When a company says it needs “tech support”, it usually means one of three different things. Buying the wrong one is the most common reason support relationships disappoint. Here is how to tell them apart and choose.
The three models
1. Ticket-based support
You raise an issue; an engineer picks it up and works it to resolution. Good for occasional problems and for teams that have their own people but need a specialist to call on. Watch out for: unclear response targets, and the lack of anyone watching your systems between tickets.
2. Ongoing support plan
A named group of engineers looks after defined systems under agreed coverage hours, often including monitoring, patching and regular reviews. Good for production systems that must stay up. Watch out for: paying for coverage you do not use, and scope that is never written down.
3. Project engineers
You bring a build, migration or fix with a clear end; the provider supplies the engineers. It can be a fixed price against a written scope, or time and materials. Good when you lack people for a bounded piece of work. Watch out for:vague scope on a fixed price, and no named person accountable for delivery.
How to choose
- A few recurring issues and a small estate: start with tickets.
- Production systems that cannot go down: an ongoing plan, with coverage hours matching your business hours or your customers’ hours.
- A migration, upgrade or build with an end date: project engineers.
- All of the above at different times: a plan for the steady state, plus projects when you need extra hands. Many companies end up here.
Pricing models, plainly
- Per ticket: simple and flexible, but unpredictable if problems cluster.
- Monthly plan: predictable cost; check exactly what hours, systems and response targets are included.
- Fixed-price project: certainty for you, so the scope must be precise and changes agreed in writing.
- Time and materials: flexible when scope is uncertain; ask for regular reports and a budget cap.
Settle these whatever you choose
- Coverage hours and time zones
- Response targets, in writing
- Who has access to which systems, and how it is audited
- Where documentation lives, and that you own it
- How either side ends the arrangement
We offer all three: ticket-based technology support, ongoing support for Linux, cloud, database and AI systems, and project engineers. You can start with a single ticket to see how it works.