If you have asked a few Manchester IT companies for prices, you have probably noticed that they do not quote in the same way. Some charge per user, some per device, some sell blocks of hours, and some only charge when you call. This guide explains the common pricing models, what is usually included and excluded, and how to compare quotes properly.
The common pricing models
- Per user, per month. The most common model for small businesses. Each person is covered, whatever device they use. Simple to budget for.
- Per device, per month. Can suit businesses with shared machines, tills or lots of equipment but few staff.
- Block hours. You buy a bank of support hours up front and use them as needed.
- Pay as you go. You pay an hourly rate when something breaks. Cheap when nothing goes wrong, but nobody is maintaining things in between.
We look at the trade-offs in more detail in monthly vs pay-as-you-go IT support.
What changes the price
- How many users, devices and sites you have.
- Whether you need on-site visits or remote support is enough.
- Your required response times and support hours (business hours or out of hours).
- How much security is included: endpoint protection, email filtering, multi-factor authentication management, monitoring.
- Whether backup, Microsoft 365 administration and hardware lifecycle management are included.
- Compliance needs, such as Cyber Essentials or sector rules.
- The state of your current systems: older, undocumented set-ups take more work to bring under control.
What is often not included
Read the small print for:
- Projects, such as office moves, server replacements or Microsoft 365 migrations.
- Hardware and software licences.
- Onboarding fees for taking over your systems.
- Out-of-hours work and site visits beyond an allowance.
- Third-party line-of-business software support.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Count users and devices the same way for every supplier.
- Put the quotes side by side against the same list of services.
- Ask for response and resolution times in writing.
- Ask what happens, and what it costs, if you leave.
- Check who will actually support you day to day.
Our IT support cost calculator gives you a starting point, and our guides to comparing IT support quotes and multi-site IT support budgets go further.
Cheap versus good value
A low per-user price that excludes security, backup and on-site visits can cost more over a year than a higher price that includes them. The useful question is not “what is the cheapest?” but “what will this cost us in a normal year, including the things that go wrong?”
When to speak to BMT
If you are based in Manchester or elsewhere in Greater Manchester and want a clear, itemised quote, see IT support in Manchester or our managed IT support page. Call us on 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047, or get in touch online.
Related reading: What an IT support cost calculator can tell you · How to switch IT provider in the UK