Application Support teams are those guys that keep server applications running and error free. Administration is just a way of saying that that support guys are not just mere operators, and that they also dedicate themselves to the study of the application, the systems beneath it, and the business processes on top of it.
Typically, the responsibilities of an Application Support team include:
- Installing and configuring application environments;
- Being focal-point contact with application software suppliers;
- Being focal-point contact with other technical teams (example: Sys Admin and DBA)
- Continuously monitor applications performance, and apply any necessary tuning;
- Responding to production emergencies (like application down, or a substancial error);
- Fixing critical or “normal” errors;
- Installing new development software (deploys);
- Upgrading application software and applying patches;
- Assisting users and answering their questions, sometimes through a service-desk or helpdesk team;
- Executing some automated business processes, or jobs;
The list goes on, but I thing you got the picture…
A
few years ago, this was not a real IT role, but nowadays is one of the
most important ones. What would happen if there was no one responsible
for an application that a company massively uses? Just imagine not being
able to send or receive emails, or not being able to record your
customer’s contacts, or billing them… caos!
In
brief, Application Support is a critical role to every company. They
might not receive all the respect and highlight they deserve, but there
is no question that those are the guys that insure that a companies’
business processes keep working.
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