Web and social media IT support now impossible to ignore

The pressure on helpdesks to provide support to mobile users has intensified after figures showed that almost half of all internet usage now occurs via smartphones and tablets.

A study by the Office of National Statistics shows that 45 per cent of UK internet users now go online via a mobile device, a number which swells to 71 per cent for 16-24 year olds.

With mobile web usage growing, organisations still struggling to provide effective web-based support now have to ensure that portals and help facilities also work on mobile devices.

Similarly, the need to develop a support presence on social networks is heightening, with the same study showing that 57 per cent of adult internet users - and 91 per cent of under 24's - are active on sites such as Twitter.