Managed IT services in Cologne – your IT runs, so your business runs

Managed IT services are the ongoing contract: monitoring, updates, tested backups, documentation and guaranteed response times. IT support is help in an individual case when something still goes wrong.

We also provide support without a contract, billed by time spent. The difference shows on the second call: without a contract, the question of how your environment is set up starts from scratch every time – and you pay for that time as well.

That depends on the number of workstations and servers and on the service level you want. A monthly flat fee per managed workstation and server is usual. After the inventory, you receive a concrete, binding quote – with no hidden items and no minimum term beyond twelve months.

We set that out in the service level. Depending on the agreement, the guaranteed response time is between two and 48 hours, graded by urgency. A server outage is treated differently from a printer that is playing up. In practice, we get back to you on critical faults much faster than the contract requires.

Yes. A large share of our clients have between 5 and 50 workstations – law and tax firms, medical practices, skilled trades businesses, retail and wholesale companies and agencies. At this size, an in-house IT department is not economical, but professional support is still necessary.

With remote support, we connect to the affected computer or server with your permission and fix the problem remotely – usually within minutes. You need on-site service when hardware has to be replaced, cabled or physically checked. Both are included in our managed services contracts.

We make sure your business application runs: server, database, updates, backups, interfaces and permissions. For questions about how to use it, the software vendor remains responsible – we coordinate with their support team and speak the same language.

Our core area is Cologne and the immediate surroundings: Leverkusen, Bergisch Gladbach, Hürth, Frechen, Pulheim, Brühl, Bergheim and Bonn. Beyond that, we support clients throughout the Rhineland as far as Düsseldorf. Get in touch if your site is further afield – we often handle branch support via remote access.

No, that is the norm. Most businesses we take over have no reliable documentation – and if they do, it is two server generations out of date.

That is why we record your environment ourselves: devices, servers, licences, contracts, access credentials, business applications. This is part of the takeover and is not charged separately. At the end, you have an inventory list that belongs to you – even if you decide not to work with us.

Not necessarily, and the reverse order is usually better: first talk to us, then give notice with the appropriate notice period. That way there is no gap.

The handover itself is a matter of documents and access credentials. If you wish, we will coordinate with your current provider – that is usually more relaxed for everyone involved than it feels beforehand.

The price depends on six things: the complexity and condition of your environment, the scope of the contract, the guaranteed response time, the share of on-site visits, the number of workstations and servers, and any particular documentation obligations in your industry.

We deliberately do not give a figure here, because without knowing your environment it would be a guess. What we offer instead: a free inventory, followed by a fixed monthly price with a clearly stated scope of services.

Our Guides section has a detailed article on this with a comparison sheet – twelve questions that make any quote comparable, including a competitor’s.

Maintenance is planned, service is unplanned. Maintenance includes updates, backup checks, monitoring and replacing ageing parts – things that happen at a set time. Service is what happens when something is not working.

Important when comparing quotes: some contracts only cover maintenance and bill every fault by the hour. Others include both in a flat fee. Both are reasonable – what is not reasonable is finding out on the first invoice.

Yes, that is our most common setup. At this size, we typically look after virtualised servers, a structured network, Microsoft 365, a phone system and a business application – with round-the-clock monitoring and a guaranteed response time.

We support companies with 5 to 250 workstations. We also work with larger organisations, but then usually alongside an in-house IT department rather than instead of it.

No. Our smallest managed services contracts start at five workstations. The price per workstation is naturally higher there, because baseline work such as monitoring, documentation and the backup concept arises regardless of size.

If a full contract does not fit, many smaller businesses start with a single module – for example, monitoring of the backup only.