Older computer users 'require IT troubleshooting support'

The majority of people aged 50 and over have a good level of IT skills, however many are less capable of solving technical issues which arise, a survey has found.

According to consumer group Which?, most senior professionals and business owners require assistance over issues such as viruses, computers crashing and online security.

The study, which potentially highlights the benefits of adopting a managed hosting model, also indicated that over-50s need help understanding technical jargon in order to make the most of their systems.

A spokesperson for Which? commented: "When it's going right they feel really confident, but if something is going wrong they don't know where to turn."

She explained that it is difficult for older computer users to find out the basic computer knowledge that younger generations, who grew up using IT, take for granted.

"You can go on computer courses and learn to word process, but you're not told about all the error messages that can pop up that can throw a spanner into the works," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this week, advertising specialist Raju Shanbhag told TMC Net that knowledgeable managed services providers offer high levels of practical and technical support to IT users.

Written by Mark Hainsby