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Managed IT

Why choose SGC for all your IT needs?

Regular Maintenance

Regular management and application of critical operating system and infrastructure equipment patches, ensuring anti-virus systems and backups are working and up-to-date, annual computer “cleaning”.

Email Anti-Spam

Email Anti-spam, threat detection and mitigation including email message continuity is recommended and an integral part of our baseline security measures.

System Documentation

Maintaining a sufficient baseline level of IT documentation.

Our Team

Every managed account is assigned a primary technician, backup technician and account manager team backed up by specialists and other support staff normally at a fraction of the cost of hiring your own IT staff.

Security

We also strongly recommend that every managed client have a firewall / security appliance or subscription that performs active security filtering and monitoring, only allows secure remote access, and has tools for monitoring and controlling what employees do with CLIENT time on the internet.

Redundant Backups

Our unconditional recommendation is that you subscribe to our backup offerings so that you have redundant backups (by different providers/technologies) of critical data with multiple iterations of each and we offer suitable systems to enable on Client Behalf.  Could you survive an encryption of your server hard drive, and attached backup drive, and blackmailing to provide encryption keys ($’s and identity)?

Backup Validation

On a minimum of a quarterly basis, we normally take all prudent measures to review backup contents and test and validate the backups and disaster recovery readiness. Such measures include (for ShadowProtect backups) “mounting” and testing a recent full backup file(s) into a “virtualization workspace”, as a verification test to point out any data corruption or changes in the environment that could affect recovery and to verify that there is an environment in an appropriate “stand-by” state.

Remote Network Monitoring & Management

Automated monitoring is an integral part of all our offerings. Includes up to 24/7 monitoring of your IT systems by IT experts, including license for monitoring, secure remote access, reporting and diagnostic software / appliances. (Availability, Performance, Services, Interfaces, Bandwidth and Event logs, Inventory Reporting of monitored equipment, installed software.)

Compare Managed IT Plans

This annual (minimum 1 year) auto-renewing agreement includes a Fixed Price, Fixed Scope (defined services) Base Preventative Care & Maintenance Plan on agreed devices on agreed schedule (7 schedules offered).  Monthly Pre-authorized payments or annual pre-pay required. Always preceded by a network audit and a project if necessary to bring network to minimum standards.

  • 2-year term agreements qualify for Anti-spam & message continuity solution (commensurate with extent of SMA i.e. # of devices covered)
  • 3-year term agreements qualify for free on-boarding.
  • Includes a SLA (Service Level Agreement) for Contractual Priority response (on-site within 4 hours if customer within 1 hour, 2-hour on-line response). Discounted labour rates for all services performed outside of SMA (~10%)
  • 1 year SGC labour warranty on new equipment purchased while in SMA (and under mfg warranty) (excluding data restoration and file setup).
  • Discounted centrally managed Antivirus subscription. Discounted subscription(s) and management of leading backup, disaster recovery / business continuity software / solution (Storagecraft’s ShadowProtect).
  • Included baseline Critical Data backup to our Ctera data center based solution.
  • All workstations covered with minimum bi-annual maintenance are protected by an additional layer of comprehensive predictive intelligence based network security to prevent cybercrime “Like “Bullet Proof Glass” Security and Protection for your Network”.
  • Travel time only billed TO client site (not back, and no mileage charges) and is included in the flat fee for included visits.
  • Reporting on findings, recommendations, cautions and caring contractually included.
  • Option to purchase Pre-paid on-site hours on scheduled SMA visits (called Laundry List Hours).
  • On-going Device and Network Performance, Availability & Predictive Failure Monitoring and base maintenance of network documentation included.
  • Option to include Pre-paid help desk hours – and then any additional hours are specially discounted & only available to SMA contract clients (Level 1 Desktop: @ $60/hour, Level 2 (including network connectivity): @ $75/hour)
  • Automatic Contract Price Escalation/De-escalation provision based on Ontario CPI only at renewals with a cap.
  • Standing Company Terms of Engagement also required.

 

From: $142.94/month for 1 server (including antivirus and backup subscription).  From: $12.91/workstation per month.

This plan includes the relevant terms and conditions so that this is the only agreement normally necessary (i.e. Includes Company  Terms of Engagement).  This plan is available in month to month, 1, 2 and 3-year auto-renewing agreement terms and delivers all services “a la carte” with a menu of services and a scope definition worksheet.  All services are delivered as t&m (at discounted rates (additional -5% for 1 year agreements, and 10% for 2&3 year agreements) except for “contractual caring/monitoring” retainer fees for various monitorable services (e.g. backups) for which tracking and billing time on a daily basis is not possible (also discounted for term agreements).  Base Preventative Care & Maintenance best practices are agreed to and then are contractually fulfilled by us.  Estimated base level of t&m services is billed in advance monthly (budgetary). Any hours not used are carried forward, any overage is billed in arrears.  Best effort priority response.  Monthly Pre-authorized payments or annual pre-pay required.

 

  • 3 year terms qualify for free (conditional on fulfilment of term) on-boarding IT audit/ assessment, on-boarding consultations, network monitoring on-boarding, baseline network documentation, and fixed price estimates on balance of certain on-boarding tasks.
  • CLIENT agrees to co-operate and work with SGC as its IT Department / Trusted IT advisor / Technology Provider, and to keep SGC up to date with all relevant IT information, unless there is good reason not to.
  • CLIENT agrees to use SGC for all projects within scope.
  • IT Procurement Management – CLIENT agrees to source all relevant IT equipment and services exclusively through SGC (where offered) and to standardize on SGC lines unless otherwise approved by SGC in their absolute discretion. Consultation concerning, and provision of, basic quotes for required product is included and prices will always be reviewed for preferred pricing.
  • CLIENT grants Explicit Authorization for SGC to perform pro-active, preventative and scheduled maintenance on a schedule agreed to – including application of critical operating system and infrastructure patches, ensuring anti-virus systems and backups are working and up to date (monthly, quarterly and annual components), annual computer “cleaning” and our other best practices
  • On-going Device and Network Performance, Availability & Predictive Failure Monitoring included
  • Agreement qualifies for minimum billing increments of .25 hour rather than .5 or 1, and the on-site minimum of 1 hour is also waived.
  • Eligible IT consultations are done at less than our consulting rate (at technician rate applicable).
  • Base maintenance of network documentation is contractually done at corporate shop rate when possible.
  • Flat rate Travel time/mileage defined and billed (based on $50 per hour).
  • Provision of advanced exchange/loaner equipment where possible (may be standardized / published usage or rental rates)
  • Management of  client routine renewals such as maintenance/warranty agreements on IT equipment, antivirus subscriptions, domains, webhosting etc. that are purchased through SGC. We will not charge additional service fees for this service if the renewal is placed by SGC where applicable (enabling them and documenting them by technicians will be billable if applicable).
  • Total maximum aggregate liability limit is regular fees paid during agreement.  Indemnity clause is not required for claims, damages, losses and expenses which are due to our sole negligence.
  • Contract Price Escalation/De-escalation provision based on Ontario CPI included.

 

  • Our minimum arrangement includes all tasks noted in the Retainer agreement, and as below:

Monthly: Remote Dial in, review backups, apply patches, survey.

On an agreed schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, every 3 weeks, monthly, bi-monthly, Quarterly, or 3 times per year): Pre-plan, remotely start/do what can be done remotely, then attend on-site to perform scheduled services, tasks, visual inspections, installed planned new equipment, interact with users, ensure documentation is maintained.

Quarterly: BCT will take all prudent measures to review backup contents and test and validate the backups and disaster recovery readiness. Such measures include (for Shadowprotect backups) “mounting” and testing a recent full backup into a “virtualization workspace”, as a verification test to point out any data corruption or changes in the environment that could affect recovery and to verify that there is an environment in an appropriate “stand-by” state

Minimum Annually: Cleaning and ensuring everything patched (BIOS’s, controllers, switches, printers, etc.). Comprehensive Network review (current tool is “Network Detective”). IT Planning, budgeting, review meeting with decision makers.

 

A typical 1 server/5 workstation/user network would start at $209.50/mo (with AV, Backups, network security, monitoring, and 1/2 hour pre-paid per month).

These plans build on both the above SMA and the Outsourced IT Provider Comprehensive Managed Services agreements in order to offer an “all within scope, fixed price agreement”, thus providing cost certainty (and a measure of “insurance”) to the client.  Certain policies and controls are required to be in place for this (i.e. Acceptable Use Policy, no administrative logins used for day to day operations).

 

Silver: This upgrade essentially puts all covered devices and applications under fixed price maintenance service contract with BCT to keep them operational and functional “normally / as per status quo” (i.e. significant version upgrades, increases in functionality are not included in the base price – but are addressed as “projects” at extra cost as authorized).  Subject to meeting minimum technical requirements (e.g. supported/able by vendor and us, under warranty).  If comparing to insurance, this plan is not “comprehensive”.  Typically this plan costs twice what the base SMA costs.  Minimum 1-year contract.

  • On-site labour is included as necessary to fulfill comprehensive maintenance coverage of covered equipment and software. Flat fee travel charges apply.
  • User Adds/changes/deletes, minor workstation/device moves, are included. Labour on minor equipment upgrades (e.g. mouse/keyboard/monitor purchased from us) is included.
  • Virus/malware: If a nasty does happen to get through our defenses and is not obviously self-inflicted – we will recover/repair on a flat fee (i.e. shop flat rate job: $120) or hourly basis at 50% of normal rate/fee. If it should have been caught by defenses and we didn’t have it updated or set appropriately – recovery to extents possible included.
  • If replacement of equipment is necessary (old age, not repairable, end of life), it is done on a preferred contract price (1 level lower than we would normally charge).
  • Warranty administration of devices purchased through us included (if device is part of management contract in the count).
  • Preferred pricing for backups replicated to BCT.
  • Devices under warranty coverage will be replaced/repaired/reloaded to extents of backups and within timeframes of vendor warranty. Diagnosis and vendor liaison included e.g. If a workstation dies that isn’t backed up (by customer choice), a standard reload will be done. Any additional / customizations / heroic efforts will be billable.
  • Any “new projects” that would not be classified as maintenance are billed at preferred rate as projects (hourly or quoted) i.e. adding a net new employee/ workstation is additional, maintaining the server (restoring it from backup, or repairing OS etc.) is included. Replacing the server with a new one, or upgrading to new version is a project, installing new software is a project.
  • Basic consultations relating to maintenance / options included – otherwise hourly at networking rate instead of consulting rate.
  • All technical support relating to maintaining at Silver level included. “Flat Fee” or at special rates as per SMA Help desk (application / usage support) is offered and quoted.

 

Gold (Comprehensive): This plan builds on the Silver plan above, and essentially makes it “Comprehensive” according to a pre-agreed IT Plan. This plan typically costs 3x what the underlying SMA costs.

  • Labour for Planned projects and replacements/ upgrades/additions of covered equipment and software are included (additional monthly fees will be incurred for net new additions to coverage plan)
  • Full virus recovery to extents possible
  • New users including setup of equipment for them included (if net new, plan price gets revised at next annual anniversary)
  • Basic CIO consulting, planning and budgeting included
  • No additional travel charges

 

Platinum (Preferred, all inclusive, “all in”) package: and is typically priced per user/computer (with servers each counting as a user).  Technical IT Operational helpdesk support is included during Business Hours.  Vendor management component, CIO service, Subscription services (e.g. AV, backup, “Hardware and Software as a Service”) can also be negotiated into this contract. Contractual Service Level Agreement available.

Everything within scope of contract is included. Any “projects” outside of scope (e.g. acts of God / natural disasters / moving) done t&m at preferred contract rate. Typically starts at $150/user/computer + Hardware & Software as a Service subscriptions.

 

Interested in a Managed IT plan? Contact us for a customized quote.