Managed IT services means hiring an outside team to run your technology for a flat monthly fee: help desk support, security, backups, updates, vendor wrangling and planning, instead of paying someone by the hour when something breaks. Fully managed IT is often quoted at $150 to $300 per user per month. We price per computer instead and typically come in 30-50% under other MSP pricing.
The dirty secret of IT support is that the old "call us when it breaks" model pays your provider more when things go wrong. Managed IT flips that: your provider earns the same monthly fee whether you call ten times or twice, so they're motivated to stop problems before they happen.
Key takeaways
Every provider packages it differently, but a complete managed IT agreement should cover:
Providers price managed IT per user (each employee) or per device (each computer and server), sometimes with a base fee for servers and network equipment. Per-user pricing for fully managed IT is often quoted at $150 to $300 per user per month.
We price per workstation. Management starts at $75 per computer per month, and the price goes up based on which security layers are deployed on that machine. Every security layer we offer can be added on its own, so you pay for what your business actually needs. Even with our full security stack, a workstation typically runs around $125 a month.
Software licensing, like Microsoft 365, is separate and depends on what each person needs. We bill Microsoft licensing at Microsoft's price, with no markup. Licenses usually line up closely with your workstation count, but not always exactly.
Watch for the costs that don't show up in the monthly number: hardware markups, setup fees, after-hours surcharges and projects billed separately. Our guide to what your IT invoice is hiding walks through what to look for.
One in-house IT person costs a full salary plus benefits, can't be an expert in everything, and isn't available when they're sick, on vacation or asleep. A managed provider gives you a whole team, with help desk, security, network and cloud specialists, and coverage that doesn't depend on one person being available. Many growing businesses do both: an internal person for day-to-day needs, backed by a managed provider for security, after-hours coverage and the specialized work.
We're headquartered in Sarasota and support more than 300 businesses across Florida. We start with your business goals, not a checklist of services, and we're vendor-agnostic with more than 100 technology partnerships, so we recommend what fits rather than what we resell. Our clients talk directly to the engineers fixing their problems, and when something needs hands on site, we're there the same day. See our managed IT services.
Managed IT services is an arrangement where an outside provider runs your technology for a predictable monthly fee, covering help desk support, security, backups, updates, vendor management and planning, instead of billing by the hour when something breaks.
Per-user pricing for fully managed IT is often quoted at $150 to $300 per user per month. Four Winds IT prices per workstation instead, starting at $75 per computer per month and around $125 with our full security stack, plus software licensing like Microsoft 365 at Microsoft's price.
For most businesses with 20 or more employees, yes. You get a full team of specialists, predictable costs and problems prevented instead of fixed after the damage, with broader coverage than one person can provide.
Break-fix providers bill by the hour when something goes wrong, so they earn more when you have problems. Managed providers charge a flat monthly fee, so they're motivated to keep things running.
Yes. Many businesses keep an internal person for day-to-day needs and use a managed provider for security, after-hours coverage, projects and specialized expertise.
Clear response times, what's covered and what isn't, how projects and after-hours work are billed, security and backup responsibilities, and how you can leave. If it isn't in writing, assume it isn't included.
We get it. Switching IT providers feels like a project nobody has time for. We'll look at what you have today, what you're paying and where the gaps are, and give you a straight answer, even if that answer is "you're in good shape." Talk to our team.