What is managed IT, exactly?

Managed IT means a dedicated provider monitors, maintains, and supports your technology on an ongoing basis — not just when something breaks. Think of it like a retainer for your entire digital infrastructure: workstations, servers, networks, cloud services, backups, and security. You pay a predictable monthly fee, and in return you get proactive maintenance, fast response times, and a team that already knows your setup when you call.

The hidden cost of break-fix IT

Most small businesses in the Kootenays still operate on a break-fix model — something goes wrong, you call someone, you pay per incident. The problem isn't the cost of any single call. It's the downtime while you wait, the repeated issues that never get root-caused, and the security gaps that nobody is watching between incidents. A 2024 Datto survey found that downtime costs small businesses an average of $8,000 per incident. For a Revelstoke hotel during ski season, a single day of POS or booking system failure can cost far more.

If you don't have a documented backup and recovery plan that's been tested in the last 90 days, you're one ransomware email or hardware failure away from serious data loss.

Why local matters for IT support in Revelstoke

Remote support solves a lot of issues, but not all of them. When a router dies, a server won't boot, or a network cable run needs troubleshooting, someone has to be on site. If your IT provider is based in Vancouver or Calgary, that's a 5-hour drive or an expensive flight. A local IT support provider in Revelstoke can be at your door the same day — often the same hour. For businesses in the Columbia Valley, Golden, Nakusp, or Salmon Arm, having a Kootenays-based provider means you're not paying big-city travel surcharges either.

What managed IT typically includes

A good managed IT agreement covers:

  • 24/7 monitoring of critical systems — servers, firewalls, backup jobs
  • Patch management — keeping operating systems and software up to date automatically
  • Endpoint security — antivirus, anti-malware, and threat detection on every device
  • Cloud service management — Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or industry-specific platforms
  • Backup and disaster recovery — automated, tested, and documented
  • Help desk access — a real person who knows your environment when you call
  • Quarterly business reviews — proactive planning instead of reactive firefighting

Who benefits most?

Managed IT services aren't just for large companies. In Revelstoke and the Kootenays, the businesses that benefit most are 5-to-50-person operations: hotels, restaurants, property management firms, accounting offices, real estate agencies, ski and outdoor recreation companies, and healthcare clinics. These businesses rely heavily on technology but don't have the budget or need for a full-time in-house IT person. Managed IT fills that gap at a fraction of the cost.

A managed IT plan for a 10-person office typically costs less than one-quarter of a full-time IT hire — and you get a whole team, not a single point of failure.

Wondering what managed IT would look like for your business?