IT strategy & consulting in Takapuna
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 Takapuna. Most problems are fixed remotely first; when a job needs hands, a technician comes to you.
IT strategy & consulting for Takapuna businesses
Takapuna is the North Shore's main professional centre, with lawyers, accountants, financial planners, medical specialists and property firms around Hurstmere Road and Lake Road, and larger corporate offices at the campus beside the Northern Busway at Smales Farm. Apartments above offices make it a mixed live-work area.
Offices range from new glass buildings with a managed comms room to older two-storey blocks where the equipment sits in a kitchen cupboard. Professional firms here rely on Microsoft 365, practice software and secure client portals, and many staff split their week between the office and home on the Shore.
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 technicians cover Takapuna for onsite setups, network work and hardware faults, and handle day-to-day requests remotely. Office moves and upgrades are quoted in writing and scheduled with you.
What's included
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.
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 Takapuna 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 Takapuna: questions
We're moving to a new office in Takapuna. Can you handle the IT side?
Yes. We check the new space for cabling and internet early, order the fibre connection in good time, set up the network and Wi-Fi and move your equipment over a weekend or evening. The move is planned and quoted in writing.
Can you secure staff who work from home on the North Shore?
Company laptops are managed wherever they are, with multi-factor sign-in, encryption, updates and backups. Staff use the same secure access from home as from the office.
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.
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 Takapuna
- 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