Break-fix support means you call someone when something goes wrong and pay for their time. Managed IT means a provider takes ongoing responsibility for keeping systems healthy, for a fixed monthly fee.
Break-fix: pros and cons
- No monthly cost
- Simple to understand
- But nobody is preventing problems, and costs are unpredictable
Managed IT: pros and cons
- Updates, security and backups handled proactively
- Predictable costs
- Your provider knows your systems
- But you pay every month, even in quiet months
Which is right for you?
If a day without email or files would seriously hurt your business, managed IT support is usually the better choice. If IT is peripheral, Pay As You Go may be enough. The two do not provide the same coverage, so compare carefully.