How break-fix works
You call when something is broken and pay for the hours it takes. It looks cheap in a quiet month. The cost arrives in bursts, usually at the worst time, and nobody is watching between calls.
How managed IT works
Every device is enrolled, monitored and patched continuously for a fixed monthly cost. Alerts go to a technician before staff notice. The provider is paid to keep things running, so they want fewer problems, not more.
Which one fits
A rough guide:
- Fewer than five devices and no critical systems: break-fix can be enough.
- Five or more staff who cannot work when IT is down: managed IT costs less than the lost time.
- Compliance, cyber insurance or multiple sites: managed IT, with reporting, is close to essential.
- Already have someone in-house: a monitoring plan such as Watch (from R495 a month) adds the round-the-clock coverage they cannot give.