Businesses generally obtain IT support through either a reactive break-fix arrangement or a proactive managed-service agreement.
Break-fix support responds after equipment, software or services have already failed. Managed IT support combines help-desk assistance with monitoring, maintenance, security administration, reporting and ongoing technology planning.
The best approach depends on the organisation’s size, reliance on technology, internal skills, budget predictability and tolerance for downtime.
What is break-fix IT support?
Under a break-fix model, the business contacts a technician when a problem occurs. Work is normally billed per hour, per incident or through an accepted quotation.
This model may suit very small organisations with limited infrastructure and infrequent support requirements. However, maintenance and monitoring may be neglected because the provider is mainly engaged after a failure.
What is managed IT support?
Managed IT support provides defined ongoing services for an agreed monthly fee or service schedule.
The service may include remote support, on-site assistance, monitoring, patch management, user administration, backup checks, security reviews, vendor coordination and technology planning.
Key differences
| Area | Break-Fix IT | Managed IT Support |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Reactive | Proactive and reactive |
| Billing | Per incident or hour | Predictable service fee |
| Monitoring | Usually limited | Continuous or scheduled |
| Maintenance | Requested separately | Included according to scope |
| Reporting | Limited | Regular operational reporting |
| Planning | Occasional | Ongoing technology planning |
| Incentive | Provider earns when systems fail | Provider is encouraged to reduce incidents |
When managed support offers greater value
- The organisation depends heavily on email, cloud services or business applications
- Downtime directly affects revenue or customer service
- There are multiple offices or remote workers
- Security and compliance responsibilities are increasing
- The business has no full-time internal IT team
- Technology costs need to be predictable
- Management requires reporting and accountability
Questions to ask a managed-service provider
- Which users, devices, systems and locations are covered?
- What are the support hours and response targets?
- Which services are included and excluded?
- How are urgent incidents escalated?
- What monitoring and reporting are provided?
- How are passwords and privileged access protected?
- How are backups and disaster recovery verified?
- What happens when the agreement ends?