The most common managed IT support questions London SMEs ask—pricing, SLAs, security, onboarding, and what “good” looks like in 2026.
Managed IT Support FAQs (London): Straight Answers for SMEs in 2026
If you’re a London SME looking at managed IT support, you’ll notice two things quickly:
- Everyone claims to be “fully managed”
- It’s hard to compare providers without clear, plain-English answers
This FAQ-style guide is designed to give you straight answers to the questions we hear most often from London businesses (typically 30–200 users) who are reviewing IT support for 2026.
Amazing Support is a multi-award winning, Microsoft Partner and Cyber Essentials certified provider supporting SMEs across London, Greater London and Manchester—so we’ll also share what “good” looks like in the real world.
1) What does “managed IT support” actually mean?
At its best,
managed IT support means your provider isn’t just fixing issues when they happen—they’re actively preventing problems and improving your IT over time.
A proper managed service typically includes:
- Business-hours helpdesk support (remote)
- Proactive monitoring and maintenance
- Patch management (devices and key systems)
- Security management (at least baseline controls)
- Backup oversight (and ideally backup testing)
- Reporting and regular service reviews
If a provider is mostly reactive (tickets only, little proactive work), it may be “support” but it’s not truly managed.
2) How much does managed IT support cost in London?
Most London SMEs pay per user, per month.
A realistic range is often £35–£55 per user/month, depending on:
- what’s included (security, backups, reporting)
- complexity (multi-site, legacy systems, specialist apps)
- SLA expectations
- how proactive the service is
The key is to compare like-for-like. A lower quote often excludes security, proactive work, or reporting—then the “real” cost shows up later.
3) What SLAs should we expect?
SLAs vary, but you should expect clear targets for:
- Critical issues (business down)
- High priority (major impact)
- Medium priority (workaround exists)
- Low priority (minor)
What matters most isn’t the SLA wording—it’s whether the provider:
- reports on SLA performance
- has a clear escalation path
- communicates well during incidents
Ask for examples of how they handle high-impact incidents, not just a PDF of targets.
4) What security should be included as standard in 2026?
For most SMEs, security should not be optional.
At minimum, your provider should be able to manage:
- MFA across key systems
- Endpoint protection on every device
- Email filtering and anti-phishing controls
- Patching discipline with reporting
- Backups with clear recovery expectations
If your provider can’t clearly explain their security baseline, that’s a risk.
5) Do we need Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus?
Not every SME needs certification, but many benefit from the discipline it forces:
- clear security controls
- documented processes
- better client confidence
- reduced risk of common attacks
If you work with clients who do due diligence (common in London professional services),
Cyber Essentials (and often CE Plus) can be a strong advantage.
Working with a Cyber Essentials certified provider helps because they understand what “good” looks like and how to implement it practically.
6) How long does onboarding take?
For a typical 30–100 user SME, onboarding can often be completed in days to a couple of weeks, depending on:
- documentation quality from the outgoing provider
- complexity of your environment
- number of sites and devices
- security improvements required
A good provider will give you a clear onboarding plan with phases and timelines, not vague promises.
7) What should we be getting in monthly reporting?
Monthly reporting should be readable by non-technical leadership and include:
- ticket volumes and SLA performance
- recurring issues and root cause actions
- patching and security status
- backup status (and testing evidence where possible)
- recommendations and priorities for the next month/quarter
If you’re not getting reporting, it’s hard to prove value—or spot risk early.
8) When should we move from ad-hoc support to managed IT support?
Common triggers:
- you’ve grown past ~20–30 users
- recurring issues keep coming back
- security feels “uncertain”
- onboarding/offboarding is messy
- downtime is affecting customers or revenue
- leadership wants predictable costs
If IT is becoming a regular operational headache, managed support is usually the next step.
9) What questions should we ask before signing a contract?
Ask:
- What’s included vs chargeable extras?
- What’s classed as a project?
- What are the SLAs and escalation paths?
- What security controls are standard?
- How do you handle backups and recovery?
- What does onboarding look like?
- How do you report and review performance?
A good provider will answer clearly and welcome the questions.
Final thought: choose clarity over claims
In London, there’s no shortage of IT support providers. The difference is rarely the marketing—it’s the operational delivery: response times, ownership, security discipline, and communication.
Want straight answers for your business?
If you’re reviewing managed
IT support in London, we can walk you through what’s included, what good looks like, and what a smooth onboarding would involve—no jargon, no pressure.
