Managed IT Support & Cyber Security for Architects & Design Firms

Modern architecture practices need more than a helpdesk. They need a managed partner who governs Microsoft 365, structures SharePoint and OneDrive properly for drawings and models, supports CAD and Revit workstations, layers cyber security, maintains tested backups of project archives and provides senior strategic input. Reactive break-fix is no longer enough & studios running tight programmes and deliverables can’t afford queue-based support.

Start with the fundamentals: Intune-managed laptops and workstations, MFA on every account, Conditional Access policies, secure VPN or zero-trust access and properly governed SharePoint for drawings, models and reference libraries. Then layer in optimised Teams configuration, modern endpoint protection and resilient internet connectivity so designers can work from the studio, home or on site with the same speed and security.

Microsoft 365 holds your drawings, contracts, client correspondence, project archives and internal IP, making it the highest-value target in your business. Default tenant settings are not secure or audit-ready: legacy authentication is often enabled, SharePoint is over-shared, guest access is uncontrolled and there is no third-party backup. A properly governed tenant with MFA, Conditional Access, retention, DLP and independent backup dramatically reduces the risk of email compromise, fee fraud and data loss.

Our average response time is under 15 minutes across all support channels. 98% of issues are resolved on first contact by our UK-based engineers, and the majority are handled remotely without a designer ever needing to leave their workstation. Critical incidents, including suspected breaches and major Microsoft 365 disruption, are escalated immediately under documented major-incident procedures.

The biggest risks we see in architecture and design firms are phishing and CEO-impersonation, client and consultant fee fraud, account takeover via reused passwords, and data loss through over-shared SharePoint and OneDrive. Mitigation is a layered programme: MFA, managed EDR, Conditional Access, advanced email defence, security awareness training, independent M365 backup and continuous tenant monitoring, all delivered as part of the ATS managed service.

Continuity for a studio means more than a backup file. It means independent, immutable backup of Microsoft 365 and project archives, rehearsed recovery scenarios, redundant connectivity, secure device management and a clear plan for what happens if the studio or a key system is unavailable. ATS builds and tests this as part of the managed service so leadership can answer continuity questions from clients and PI insurers with confidence.

Yes. We support architecture and design firms operating fully remotely, hybrid or across multiple studios, using Intune-managed devices, Conditional Access, modern collaboration tooling and secure remote access. We engineer environments for consistent performance, security and auditability regardless of location.

Yes. ATS is based in Arundel and supports studios across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and London on-site, with managed IT and cyber security delivered to architecture and design firms throughout the UK using secure remote tooling. On-site engineering visits are scheduled where they add real value, for studio moves, hardware rollouts or critical incidents.

Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month, and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90 per user per month, both on a rolling annual agreement. Ad hoc work is £100 an hour, £340 a half day or £650 a day. All prices exclude VAT, and the exact figure depends on your team size, number of studios and the level of security you need. The full breakdown is on our IT support pricing page.

Our helpdesk is open from 9am to 5.30pm on working days, and urgent out-of-hours support is available when you need it. Monitoring runs around the clock.

Increasingly, yes. The NCSC says “a growing number of organisations require suppliers to be certified to bid for work”, and under procurement policy note PPN 014 central government buyers must ask for Cyber Essentials on contracts that involve handling personal information or OFFICIAL data, renewed every year. We are Cyber Essentials certified ourselves and can get your practice ready for certification. See our Cyber Essentials page.

It can. If you act as principal designer on a higher-risk building, broadly one at least 18 metres or 7 storeys high with at least two homes, the golden thread guidance says you must keep a digital record of information about the building. That information must be kept digitally, secure from unauthorised access and available when someone needs it. We set up project libraries in SharePoint with the right permissions, version history and independent backup, so the record holds up.

There is no single rule. Under the Limitation Act 1980, a claim under a simple contract can be brought up to six years after the cause of action, and up to twelve years under a deed. ARB also expects architects to keep at least six years of run-off professional indemnity cover. It makes sense to keep project archives at least that long, so we set backup and archive retention to the period your practice and insurer agree on, and test that old projects can actually be restored.

Yes. Criminals who get into a client, consultant or practice mailbox can send convincing requests to change bank details, and UK Finance recorded £41.3 million lost to invoice and mandate scams in 2025. We switch on MFA, DMARC and impersonation protection, alert on suspicious mailbox forwarding rules, and help you put a call-back check in place. Our guide to invoice fraud and business email compromise shows what these emails look like.