Infrastructure
IT outsourcing
for businesses
In a small company, IT is usually handled by whoever happens to be best with computers. That works until the first failure in the middle of a working day, when it turns out that nobody is formally responsible for IT.
Instead of a full-time hire or a friend who helps out now and then
A company with a dozen or so employees usually has too little work for a full-time IT person and too much to manage on an ad hoc basis. The result is a halfway arrangement: a friend helps out in the evenings, there is no documentation, and the knowledge of how things are set up lives in one person's head.
The weakness of this arrangement shows during a serious incident. A server failure on a Friday evening, encrypted data, an employee leaving with their access, or an inspection that requires security documentation then shows that there is no one who knows the whole picture and is responsible for it.
Outsourcing gives you a team instead of one person, a predictable cost and continuity that does not depend on holidays or sick leave. The trade-off is that nobody is permanently on site. We talk about this openly before the contract is signed.
What the service covers
We agree the scope individually, and day-to-day work usually covers these areas:
- Helpdesk for your staff: remotely and, when needed, on site
- Server administration, including Windows Server and virtual machines
- Company network: routers, switches, wireless network, VPN connections
- Backups, a recovery plan and regular restore tests
- Security: endpoint protection, firewall, updates, password policies
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace accounts, email and file sharing
- Hardware purchasing, setting up new workstations and inventory
- Infrastructure documentation and an access register
Your website, hosting and online shop can be covered by the same contract. See WordPress maintenance and hosting. You then have one point of contact for all of your company's IT.
Helpdesk: your staff's everyday requests
Many requests in a company are not about serious failures. It is a printer that stopped connecting, a file that won't open, an account password or a document that looks different on someone else's computer. Small things that can block an hour of someone's work.
We handle requests remotely: an employee writes or calls, and a technician connects to their computer. During working hours we respond in 15 minutes on average.
We keep a request log. After a quarter it shows which equipment breaks down most often, where training is missing and what is worth replacing once repairs cost more than a new device.
Backups and test data restores
It is easy to treat a backup like an insurance policy: since it was set up once, it probably works. That is not always the case. Sometimes the backups go to a drive connected to the same computer, cover a folder nobody has used for a long time, and have never been used to restore anything.
We set them up according to a simple rule: at least two copies on two different media, one of them outside the company's premises. On top of that, versioning that lets you go back several days. This matters when data is encrypted by ransomware, which is sometimes noticed late.
Once a quarter we do a test restore on a test machine, and the result goes into a report. That way you know how long it would really take to get the company working again.
Work out how many hours it would take to get back to work if tomorrow morning the server did not start. If you don't know the answer, that is the place to start putting things in order, even before buying new hardware.
IT security in a small company
Typical threats for a small company include mass attacks: a fake invoice in an attachment, someone impersonating a business partner in correspondence, or files encrypted after someone in a hurry opened an attachment.
The basics of defence are up-to-date systems, endpoint protection, limited permissions, separate administrator accounts, two-factor login for email and backups that data can actually be restored from. We put these in place one by one, starting with backups and administrator access.
On top of that comes short, practical training for staff on spotting suspicious messages. It is especially useful in companies where one person makes payments based on an email.
- A shared administrator account used by everyone
- A backup on a drive permanently connected to the server
- No two-factor login for company email
- Hardware no longer supported by the manufacturer running as a server
- Former employees' access still active
SLA: request categories and response times
A jammed printer and a server that is down call for a different way of working, which is why we divide requests into categories. We set the categories at the start and change them when the way your company works changes.
| Category | Example | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Server, network, email for the whole company | remotely, on site if needed |
| High | Key workstation, sales, warehouse | remotely |
| Standard | Single workstation, printer | remotely |
| Planned | New workstation, migration, deployment | agreed date |
The response time for each category is set out in the SLA. Emergency support runs around the clock, and the scope of out-of-hours support is matched to how your company works. An office open during the day usually doesn't need full night-time cover.
Infrastructure takeover: where we start
We start with an inventory. We list hardware, software, licences, accounts, access rights, contracts with suppliers and their renewal dates. From this list, the owner can see what the company has and what it pays for.
At the same time we check backups, how up to date the systems are, and permissions. This produces a list of risks ordered by urgency and cost of fixing, which lets us plan the work for the quarter.
Then we move on to changes. We agree the order together, with one exception: backups and administrator access are sorted out first, regardless of what else is waiting on the list.
What determines the cost of IT support
We charge a subscription. The cost depends on the number of workstations, servers and locations, on the scope of the service (helpdesk, network, monitoring, SLA) and on the required response times. We set the exact amount after the inventory, with no fixed price list.
| Option | Typical scope of support |
|---|---|
| Small company, a few workstations | Helpdesk, backups, security, email |
| Company with its own server and network | All of the above plus server and network administration, monitoring, SLA |
| Several locations | All of the above plus VPN connections between branches |
| Ad hoc support | No subscription, billed by the hour |
When comparing outsourcing with a full-time hire, count the full cost of employment: salary, employer contributions, holidays, cover, training and equipment. In larger companies a mixed model works well: your own person on site and specialist support from outside. We write more about this in the article IT outsourcing or a full-time hire.
Working together
How we work together, step by step
Conversation and site visit
We look at what you have and ask what gets in the way of day-to-day work the most.
Stocktaking
A list of hardware, licences, accounts, access rights and contracts with renewal dates.
Risk list and plan
What needs urgent action, what can wait, and how much it costs. We agree the order together.
Sorting out the basics
Backups, administrator access, updates, monitoring.
Ongoing work
Helpdesk, administration, incident response, a monthly report.
Quarterly review
Backup restore test, hardware review, a plan for replacements and purchases.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Yes, when the problem requires it: for hardware, the network and new workstations. We travel within the Lublin region (Lubelskie Province) and Warsaw. Travel outside Lublin is charged and agreed individually. We solve most requests remotely, which is usually quicker for both sides.
Yes. Outside the Lublin region and Warsaw we work remotely: helpdesk, servers, backups and accounts work the same way, and we hold consultations via Google Meet, Zoom or Teams.
A common arrangement is to split the roles: the person on site handles day-to-day support, and we take care of servers, security, backups and matters that need narrower expertise. We don't assume from the outset that we are replacing anyone.
As standard, the contract is open-ended with one month's notice. When the scope requires investment on our side, we propose a longer period and tell you so before signing.
Named individuals only, with an access register and the option to revoke access. We sign a data processing agreement and use two-factor login for administrator accounts.
Yes. We prepare technical documentation, a description of security measures, a hardware register and recovery procedures. These are the materials a data protection officer or auditor usually needs.
Related services
What else may be useful
Your city
IT outsourcing in your city
For each of these cities we have a separate page describing the local market and how we work with companies there.
We'll check the state of IT in your company
Book a free conversation and site visit. You will get a list of what your company has and what needs urgent attention, whether or not you decide to work with us.