Managed IT support vs pay as you go

Think about how often staff need help

If people regularly struggle with accounts, printers, applications or shared files, the cost is not limited to the invoice from an engineer. Staff can postpone asking for help when every call appears to create another bill. A covered monthly service gives them a clear route to report problems before they interrupt more work.

Pay-as-you-go can still be sensible for a genuinely occasional task, particularly where someone already owns routine maintenance and security. The important question is who is responsible between visits. Do not assume a supplier is checking backups or responding to alerts simply because it helped with a previous problem.

Read the scope rather than the label

A managed agreement should identify covered people, equipment, applications and responsibilities. Our remote service includes unlimited covered tickets, calls and sessions. Project work, new installations and site attendance need to be understood separately. A fixed fee is useful only when both sides know what that fee covers.

For ad hoc work, explain the problem and agree how investigation will be authorised. Ask whether there is a minimum charge, how additional work is approved and whether a written record will be supplied. A quote for one repair should not be mistaken for an ongoing security service.

Response is different from resolution

Our agreement targets an initial response in 30 minutes for Fatal incidents, 45 for Severe, 60 for Medium and 180 for Minor during standard support hours. Those hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30, excluding UK bank holidays. The priority depends on impact and the agreed scope.

These are not guaranteed fix times. A repair may need a supplier, replacement hardware or an approved recovery. Pay-as-you-go customers should ask what availability is actually being offered for that job rather than assuming the same contract targets apply automatically.

Check what happens in the background

Independent Microsoft 365 backup is standard on our support agreements. The users and information covered should still be clear. Additional services such as account hardening, breach monitoring and device management depend on the quote. A package name alone does not tell you every inclusion.

Out-of-hours security monitoring is delivered by our security partner's analysts where contracted. It is separate from ordinary helpdesk cover. Ask who reviews each kind of alert, who contacts your business and which decisions need an authorised person's approval.

Compare realistic annual needs

List your team, expected changes and important applications. Consider new starters, leavers, equipment replacement and site needs, rather than comparing one quiet month with a monthly contract. A business with an internal IT person may want routine work covered while keeping wider decisions in-house.

Our remote support starts from £25 per user per month, plus VAT, on a 3 year term billed monthly. Shorter terms cost a little more, and the price is confirmed in a written quote. A full security audit and onboarding are free for clients committing to a contract. Choose the arrangement whose responsibilities and costs you can explain clearly, and review it as your business changes.

Before you decide

Before signing, ask for an example of how an ordinary request would be handled and how a serious incident would differ. Confirm the approval route for extra charges. Keep a copy of the agreed responsibilities so staff and management are using the same expectations when a problem occurs.

Free tools to help you prepare

• IT support cost calculator