Straight answers
Short, plain-English answers to the questions business owners ask about IT support and managed service providers, from a London MSP that answers them every week.
A managed service provider (MSP) runs your IT for a monthly fee: a helpdesk for your staff, looking after laptops and phones, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, security, backups and monitoring. The aim is to prevent problems, not just fix them when they happen.
What is a managed service provider? →Break-fix means you call someone when something breaks and pay for each job. An MSP looks after your systems all the time for an agreed monthly fee, so updates, security and backups are handled before they turn into problems.
Break-fix vs managed IT →Usually, yes, just not a full-time IT person. Even small teams rely on email, files, devices and security that need setting up properly and keeping updated. Many small businesses use an MSP so someone is responsible for it instead of the most tech-savvy employee.
IT support for small businesses →For most businesses under 50 staff, an MSP gives you a whole team's skills for less than one salary, with no gap when someone is ill or leaves. Larger firms often keep an in-house person and add an MSP alongside them, which is called co-managed IT.
In-house vs outsourced IT →Co-managed IT is when your in-house IT person or team works alongside an MSP. The MSP might handle the helpdesk, security tools, out-of-hours cover or projects, while your own staff focus on the business. It also covers you when your IT person is on holiday.
Co-managed IT →It is when it's done properly: a reputable remote tool, multi-factor authentication for the engineers, sessions you can see and approve, and logs of who connected and when. Most issues can be fixed remotely in minutes without waiting for a visit.
Remote IT support →They need enough access to manage your systems, but it should be controlled: named accounts rather than shared logins, multi-factor authentication, only the permissions they need, and activity logs. You should always keep your own top-level admin account too.
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Get in touchAsk how fast they respond and fix issues, what's included and what's extra, how long the contract is and how you leave, who holds your admin passwords, how they secure their own access, whether backups are tested, and who you'll actually speak to.
Free MSP comparison checklist →For a small business, an acknowledgement within an hour and a person working on urgent problems quickly is a sensible minimum. Check the contract separates response time from fix time. Senri aims to respond to existing clients in under 30 minutes.
Managed IT →What's covered (users, devices, systems), response and fix times, support hours, what costs extra, how security and backups are handled, who owns admin accounts and data, how changes are made, and a clear notice period and handover process if you leave.
IT services buyer's guide →Some providers ask for long contracts, but you don't have to accept one. A monthly or short contract keeps the provider earning your business. Read the notice period and exit terms carefully before signing. Senri doesn't use long-term contracts.
Check your notice period, then give the new provider time to audit your setup. Make sure admin passwords, domain logins, licences and documentation are handed over, and that the old provider's remote tools and accounts are removed once the new one has taken over.
How we handle the switch →Your systems and data belong to your business, so you're entitled to admin access. Ask in writing, referring to your contract. If you hold the Microsoft 365 or domain account details, a new provider can often regain access through official recovery routes.
If problems take days to resolve, the same issues keep coming back, or you can't get a straight answer, it's worth comparing. Raise it with them first and ask for their response times in writing. A free review from another provider can show you what's being missed.
Switching IT provider →Get admin passwords, licences and documentation handed over before they go, remove their access on their last day, and check nothing important relies on their personal accounts. An MSP or co-managed setup avoids depending on one person.
When your IT person leaves →Rather we sorted it for you? We'll reply within a few hours.
Get in touchMost MSPs charge per user or per device each month, sometimes with a separate rate for projects. Prices vary with what's included, such as security tools, backups, on-site visits and out-of-hours cover, so compare what you actually get rather than the headline figure.
How much does IT support cost? →You're paying for prevention: updates, security monitoring, tested backups and a helpdesk that knows your setup. That usually costs less than the downtime, data loss or security incident it prevents, and gives you a predictable monthly bill instead of surprise invoices.
Break-fix vs managed IT →Rather we sorted it for you? We'll reply within a few hours.
Get in touchIf security matters to you, it's usually worth it. Business Premium adds device management (Intune), Conditional Access, Defender for Business and data protection features on top of Business Standard. It's available for organisations of up to 300 users.
Microsoft Intune →Microsoft keeps the service running and has short-term recovery options, but it recommends you back up your own content. Deleted items and versions are only kept for limited periods, so a separate Microsoft 365 backup protects against deletion, ransomware and account problems.
Is OneDrive a backup? →Microsoft Defender Antivirus is a solid baseline. Businesses get much better protection from Defender for Business, included in Business Premium, or a managed endpoint security product, which adds threat detection and response, central reporting and someone actually watching the alerts.
Cybersecurity →Microsoft ended standard support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025, so it no longer gets free security updates. Paid Extended Security Updates are available for a limited time, but the safer plan is to upgrade or replace devices that can't run Windows 11.
Typically every three to five years. Replace sooner if a laptop can't run a supported version of Windows or macOS, is slowing people down, or is out of warranty for a critical role. Planning replacements avoids a costly batch all failing at once.
New laptop setup checklist →The UK's old copper phone network finishes switching off by 31 January 2027. Business lines still on it need moving to a digital service, and anything else using them, such as alarms, card machines, fax and lift phones, needs checking. Numbers can usually be kept.
Business landline switch-off →Most small businesses don't. Files, email and many business apps now work better in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, with no hardware to maintain. Some specialist software or large files still suit a local server, so it's worth checking before you switch it off.
Cloud & Microsoft 365 migration →Your business, registered in its name with login details you control. Domains registered to a former employee, web designer or IT provider are a common cause of lost email and websites. Check who the registered owner is and that the renewal details are current.
1. Phishing emails that steal Microsoft 365 or Google logins. 2. Email account takeover and invoice fraud, where criminals read a hacked mailbox and change bank details. 3. Impersonation of a director or supplier by email, text or phone, sometimes with AI voice cloning. 4. Ransomware. 5. Weak or reused passwords, missing MFA and unpatched devices that let attackers in.
Cybersecurity tools for small businesses →Common signs: customers or suppliers asking about odd emails or invoices you didn't send, emails missing from your inbox, unfamiliar forwarding or inbox rules, and sign-ins from unexpected locations. Change the password, sign out all sessions, check the rules and sign-in logs, and make sure MFA is on.
Free security review →Call your bank immediately, as recovering money is time-sensitive, then report it as fraud to the police. Secure the email account involved, check for forwarding rules, and warn the real supplier and your customers. Then agree that any change to bank details is always confirmed by phone on a known number.
Cybersecurity →Yes. Multi-factor authentication blocks most attacks that rely on stolen passwords, and it's a requirement for Cyber Essentials and many cyber insurance policies. Use an authenticator app rather than text messages where possible.
Cybersecurity →You need it for some UK government contracts, and many clients, supply chains and insurers ask for it. Even when it isn't required, its five controls are a good security baseline for any small business.
Do I need Cyber Essentials? →Rather we sorted it for you? We'll reply within a few hours.
Get in touchAn account with multi-factor authentication, the right licences, email and shared mailboxes, access to the right files and apps, a laptop that's encrypted and managed, and a quick security briefing. A checklist means nothing is missed and they're productive on day one.
New laptop setup checklist →Block their sign-in on their last day, reset their password, remove their devices from their account, transfer their files and mailbox to a manager, remove them from shared accounts and change any passwords they knew. Then reassign or remove their licence.
Yes. Office moves go best when IT is planned weeks ahead: internet installation lead times, network cabling, Wi-Fi, phones, moving and reconnecting equipment, and testing everything before staff arrive.
IT relocation →A good one can. Macs need the same management as Windows PCs: updates, encryption, security settings, and the ability to wipe a lost laptop. Tools like Microsoft Intune or a dedicated Apple platform such as Jamf make mixed offices easy to run. Senri's Apple support is led by a Jamf-certified engineer.
Device management →Many do. Most problems are fixed remotely in minutes, but on-site visits are still useful for new office setups, network and Wi-Fi problems, hardware swaps and staff who prefer face-to-face help. Ask how on-site visits are charged before signing.
IT support in London →Rather we sorted it for you? We'll reply within a few hours.
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