There are two ways to hire an IT company: pay them a monthly fee to keep everything running (managed IT), or call them when something breaks (break-fix). Both have their place. Here's how to know which one your business actually needs.
Break-Fix: What It Is
Break-fix is exactly what it sounds like. Something stops working, you call us, we fix it, you pay for the time. At NCT Support, that's $200 per hour for on-site work in our Tier 1 coverage area.
Break-fix works fine if your IT needs are minimal — a small office with five computers, a stable network, and nothing that would shut down your business if it went down for a day or two.
Managed IT: What It Is
A managed IT contract means we're monitoring your network, patching your systems, and responding to issues before they become emergencies — on a monthly flat fee. You know exactly what IT support costs each month. We know your environment. When something goes wrong at 7am before a shift starts, you're calling someone who already knows your setup.
Managed IT makes sense when downtime is expensive, when you have more than 10 devices to keep track of, or when you're running Microsoft 365, VoIP, or any system that needs ongoing administration.
The Real Cost of Break-Fix
Break-fix feels cheaper until something serious goes wrong. A server failure, a ransomware infection, or a network outage that takes two days to diagnose and fix can cost more in a single incident than a full year of managed IT. And it happens at the worst possible time, to a vendor who doesn't know your environment.
How to Decide
If you can afford to be down for a day without losing significant money or clients: break-fix is probably fine. If downtime costs you money, customers, or compliance risk: managed IT is worth the monthly fee.
We can quote you both options on the same call. (980) 494-3560 or nctsupport.com.