IT strategy & consulting in Howick
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 Howick. Most problems are fixed remotely first; when a job needs hands, a technician comes to you.
IT strategy & consulting for Howick businesses
Howick is one of Auckland's older settlements, with a village centre on Picton Street hosting boutique retail, cafes, real estate, legal and accounting practices, medical rooms and financial advisers. Many professional firms here are owner-run and serve long-standing local clients.
Small professional offices in the village often run on a few computers, an ageing multifunction printer and an internet connection with no backup. Upgrading these firms usually means retiring old equipment, putting files and email into secure Microsoft 365 storage and making sure scanning and printing work cleanly for every staff member.
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 Howick practices for upgrades, printers, networks and faults, with daily support handled remotely. We schedule visits outside busy client times where we can.
What's included
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.
Regular leadership meetings
A standing meeting with the directors to review progress, risks and upcoming decisions, with short written notes afterwards.
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.
Vendor management
We deal with internet, phone and software suppliers for you, chase faults and review renewals before they roll over.
Software selection
Help choosing new business systems, from requirements and demos to checking integration, data export and contract terms.
Is it right for your Howick 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 Howick: questions
Our scanner only saves to one computer. Can that be fixed?
Usually. We set the printer up to scan to email, a shared folder or SharePoint so anyone can scan and find their documents, and we check it works from every desk.
Is it worth replacing a five-year-old office computer?
Often yes, especially if it can't run a supported version of Windows or slows the person using it. We look at the age, condition and warranty and recommend replacing or keeping it, with any hardware quoted in writing.
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.
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.
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.
More IT services in Howick
- 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