How much does IT support cost?

How much does IT support cost?

One of the most important questions companies looking for IT support and management want to know is “how much does IT support cost?” and yet it is surprisingly difficult to find out what most IT companies charge for their services just from their websites.

Its complicated!

The usual response to the question of cost is met with “it’s complicated” or “it depends”, and indeed it does, but it is possible to give some indicative costs based on a few assumptions. Just like buying a new car there are a multitude of options and add-ons to the basic package which improves the experience, but the base price of the car is known, and the same applies to IT services .. and on that basis, we can give you a guide here.

Per User vs Per Device

Until recently, we priced our services based on a “per device” model. While this worked well enough, it did require an audit of the potential customers system or for the prospect to supply this information. The consequence was that it was difficult to price our service without first engaging with us or an appointment or visit to audit the system. Last year however, we went back to the drawing board and observed that 99% of customers could be averaged to a “per user” cost without detriment to either party. Thus, if you have more than 10 users, we can confidently give you a reliable, indicative cost just based on how many people use a computer in your company. We don’t need to know how many servers you have, or how many PC’s or laptops. We have used our own data to produce an average cost to include all these items in a simple “per user” cost

So, let’s get down to it with some examples

So, how many people in your company use a device? This can be a PC, iMac, laptop or CAD workstation? Lets also assume that like most of our customers you wish to have the following benefits as a basic requirement

• Unlimited remote support during office hours
• 24/7 monitoring of servers, PC’s and laptops for proactive intervention
• Automated maintenance of servers, PC’s , laptops and workstations to keep thinks operating at their best
• Daily reporting of system KPI’s to your Inbox; tells you if there are any issues on the system
• Patch management of servers, PC’s, laptops and workstations for Microsoft and 3^rd Party software updates and protection

Cost on a “per user per month” basis.

Examples

• 10 user network on the ManageIT package = £349.50 per month
• 20 user network on the SecureIT package = £999.00 per month
• 50 user network on the OptimumIT package = £3247.50 per month
• 100 user network one the ManageIT package = £3495.00 per month

All prices subject to VAT

Where it can get a bit more complicated

Every company is different and here is where the options can change the calculation somewhat, but not too radically. I have listed below the typical additional options that many of our customer chose with prices. We also have bundles for the most common combinations that can save you money if relevant to you

• Trend Micro WFBS or Bitdefender Protection = £2.50 per user / month
• Critical incident out of hours cover = £100.00 per month per site
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Essentials = £4.59 per user / month
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium = £16.93 per user / month

All prices subject to VAT

What if a problem can’t be resolved remotely or we would prefer someone to come on site?

Long gone are the days when a problem automatically entailed booking an appointment and an onsite visit. “Yes, we can get out next week to look at that” is a statement that now belongs to a bygone age (how did we tolerate that?) as something like 93% of issues can be fixed remotely and “on demand”. Yet, there are some situations that do still require an onsite visit; a server drive replacement or installing new equipment for example. The examples I have given above do not include on site visits, but again I can give you some indicative costs for that

• Hourly cost  = £95.00 per hour
• Half day cost = £375.00
• Full day cost = £750.00

All prices subject to VAT

There may be situations where an overnight stop is required or travel expenses applied, but as before, these prices are intended to include the majority of scenarios. The onsite hourly cost is generally only applicable to visits within 15 miles of our 3 service centres; Peterborough, Norwich or Sheffield.

Okay, so I’m fairly clear on how much IT support costs .. what is not included in IT support cost?

Most companies are enthusiastic to give you a list of features and benefits of their services and products, but not so keen to mention what is not included. In the interests of transparency, here is what is not generally included in the standard package as detailed here.

• Out of hours support.
• On site support and visits
• Cyber security or Cyber Essentials audits and / or implementation
• IT consultancy / policies / project management
• Hardware warranties
• Procurement of equipment or software

What if this is too expensive for me?

Some consider price to the sole consideration in selecting an IT support partner, and to an extent the service has become commoditised. I frequently get calls where this is the very first question asked. EasylifeIT has been trading for 15 years now and we support over 1500 users all over the UK to an exacting standard. Our prices are calculated to enable us to trade sustainably, hire excellent staff, use industry leading tools and provide a level of service that I would personally demand from an IT support partner. While there are undoubtedly other excellent IT companies and professionals out there, great service and expert knowledge comes at a cost and our prices reflect that and enable us to trade sustainably and to be there when you need us

If your budget does not allow you to enjoy and benefit from our offer, then please drop us an email at support@easylifeit.com and I will see if I can make a recommendation locally to better suit your needs and budget

Ready to talk IT?