Managed IT
Managed IT Services: What's Included
One team that looks after all of it: computers, network, email, security and backups. You get one number to call, and the people who answer already know your office.
What managed IT means day to day
Instead of calling someone after something breaks, you have a team working to keep things from breaking. We watch your systems around the clock, install updates, check that backups restore, and fix small problems before they turn into a bad day. When you do need help, you call one number and talk to someone who knows how your office is set up. In practice we act as your internal IT department, and we've done that for Southern California businesses since 1996.
What's included
We start from what you have. Most clients have us look after:
Computers and devices
Windows, Mac and Linux computers, iPhones, iPads and Android devices, patched automatically and protected.
Network and Wi-Fi
Firewall, switches and wireless, set up properly and watched continuously.
Email and Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
Accounts, spam and scam filtering, secure sign-in and the help your team needs to use them.
Backups that are tested
Computers, servers and your cloud accounts backed up, and we check that we can restore from them.
Your business software
Your practice management, EHR, tax or accounting software is supported too, and we deal with the software vendor on your behalf.
Help when you need it
Our own team, including after hours. Around 80% of issues are fixed remotely, and when something needs hands on hardware we come to you.
How we prioritize your calls
Not every problem is equally urgent, so we triage. For each priority we aim to respond within the first time and guarantee a response within the second. These times apply during business hours; after hours our own team still answers emergencies and always does its best.
Critical: 15 minutes, guaranteed within 1 hour
Work has stopped. A server is down, the whole office is offline, or the connection between your offices has dropped.
High: 1 hour, guaranteed within 2 hours
Someone important is blocked. The internet is down but people can still work locally, or your accounting software won't open.
Medium: 2 hours, guaranteed within 4 hours
One person is stuck, but there's a workaround for now.
Low: 4 hours, guaranteed within 8 hours
Something is slow or annoying but still working, like a sluggish printer or a software install.
Your first three weeks
There's no big commitment up front. Most offices are fully set up within two to three weeks.
Week 1: get to know your setup
We take stock of your computers, accounts and network, gather what we need, and plan the changeover with you.
Week 2: set things up
We put monitoring, protection and backups in place and take over from whoever looked after your IT before, with a documented handover.
Week 3: fine-tune
We smooth out the rough edges, answer your team's questions and make sure everything is written down.
When a monthly agreement makes sense
We'd rather be upfront than sign you up for something that doesn't suit you.
A good fit
Businesses, especially medical and dental practices, accounting firms and tax preparers, who want security built in from the start and one team that owns the whole problem.
Probably not a fit
If you only want someone to call when something breaks, a monthly agreement probably isn't what you're after. If we're not the right answer, we'll say so and help you find the provider who is, or point your own IT person in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions
How is managed IT different from calling someone when things break?
How quickly do you respond?
Do we need to replace everything we have?
Can you work alongside our in-house IT person?
What's covered by the monthly agreement?
What's the first step?
Start with a free IT check-in
Tell us about your office and what you'd like sorted out. If we're not the right fit, we'll say so.