IT strategy & consulting in Devonport
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 Devonport. Most problems are fixed remotely first; when a job needs hands, a technician comes to you.
IT strategy & consulting for Devonport businesses
Devonport is a heritage harbourside suburb with a small village centre of galleries, boutiques, cafes, property managers and professional offices, the Navy's base on its waterfront and many self-employed professionals who commute by ferry. Business premises are mostly small and historic.
Victorian and Edwardian buildings bring the same challenges as inner-city villas: thick walls, limited ceiling space and heritage rules that limit drilling. Many local professionals split their time between a Devonport office, home and city clients, so secure access to files from anywhere matters more than equipment in the office.
We also deal with the people around your IT. We read software contracts before you sign, talk to vendors on your behalf, fill in cyber insurance and client security questionnaires accurately, and sit in on meetings with new suppliers so somebody on your side understands the technical details being discussed. That saves directors hours each month, avoids contracts that lock you into the wrong system and means the answers you give insurers and clients are accurate, which matters if you ever need to make a claim.
Our technicians visit Devonport offices for network and computer work, planning around the single road access on and off the peninsula, and handle routine help remotely.
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.
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.
Current state review
A written assessment of your systems, security, licences and contracts, with the risks ranked and explained in business terms.
Software selection
Help choosing new business systems, from requirements and demos to checking integration, data export and contract terms.
Vendor management
We deal with internet, phone and software suppliers for you, chase faults and review renewals before they roll over.
Is it right for your Devonport 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 Devonport: questions
Can you improve Wi-Fi in an old Devonport building?
Yes. We survey the building, then place business access points where staff work, linked by cable where it can be run discreetly. We avoid unnecessary holes in heritage fabric and quote before starting.
We work between home, the office and clients. What setup suits us?
A managed laptop, files in Microsoft 365 with OneDrive and SharePoint, multi-factor sign-in and a backup. That gives you the same files and security wherever you are, without relying on equipment in one building.
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.
Do we need a managed IT plan to use this?
No. Some businesses have their own IT person or another arrangement for daily support and use us only for strategy. We are happy to work that way.
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 Devonport
- 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