IT strategy & consulting in Christchurch
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.
Christchurch is supported remotely. Our technicians are based in Auckland and Hamilton, so onsite work here is planned project work, booked and quoted in advance.
IT strategy & consulting for Christchurch businesses
Christchurch's rebuilt central city houses professional firms, engineering and construction consultancies and tech companies in modern buildings, while Hornby, Sockburn, Wigram and the airport area hold manufacturing, distribution and agritech businesses serving Canterbury's farming sector.
Many central city offices are in buildings completed after the earthquakes, so cabling and fibre are usually modern and the work is in the layers on top. The experience of 2011 also left many businesses keen on cloud files, offsite backups and the ability to keep working when a building is closed.
IT decisions in a small business tend to be made one at a time. A director picks a new practice system after a demo, someone signs a phone contract that renews for three years, and a laptop gets bought because the old one died that morning. Each choice makes sense on its own, but nobody is looking at how they fit together or what they will cost over the next few years.
Christchurch businesses are supported remotely for help desk, security, Microsoft 365 and devices. Onsite visits are reserved for planned project work by arrangement, quoted in writing first.
What's included
Vendor management
We deal with internet, phone and software suppliers for you, chase faults and review renewals before they roll over.
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.
Software selection
Help choosing new business systems, from requirements and demos to checking integration, data export and contract terms.
Current state review
A written assessment of your systems, security, licences and contracts, with the risks ranked and explained in business terms.
Insurance and security questionnaires
Accurate answers to cyber insurance, client and tender questionnaires, with a list of anything to fix before you submit.
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 Christchurch 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 Christchurch: questions
Do you support Christchurch businesses?
Yes, remotely. Help desk, monitoring, security, backups and Microsoft 365 work the same from anywhere in New Zealand. Hands-on project work can be planned by arrangement.
How do we keep working if our building is closed?
Store files and email in the cloud, use managed laptops and test that staff can work from home. We set that up and check it regularly as part of the plan.
Will you push us towards particular products?
We recommend what suits your business and explain why. Where we supply hardware or software, the price is quoted separately so you can compare it with buying elsewhere.
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.
Can you help with a cyber insurance renewal?
Yes. We answer the technical questions accurately, explain what each one is really asking and fix the gaps that would otherwise make your premium higher or put cover at risk.
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 Christchurch
- Managed IT
- IT support
- Cyber security
- Microsoft 365
- Backup & disaster recovery
- Email security & deliverability
- Co-managed IT
- Security awareness training