What to look for in a Managed IT Plan
We’ve already covered the average costs of Managed IT plans. Now, let’s shift focus to what these plans can actually do for your business.
Even before deciding whether your organisation is at the stage where a Managed IT plan is worth considering, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re paying for. A good plan should clearly outline its inclusions and demonstrate how each element supports and strengthens your SMB. By doing this research upfront ensures you’re choosing a solution that actually adds value rather than unnecessary extras.
Below, I’ll walk through the key features you should look for when evaluating Managed IT plans. This will help you fully understand the resources, support, and benefits available to your team — and ultimately guide you toward the plan that best fits your business needs.
What $100-$120 Per User Should Include
For a 10–200 employee business in Brisbane, a managed IT plan priced at $100–$120 per user per month should include proactive support, cybersecurity enforcement, Microsoft 365 management, and strategic planning.
For example:
- A 25-person business investing $110 per user spends approximately $2,750 per month
- A 75-person business invests around $8,250 per month
At this price level, you should expect predictable support, structured security controls, and ongoing oversight — not just reactive troubleshooting.
Proactive Monitoring and Support
A proper managed IT plan should include:
- 24/7 monitoring of devices and systems
- Patch management for operating systems and applications
- Unlimited helpdesk support
- Issue resolution before problems escalate
Cybersecurity Enforcement
At $100–$120 per user, security should be built in — not sold separately.
You should expect:
- Endpoint protection and threat detection
- Multi-factor authentication enforcement
- Conditional access policies
- Email security and phishing protection
- A Zero Trust security framework
If security is optional or priced separately, the plan is likely basic support, not fully managed services.
Microsoft 365 Management and Security
(Many SMBs underestimate this area)
Your provider should be actively managing:
- User provisioning and access controls
- Microsoft 365 security configuration
- Ongoing security reviews
- Backup of Microsoft 365 data
- Licensing optimisation
Microsoft updates constantly — management should be ongoing, not “set and forget.”
Strategic Oversight (vCIO Services)
At this investment level, you should not only receive support — you should receive guidance.
A dedicated vCIO typically provides:
- Quarterly strategy meetings
- Budget forecasting
- Risk assessments
- Roadmap planning
- Executive-level reporting
Without strategic planning, IT becomes reactive again — just at a higher price.
Onboarding and Transition Support
Switching providers should be structured and predictable.
A well-designed plan should include:
- Clear onboarding process
- Documentation review
- Security baseline setup
- Minimal disruption
- Transparent transition costs
Some providers charge onboarding fees. Others include it as part of long-term partnership.
Real Example
A Brisbane-based 50-person business transitioned to a $110 per user managed IT plan.
Within six months:
- Support tickets decreased by 35%
- No successful phishing incidents occurred
- IT budgeting became predictable
- Quarterly planning improved leadership visibility
Closing
A $100–$120 per user managed IT plan should provide more than troubleshooting.
It should deliver:
- Consistent support
- Enforced cybersecurity
- Ongoing Microsoft 365 management
- Strategic direction
- Predictable costs
If you’d like a more in-depth conversation with one of our team members on how our services will be beneficial for your SMB, we would be happy to chat 🙂