IT strategy & consulting in Silverdale
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 Silverdale. Most problems are fixed remotely first; when a job needs hands, a technician comes to you.
IT strategy & consulting for Silverdale businesses
Silverdale has grown quickly beside State Highway 1 at the start of the Hibiscus Coast, with new business parks, trade suppliers, storage and logistics, a retail centre and medical services serving the Millwater and Orewa growth areas. Many buildings are recent and occupied by businesses that relocated north.
New commercial buildings usually come with fibre and a blank comms room, which is the ideal time to plan cabling, firewall, Wi-Fi and CCTV properly rather than adding them piecemeal. Businesses relocating here also need their internet ordered early, because a new connection can take a while to activate in a just-finished building.
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.
Our Auckland technicians travel to Silverdale for fit-outs, network installs and ongoing onsite work, with everyday support provided remotely. New premises setups are planned and quoted in writing.
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.
Insurance and security questionnaires
Accurate answers to cyber insurance, client and tender questionnaires, with a list of anything to fix before you submit.
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.
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 Silverdale 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 Silverdale: questions
We're fitting out a new building in Silverdale. When should IT be involved?
Before the walls are lined. We can specify data points, the comms cabinet, Wi-Fi locations and CCTV positions so the cabling goes in once. Our design and installation are quoted in writing.
How early should we order internet for a new building?
As soon as you have an address and a move date. New connections can take several weeks, so we order early and arrange a temporary mobile connection if fibre is not ready in time.
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.
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.
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 Silverdale
- 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