The Objective
The work should not become difficult to understand the moment implementation is finished. Depending on the engagement, ETS may provide a completed handoff, continue providing support, or help identify future improvements. This helps the environment remain manageable after the project is complete.
Technology should remain manageable after implementation. Documentation, sensible configuration, and maintenance help prevent today’s solution from becoming tomorrow’s problem.
What ongoing management means
Depending on the environment and service level, ongoing management may include:
- Documentation
- Maintenance
- Monitoring and troubleshooting
- Security improvements
- Planning for change
- Keeping the environment understandable
Ongoing management gives ETS enough familiarity with the environment to understand how the systems fit together, recognize when something changes, and make recommendations with the larger business environment in mind.
Managed Services Pricing
ETS managed services are organized into several service levels based on the size and complexity of the environment. Pricing is not determined by user count alone.
ETS considers the combination of:
- Number of users
- Managed computers and endpoints
- Network and infrastructure devices
- Servers and storage systems
- Number of locations
- Security and operational requirements
- Overall environment complexity
Two businesses with the same number of employees can have very different technology environments. The appropriate service level reflects the environment ETS is actually responsible for managing.
Foundation$199/month
Designed for very small and straightforward environments that need basic ongoing technology management.
Typical environment:
- Approximately 1–3 users
- Up to approximately 4 managed endpoints
- Basic network infrastructure
- Little or no server infrastructure
- Low overall complexity
Foundation provides an entry point for businesses that need professional technology oversight without the requirements of a larger managed environment.
Small Business$349/month
Designed for small organizations with a broader technology environment but relatively limited infrastructure complexity.
Typical environment:
- Approximately 2–5 users
- Up to approximately 7 managed endpoints
- Normal small-office networking
- Basic managed infrastructure
- Limited server or storage requirements
- Low to moderate complexity
This level provides additional room for organizations whose technology needs have grown beyond a very small environment.
Business$499/month
Business is the core ETS managed-services level and is intended for organizations that depend more heavily on their technology environment.
Typical environment:
- Approximately 5–10 users
- Up to approximately 15 managed endpoints
- Managed network infrastructure
- Limited server, storage, or NAS infrastructure
- Greater operational dependence on technology
- Moderate environment complexity
This level is designed for businesses that need more complete ongoing management without moving into a larger custom infrastructure engagement.
Business Plus$699–$999/month
Business Plus is intended for larger or more complex small-business environments.
Typical environment:
- Approximately 10–20 users
- Up to approximately 30 managed endpoints
- More substantial network infrastructure
- Servers, storage, or other managed infrastructure
- More advanced security or operational requirements
- Greater overall management complexity
The final monthly price within the $699–$999 range depends on the actual environment.
A business with a larger user count but relatively simple infrastructure may fall toward the lower end of the range.
An organization with fewer users but more servers, multiple networks, specialized applications, remote-access requirements, or other technical complexity may fall toward the higher end.
Managed Infrastructure$1,000+/month
Managed Infrastructure is the custom service level for environments that require significant ongoing technical management.
This may include:
- Approximately 20 or more users
- Complex server infrastructure
- Multiple locations
- More extensive networking
- More advanced security requirements
- Virtualization or storage environments
- Specialized business systems
- Environments with significant operational dependence on technology
- Other circumstances requiring a higher level of ongoing management
$1,000 per month is the starting point, not a maximum.
Managed Infrastructure engagements are scoped according to the systems and responsibilities ETS will be managing.
An organization does not necessarily need a large number of users to fall into this category.
A smaller business with unusually complex infrastructure may require Managed Infrastructure based on the environment alone.
Onboarding
Before ETS begins ongoing management, the environment needs to be brought into a documented and supportable baseline. Managed-service onboarding is a separate one-time engagement.
Typical onboarding may range from approximately:
$299 to $3,000+
The actual amount depends on the size, condition, and complexity of the environment.
Onboarding may include:
- Environment inventory
- Managed-device enrollment
- Monitoring configuration
- Account and access setup
- Network and infrastructure documentation
- Credential organization
- Establishing management standards
- Reviewing existing configurations
- Establishing the initial support baseline
A small, well-organized office will require substantially less onboarding work than a larger environment with undocumented infrastructure, multiple systems, or significant existing complexity.
Onboarding is not remediation
Onboarding establishes the environment ETS will manage. It does not automatically include unlimited corrective work. If significant problems are discovered during onboarding, ETS may recommend a separate remediation project before or alongside ongoing management.
Examples may include:
- Major network redesign
- Server rebuilds
- Large migrations
- Significant security remediation
- Replacing failed or unsupported infrastructure
- Extensive cleanup of existing systems
- Major configuration correction
- Other substantial technical work
Those activities are scoped separately as project work rather than being absorbed into the monthly managed-service fee or onboarding charge.
Hardware, Software, & Licensing
Managed-service pricing covers the ETS service provided for the environment.
Customer-specific hardware, software, licenses, cloud services, security products, backup services, and other third-party costs are generally paid separately by the customer.
For example, the monthly ETS service fee does not automatically include the cost of:
- Computers
- Servers
- Network equipment
- Firewalls
- Wireless access points
- Storage
- Software subscriptions
- Cloud services
- Backup licensing
- Security licensing
- Other third-party products
Keeping these costs separate allows the customer to understand what is being paid to ETS for management and what is being paid for the products and services used by the business.
Projects remain separate
Ongoing management does not mean every future technology project is automatically included in the monthly service fee. Normal management, support, maintenance, and incremental changes are part of the ongoing relationship as defined by the service level. Larger work may still require a separate project.
Examples may include:
- Major infrastructure replacement
- Office moves
- New-location deployments
- Large migrations
- Network redesign
- Server deployment
- Significant remediation
- Major automation projects
- Large-scale system changes
When substantial project work is required, ETS will define the scope and expected investment separately.
This keeps the managed-service relationship sustainable while allowing the business to understand when work falls outside normal ongoing management.
The goal is to build and manage technology that the business can understand, maintain, and use effectively.
