"Break-fix" IT support sounds straightforward: something breaks, you call someone, they fix it, you pay. But there's a hidden cost to reactive IT that most businesses never calculate.
The true cost of reactive IT
Here's a simple exercise: take the average hourly rate of your team, multiply it by the number of people affected, and multiply that by the hours of downtime per incident. That's the cost of one outage — and it doesn't include the IT bill.
For a 30-person business with an average salary cost of £35/hour:
- 2-hour email outage = £2,100 in lost productivity
- Half-day internet failure = £4,200
- Full-day server issue = £8,400
Now add the emergency callout fee from your break-fix provider. And the fact that these issues recur because nobody's maintaining the systems proactively.
What managed IT actually means
A managed IT service is fundamentally different from break-fix. Instead of waiting for things to go wrong, a managed service provider (MSP) actively monitors, maintains and optimises your IT environment.
This typically includes:
- 24/7 remote monitoring of all endpoints, servers and network devices
- Automated patching — operating systems, third-party software, firmware
- Helpdesk access — unlimited tickets, remote and on-site
- Proactive maintenance — scheduled health checks, performance tuning
- Strategic planning — a technology roadmap aligned with your business
The 5 things break-fix IT never does for you
- Monitors your systems — break-fix only responds after failure
- Patches your software — unpatched systems are the #1 attack vector
- Plans for the future — no roadmap, no budgeting, no lifecycle management
- Documents your environment — when the IT guy leaves, the knowledge leaves too
- Prevents incidents — the entire model depends on things breaking
How managed IT changes the economics
Break-fix creates variable, unpredictable costs. You never know what your IT bill will be month to month. Managed IT creates fixed, predictable costs — a single monthly fee that covers everything.
More importantly, managed IT reduces the total cost of ownership by:
- Catching issues before they cause downtime
- Keeping systems patched and secure (reducing breach risk)
- Optimising performance so hardware lasts longer
- Providing strategic advice that prevents wasteful spending
What to look for in a managed IT provider
Not all MSPs are equal. Look for:
- Transparent pricing — per user per month, all-inclusive
- Named account manager — not a different person every time you call
- Quarterly reviews — proactive, not just reactive
- Security included — endpoint protection, MFA and patch management as standard
- SLA with teeth — response time guarantees with financial penalties
Ready to make the switch?
If you're tired of unpredictable IT bills and reactive support, Wanzo can show you what a properly managed IT service looks like. Book a 30-minute discovery call — no commitment, no sales pressure.