Support retainers
Someone who knows your servers, keeps them updated and answers when you ask. Monthly, no long contract.
The problem
Servers don't stay fixed on their own. Security updates come out every week, disks fill up, certificates expire and backups quietly stop working.
Most problems are cheap to catch early and expensive to fix late. A retainer means someone is watching.
What's included
- Security updates applied regularly, and promptly when something serious comes out.
- Monitoring, so I hear about problems before your customers do.
- Backups checked monthly, with a test restore every quarter.
- A set number of hours each month for fixes, changes and questions. Unused hours roll over to the next month, then expire.
- A reply the same working day.
- 10% off project work and the breach rate, if you ever need either.
What you get at the end
Servers that stay patched, backed up and watched, and one person who knows them and answers when you ask.
On the larger plans, a quarterly review of what has changed and what is coming up, in plain English.
How it's priced
A fixed monthly fee, depending on how many servers you have and how much time you need. There are three plans: one server with an hour a month; up to three servers with three hours a month and a quarterly review; and an agency plan for up to ten client servers with six hours a month. Monthly, no long contract.
Who it's for
- Businesses with one or more servers and nobody in-house to look after them.
- Agencies who want a behind-the-scenes sysadmin for their clients' servers. The agency plan covers up to 10 client servers.
- Anyone who has had a fix-up and wants it to stay fixed.
Questions
How do we get started?
With a server health check, so I know exactly what I am looking after. There is no separate setup fee.
What happens to hours we don't use?
They roll over to the next month, then expire.
How quickly will you reply?
The same working day. Anything urgent gets dealt with first.
Is this a 24/7 service?
No. I am one person and I won't pretend otherwise. Out-of-hours work for emergencies is by arrangement.
How do we cancel?
Give a month's notice, any time. There is no long contract.
What if we need more hours one month?
Extra time is charged at my hourly rate less 10%, and I always ask before going over.
Anything else I should know about prices?
- Retainer clients get 10% off project work and the breach rate.
- Out-of-hours emergency work is by arrangement, not a 24/7 promise.
- I'm not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add.
Ask about a retainer
Tell me how many servers you have and what they do, and I will suggest the right plan.