Ad-hoc means ‘when necessary or needed’, and as the name implies, ad-hoc support is provided when requested by a client, and the client is only charged for the work that is done.

The alternatives to ad-hoc support are a support SLA, or a managed support service, in which the delivery of services is defined and the charges for the service are fixed.

It could be likened to a product warranty. Once the warranty period expires, the product can be repaired on a time and materials basis (ad-hoc support), or an extended warranty may be purchased (a support SLA or managed support service).

What this means to you

Each approach to technical support has advantages and disadvantages.

  • With ad-hoc or break/fix support:
    The initial costs are typically lower, as only the work being done is charged for (rather than the cost of doing other things as well, or the ‘risk’ that a provider might need to do other things, also being included in charges).
  • The costs can potentially be further reduced by using someone tech-savvy that’s already in the business to pick up minor IT issues, as long as it doesn’t interfere too much with the other things they need to be doing.

However:

  • It is a reactive (i.e. on demand) rather than proactive approach; the break/fix model is most often activated once something is broken or performing poorly, while a support SLA or managed support service seek to prevent some issues from occuring in the first place.
  • The charges can vary considerably. Where not a lot needs to be done, the charges will be low; but of course that also means that where a lot needs to be done, the charges will be higher.

In much the same way as something like a boiler service plan, the difference is that with ad-hoc support there will be costs if work is needed, but there won’t be costs if there isnt, while with a support SLA or managed support service, there will be costs each month covering certain activities and processes.

Why we are good

At Think IT, we don’t think one size fits all, and we don’t try to fit you in to our support model. We realise that different people and different businesses need different support, and we try to mould our support to fit you.

For many of our clients, the ad-hoc, break/fix support approach is the right approach for them, so that’s exactly what we do. If it’s not the right approach for you, it’s not the right approach for us either.

What we can do

We provide technical support to many clients using the ad-hoc or break/fix, support SLA and managed service approaches, and we take a flexible and personal approach with all of them: making sure your IT needs are met is our priority.

We can support servers, PCs and laptops, and tablets and phones; we can look after Windows, macOS, Android and iOS; we can maintain wired and wireless networks, internet connections, routers and firewalls; we can manage email systems, telephone systems and domains; we can run security services like antivirus and email security, and we can make sure your important data is backed up.