing slow database updates, freezing issues when uninstalling unwanted programs, and prolonged installation and download times (Capterra, n.d.). With all the pluses, the product has great potential and a growing market.
Conclusion
Support.com Inc. is one of the many companies in the US market that provide IT support services. At one time, the company was able to find the right direction and developed several popular services distinguished by simplicity, efficiency, multitasking, and flexibility. The parameters should be remembered, as the growing market for software products, services, and platforms creates a variety of conflicting programs that the client cannot operate. Support.com products have the potential to expand into new markets and increase their user base as the IT industry continues to grow and experience a steady influx of customers.
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