Consumer demand for remote services helps boost tech support to $5 billion by 2014

The development of remote online solutions will complement the growing premium tech support industry, including retailers and service providers, by providing improved marketing channels and enhancing automated and live support services. Parks Associates forecasts U.S. revenues in consumer-oriented technical support services will approach $5 billion by 2014, with roughly 50% of the revenues coming from remote technical support services.

The development of remote services across a variety of channels, including broadband providers, Internet security vendors, PC OEMs, and CE retailers, will help meet the demand for premium technical support services, according to Parks Associates’ reports Service Providers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts and Retailers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts.

Our research has consistently found that assistance with home technologies, including PCs, home networks, and AV equipment, is the top value-added service that a broadband provider can deliver. Consumer desire for ‘attached support’ – that is, additions such as extended warranties and protection plans, setup and configuration, delivery and installation – can also help retailers add revenue to the sale of a variety of CE. Aftermarket care in the form of PC tune-ups and troubleshooting provides a consistent and proactive form of technical care services.

Service Providers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts and Retailers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts analyze the markets for U.S. consumer technical support services. These reports examine support offerings from service providers, retailers, OEMs, and third-party software and support vendors. They combine the results from more than 50 industry interviews and primary consumer data.