Services12 IT infrastructure
The server is old, the backups are a mystery, and nobody owns the plan.
Work out what your infrastructure needs, then agree the people, scope and responsibilities for the project.
$2,500 to $15,000
How it works
- Everything runs on a machine in the closet that one guy understands.
- Nobody has tested whether the backups actually restore.
- Every vendor quote answers a different question.
- 01
Assess what you have
Inventory, risks, and the real decision: replace, move, or leave alone.
- 02
Bring the right specialists
I lead the project. Where specialist help is needed, we agree who is involved and what it costs.
- 03
Hand over something documented
Diagrams, access records and recovery steps give the next person a starting point. We agree the handover and test the recovery steps in scope.
A replacement is only part of the job.
The handover should leave the business with a plan it can use.
Assess
Inventory, risk, dependencies and what can stay.
Plan the change
Agree access, migration, downtime and recovery steps.
Verify
Test the agreed functions and recovery arrangements.
Hand over
Document ownership, access and the next maintenance responsibility.
Ongoing monitoring and support are separate commitments, agreed with the provider responsible.
What it costs
$2,500 to $15,000
Typical project range. A managed IT service provider handles ongoing monitoring; I can help you choose one.
The price depends on the work we agree. The free hour helps us discuss fit and the next step. Scope and price are agreed before paid work begins.
What moves the number
- One server or a whole office
- Cloud move, replacement, or fix-in-place
- How much downtime the business can tolerate
Are you an MSP?
No. Projects are my work; ongoing monitoring and help desk belong with an MSP, and I source and manage that relationship for you if you want.
Why not call an IT company?
Do, for support and implementation. For the decision about what to buy, I don't sell the thing I'm recommending.
You work directly with me.
I'm Chris Patten: eighteen years leading technology as VP, IT and CIO, a finance and accounting background, and experience building and selling my own business. You work with me directly, and I have no software to sell you.
Running costs and ongoing support
Before you commit, the proposal separates implementation from recurring costs: hosting, software subscriptions, usage charges, monitoring and support where applicable. It also sets the included maintenance or change allowance, response expectations and how additional work is priced.
We agree who owns each account, who operates the system after handover and how issues are escalated. Ongoing monitoring or incident response is included only where specified in the agreement.