What managed IT support actually means
A managed service provider (MSP) looks after all of the technology your business relies on for a fixed monthly fee, instead of charging by the hour when something breaks. The point is to stop problems before they happen, not just fix them afterwards.
For a small business, that means you stop being the accidental IT person. You get someone who knows your setup, keeps it updated and secure, and answers the phone when you need help.
What's included in the monthly fee
- Helpdesk and remote support for your whole team
- On-site visits across the Gold Coast when a screen needs a human in front of it
- Microsoft 365 and email administration
- Cyber security, endpoint protection and multi-factor authentication
- Software updates and security patching
- Backup monitoring, with restores tested
- Network and wifi support
- New staff set up before day one, leavers removed on their last day
- One named engineer with a direct mobile number
Hardware, software licences and one-off projects like an office move are quoted separately, and always in writing before any work starts.
Who it's for
Businesses with 1 to 20 staff. That's the size most larger IT companies decline, because it sits below their minimum seat count. Here there's no minimum at all: a sole trader pays the same per-person rate as a team of twenty.
Switching from another IT provider
It takes about two weeks. A short phone call, a read-only review of your Microsoft 365, devices and backups, then a quiet handover around your trading hours. Your current provider doesn't need to know until you're ready, and there's no setup or migration fee.
Questions
How much does managed IT support cost on the Gold Coast?
Unlock Lab charges $69 per user per month including GST for the first 12 months, then $99. There's no setup, joining or migration fee, and no lock-in contract.
Do I need managed IT support or just hourly help?
If IT problems are costing you more in lost time than the monthly fee, managed support pays for itself. For most businesses that point is somewhere around three or four staff. Below that, occasional hourly help can be fine.
Can you work alongside our existing IT person?
Yes. Some clients use us as their entire IT function. Others use a co-managed setup where we handle security, cloud and infrastructure while an internal person deals with day to day requests.