The short answer: An IT support provider is an external company that looks after a business’s technology: fixing problems when staff get stuck, and keeping computers, the network, Microsoft 365 and security in good order so problems happen less often. Most small and medium businesses now pay a fixed monthly fee per user for this, known as managed IT support, rather than paying by the hour when something breaks. In the UK that typically costs £30 to £90 per user per month.
Last updated: 29 September 2026. Written by the ATS Connection team from our own service and pricing, with government and NCSC sources linked below.
In this guide
- What does an IT support provider do?
- The types of business IT support
- Proactive versus reactive IT support
- How much does business IT support cost?
- Do you need an IT support provider?
- How to choose an IT support provider
- Frequently asked questions
What does an IT support provider do?
A good IT support provider acts as your IT department. The work splits into what happens when someone asks for help, and what happens in the background so they need to ask less often.
When your team needs help
- Helpdesk support by phone, email or a ticket portal, for anything from a locked account to a printer that will not print.
- Remote fixes, where an engineer connects to the user’s computer securely and resolves the issue while they watch.
- On-site visits for hardware faults, network problems and installations that cannot be done remotely.
- Starters and leavers: setting up accounts, laptops and access on day one, and removing access the day someone leaves.
In the background
- Monitoring of computers, servers and the network, so failing disks, full storage and offline devices are spotted early.
- Patching: installing security updates for Windows, applications and firewalls on a schedule.
- Cyber security: endpoint protection, email filtering, multi-factor authentication and the controls needed for Cyber Essentials.
- Microsoft 365 management: licences, mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint permissions and security policies.
- Backup and recovery: making sure data is backed up and that restores actually work.
- Planning: hardware replacement cycles, budgets and advice on what to fix first.
- Supplier management: dealing with your broadband provider, software vendors and phone system on your behalf.
What types of business IT support are there?
There are four common ways to buy IT support, and many businesses combine two of them.
| Type | How it works | How you pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break-fix (ad hoc) | You call when something goes wrong | By the hour or per job, typically £75 to £150 an hour | Very small businesses with simple IT |
| Managed IT support | The provider runs your IT proactively under a service agreement | Fixed monthly fee, usually per user | Most businesses of 5 to 250 staff |
| Co-managed IT support | The provider works alongside your in-house IT person or team | Monthly fee for the agreed share of the work | Businesses with some in-house IT |
| Project and consultancy | A defined piece of work, such as a migration or office move | Fixed quote per project | One-off changes |
Providers that deliver managed IT support are usually called managed service providers, or MSPs. We explain how that model works in detail in what is a managed service provider?, and compare the outsourcing options in IT outsourcing models explained.
Support can also be remote, on-site or both. Most issues are now fixed in minutes through remote IT support, but you still want a provider that can get an engineer to your office when a switch fails or a new starter needs a desk setting up. That is why local IT support providers remain popular even as more IT moves to the cloud.
What is the difference between proactive and reactive IT support?
Reactive IT support fixes problems after they happen. Proactive IT support works to stop them happening, by monitoring systems, installing updates, replacing ageing hardware before it fails and closing security gaps before they are exploited.
| Reactive (break-fix) | Proactive (managed) | |
|---|---|---|
| When work happens | After a fault is reported | Continuously, plus when faults are reported |
| Security updates | When someone remembers | On a schedule, tracked and reported |
| Provider’s incentive | Paid more when things break | Paid the same, so better off when things do not break |
| Cost pattern | Unpredictable | Fixed monthly |
| Knowledge of your setup | Relearned each visit | Documented and built up over time |
The incentive row is the one that matters. On an hourly model, a provider earns more when your IT is unreliable. On a fixed fee, the provider only makes money if your systems stay healthy, so its interests line up with yours.
How much does business IT support cost?
In the UK, managed IT support for a small or medium business usually costs between £30 and £90 per user per month, depending on how much security and compliance work is included. Ad hoc support runs at around £75 to £150 an hour.
We publish our own prices, which is still unusual. Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90. For a team of 15 that is roughly £500 to £700 a month on Core, or £850 to £1,350 a month on Complete. Microsoft licences and hardware are billed separately, at cost. The detail is on our IT support pricing page, and our guide to how much IT support costs explains the pricing models the market uses.
The figure to compare against is the alternative. A single in-house IT hire costs upwards of £2,500 a month before employment costs, and one person cannot cover holidays, sickness and every specialism.
Do you need an IT support provider?
If nobody in your business is responsible for IT, you already have a provider: it is whoever gets asked, usually the most technical person, doing it instead of their real job. These are the signs it is time for proper support:
- The same problems keep coming back, and nobody knows why.
- Nobody can say for certain that your backups work.
- You are not sure who still has access to your Microsoft 365 or other systems.
- A customer, insurer or tender has asked about Cyber Essentials or your security controls.
- Staff lose hours each week to slow computers, Wi-Fi or login problems.
- You are growing, and onboarding people is taking longer than it should.
The risk is not theoretical. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses identified a cyber breach or attack in the previous 12 months, and only 25% had a formal incident response plan.
How do you choose an IT support provider?
The NCSC published guidance in November 2025 on choosing a managed service provider, aimed at small businesses. Combined with what we see when businesses switch to us, these are the questions worth asking:
- Are you Cyber Essentials certified? The NCSC recommends using providers with recognised certifications such as Cyber Essentials Plus. A provider with access to all your systems should meet at least the standard it asks of you.
- What response time do you guarantee, in writing? Ask for the response and resolution targets in the contract, not the brochure.
- What exactly is included, and what is billed extra? Look for per-ticket charges, fair use limits, and whether on-site visits and projects cost more.
- Who owns the admin accounts? Your business should own its Microsoft 365 tenant, domain and admin credentials, with the provider given access, not the other way round.
- How do you protect your own access to our systems? Expect multi-factor authentication, least-privilege access and logging.
- What happens if we leave? Check the notice period and what documentation and handover you get.
- Can I speak to a client like us? References from businesses of a similar size and sector tell you more than any website.
We have written a fuller checklist in how to choose an IT support company, and if you are unhappy with your current provider, see signs it is time to change.
ATS Connection has provided business IT support since 2015 from offices in Arundel and Chichester, and looks after more than 100 businesses across Sussex and the UK. Our average response time is under 15 minutes, support is unlimited during business hours with no per-ticket charges, and we are Cyber Essentials certified. See IT support across Sussex or our outsourced IT support for businesses further afield.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IT support provider?
An external company that looks after a business’s technology, fixing problems when staff need help and keeping computers, networks, Microsoft 365 and security maintained so problems happen less often.
What does business IT support include?
Typically helpdesk support, remote and on-site fixes, monitoring, security updates, endpoint protection, Microsoft 365 management, backups, starters and leavers, and IT planning. What is included varies by provider and contract, so check the service agreement.
What is the difference between an IT support provider and an MSP?
An MSP, or managed service provider, is an IT support provider that runs your IT proactively for a fixed monthly fee under a service agreement. Some IT support providers only offer break-fix support paid by the hour.
How much does IT support cost for a small business?
Managed IT support in the UK usually costs £30 to £90 per user per month. ATS Connection’s Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month, and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90.
What is proactive IT support?
IT support that prevents problems rather than just fixing them, through monitoring, scheduled security updates, hardware planning and closing security gaps before they are exploited.
Is remote IT support enough for a small business?
Most issues can be fixed remotely, but hardware faults, network problems and installations sometimes need an engineer on site. A provider that offers both is the safest choice.
Sources
- NCSC: Choosing a managed service provider (MSP)
- GOV.UK: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026
- NCSC: Cyber Essentials overview
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