The bill changes every month
A quiet month can cost very little, while a busy month can be difficult to predict or budget for.
Hourly vs managed IT
What hourly IT support actually costs over a year.
If you pay for IT support as you use it, the useful comparison is not just the hourly rate. Add up what you actually spend, then compare it with a fixed monthly service that also includes the work between support calls.
Paying as you go
Hourly support can work. The trade-offs are easy to miss.
A good hourly provider can still do good work. The billing model simply changes what gets reported, when work happens and how predictable the cost is.
Your team thinks twice before calling
Small issues can get worked around because every support call is expected to create another charge.
The same faults keep coming back
Each visit solves the immediate problem, but there may be no regular allowance for investigating why it keeps returning.
Nobody is looking between the problems
Patching, backups, access, documentation and small improvements only happen when they are separately requested or arranged.
Compare the numbers
Start with the invoices you already have.
Add up six months of support and the services that would move into a managed plan. That gives you a real monthly average to compare, rather than guessing from an hourly rate.
Q10 Essentials, current pricing
3 managed computer users
$900 / month ex GST
Q10 Essentials, current pricing
5 managed computer users
$1,250 / month ex GST
What that monthly price includes
Day-to-day support for the managed environment, Microsoft 365 Business Premium for managed computer users, core cybersecurity, independent Microsoft 365 backup and ongoing management. The exact scope is confirmed before the service starts.
| What you are comparing | Hourly / ad hoc IT | Q10 managed IT |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly support cost | Varies with the work done | Fixed for the agreed managed scope |
| Day-to-day support calls | Billed when used | Included for in-scope support |
| Recurring faults | Each return visit can create another bill | Included, so reducing repeat work also reduces Q10's support load |
| Monitoring, patching and backup checks | Only if separately arranged | Part of the ongoing managed service |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | Often billed separately | Included for managed computer users |
| Budgeting | Known after the work is done | Known in advance |
An honest comparison
Managed IT is not automatically the cheaper option.
If your six-month average is low, your systems are simple and you are happy with the current arrangement, paying by the hour may still make sense. Managed IT becomes more useful when you value predictable cost, included support and ongoing work around security, backup and maintenance.
What changes
The difference is what happens before the next invoice.
A fixed monthly service changes the incentive on both sides. Your team can report issues earlier, and Q10 benefits when recurring work is reduced.
You can call without thinking about the cost
Your team can report in-scope issues without first deciding whether the problem is worth another support invoice.
A recurring fault becomes our problem too
A returning issue creates more work for Q10 without creating another support invoice, so there is a practical reason to find the cause and reduce repeat work.
The ongoing work has a place
Monitoring, patching, backups, access changes and documentation are part of the managed service instead of waiting for something to break.
What is not included
Fixed monthly does not mean every technology cost is included.
The managed scope is clear before you commit. Bigger changes and purchases are still quoted separately rather than being hidden inside the monthly fee.
Major projects and changes
Migrations, large upgrades, office moves and new-site rollouts are scoped and priced separately.
Computers and equipment
New computers, network equipment, phones and other hardware purchases are not included in the monthly support fee.
Specialist software and vendor costs
Software licences, subscriptions and third-party charges outside the agreed managed plan remain separate.
Work outside the agreement
If work falls outside the agreed managed scope, Q10 explains that before proceeding and provides options where a separate quote is needed.
Use your own numbers
See whether managed IT makes sense for your business.
If you already know roughly what you spend each month, tell us the team size and current setup and we can compare it with the current Q10 pricing.
Talk to Q10
1300 110 210Townsville & Cairns