IT strategy & consulting in Botany
Most growing businesses need IT leadership long before they need a full-time IT manager. We act as your virtual IT manager: setting a budget, planning the next three years, dealing with vendors and giving you straight answers when an insurer, auditor or client asks hard questions.
Onsite technicians cover Botany. Most problems are fixed remotely first; when a job needs hands, a technician comes to you.
IT strategy & consulting for Botany businesses
Botany is centred on a large town centre at the corner of Ti Rakau Drive and Te Irirangi Drive, with retail, medical and dental clinics, immigration and education advisers, accountants and real estate offices in the surrounding commercial buildings. Many businesses serve the diverse communities of East Auckland.
Practices here often work in more than one language and use specialist software alongside Microsoft 365, so devices need the right language and keyboard settings and staff need clear help when things go wrong. Advisers who handle passports, visa files and financial records must keep that information private, with encrypted devices and secure document storage.
A virtual IT manager fills that gap without adding a salary. We meet with you regularly, learn how the business works and where it is heading, and turn that into a practical plan: what to replace and when, which systems to keep, where security needs strengthening and what all of it will cost. The plan is written in plain English, not a slide deck full of jargon, and it is revisited as things change.
Technicians come to Botany offices and clinics for setups, networks and hardware, and we fix most requests remotely. Onsite visits are booked around client appointments.
What's included
Yearly IT budget
A budget for hardware, software, services and projects, so IT spending is planned before the financial year rather than discovered during it.
Insurance and security questionnaires
Accurate answers to cyber insurance, client and tender questionnaires, with a list of anything to fix before you submit.
Regular leadership meetings
A standing meeting with the directors to review progress, risks and upcoming decisions, with short written notes afterwards.
Current state review
A written assessment of your systems, security, licences and contracts, with the risks ranked and explained in business terms.
Vendor management
We deal with internet, phone and software suppliers for you, chase faults and review renewals before they roll over.
Three-year roadmap
What to replace, upgrade or retire over the next three years, in order, with the reasons and the expected cost of each step.
Is it right for your Botany office?
A virtual IT manager suits businesses that:
- Are growing and making bigger IT decisions than before
- Have IT spending that varies wildly from year to year
- Are choosing a new core business system
- Face insurance, client or tender questions about security
- Want someone to manage vendors and contracts on their behalf
- Have a director spending hours each week on IT decisions
How getting started works
- Free IT health check. We look at your devices, accounts, backups and network and tell you what we find, in plain English.
- Clear proposal. A written monthly price per user and a list of any fixes, with nothing hidden.
- Handover. We collect admin access and documentation from your current provider and keep your team working.
- Day-one fixes. Security gaps, failed backups and urgent risks are dealt with first.
IT strategy & consulting in Botany: questions
Can you set up computers for staff who work in more than one language?
Yes. Windows and Microsoft 365 support many languages and keyboard layouts, and we set each person's device up the way they work while keeping security and updates consistent.
We handle immigration documents for clients. How should we store them?
In secure cloud storage with permissions set by role, not in email attachments or on desktops. Add multi-factor sign-in and a tested backup, and lost laptops stop being a privacy risk.
How is consulting charged?
Small pieces of advice are billed at our hourly rate of $109 plus GST. A full review and roadmap, or an ongoing virtual IT manager arrangement, is quoted in writing first with a fixed scope.
How often would we meet?
Most clients meet quarterly, with more frequent catch-ups during a big project such as an office move or system change. Meetings can be in person in Auckland or Hamilton, or online.
What do we get at the end of a review?
A written report covering where you stand, the risks in order of priority, a three-year roadmap and an estimated budget. It is yours to keep, whoever does the work.
Is this the same as managed IT?
No. Managed IT keeps things running day to day. Strategy and consulting is about planning and decisions. The Complete plan includes a yearly budget and replacement plan; deeper consulting can be added on any plan or bought on its own.
More IT services in Botany
- Managed IT
- IT support
- Cyber security
- Microsoft 365
- Networks & Wi-Fi
- Internet & phones
- Backup & disaster recovery
- Cloud & servers
- Email security & deliverability
- CCTV & access control
- Printers, copiers & scanning
- Laptops, PCs & devices
- Office moves & fit-outs
- Co-managed IT
- Security awareness training