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IT Start

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Recommended Technology Platform

To keep your business stable, secure and easy to support, we work to a standard technology platform. When your systems align with this platform, we can deliver faster support, stronger security and more predictable outcomes.

Minimum standards at a glance

  • Business grade hardware, under 5 years old and in vendor warranty
  • Modern, supported operating systems on all devices and servers
  • Business grade networking, WiFi and firewalls from trusted vendors
  • All software licensed, supported and compliant
  • IT Start monitoring agent and managed AV or EDR on every managed device
  • Offsite backups using our managed backup platform with regular testing

Devices and operating systems

Computers and laptops

We support business grade devices only.

  • Business models from vendors such as Dell, HP and Lenovo
  • Solid state drive (SSD) storage
  • 16 GB RAM for typical office users, more for heavy workloads
  • Devices under 5 years old and covered by vendor warranty

We do not recommend consumer devices from retail stores for business use.

Operating systems

  • Windows 11 Pro or another supported Windows business edition
  • macOS versions that still receive security updates
  • Devices joined to Microsoft Entra ID or a supported domain, or managed in Intune

Servers and virtualisation

Server hardware

  • Preferred: Dell PowerEdge servers
  • Alternatives: HPE ML or DL series where required
  • Servers under 5 years old and in vendor warranty or support
  • Redundant storage and power where appropriate, such as RAID and UPS

Server platforms

  • Modern, supported server operating systems, for example Windows Server 2019 or 2022
  • Regular patching and security updates
  • Virtualisation platforms such as Hyper V or VMware on supported, licensed versions

Network, WiFi and firewalls

Network and WiFi

  • Business grade switches and WiFi from vendors such as Ubiquiti, Meraki or Aruba
  • All equipment on current, supported firmware
  • Segmentation and VLANs where appropriate for security

Firewalls and internet

  • Business grade firewalls that support secure VPN and advanced security features
  • Licences and subscriptions, for example Meraki, current and assigned to the correct tenant
  • Business grade internet connections sized for cloud workloads

ISP supplied routers and all in one devices are not treated as business firewalls. Managed clients should sit behind a proper business firewall.

Storage, NAS and backups

On premises storage

  • Synology or QNAP NAS devices
  • Devices within vendor support and on current firmware
  • RAID configured for resilience appropriate to your needs

Backups

Backups are part of the platform, not an extra.

  • Offsite backups using our managed backup service
  • Coverage for key servers, Microsoft 365 and other agreed systems
  • Schedules set to match your recovery objectives
  • Regular backup testing and restore checks

Software, licensing and compliance

Licensing

  • All software properly licensed and assigned
  • Products within vendor support dates
  • Use aligned with vendor licence terms

This covers operating systems, Microsoft 365, line of business applications, server software and remote access tools.

Compliance

Unlicensed, unsupported or end of life software increases risk and may sit outside our standard managed support. We can plan upgrades or replacements as project work where needed.

Cloud, Microsoft 365 and security

Microsoft 365 platform

  • Business grade licensing such as Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium
  • Each user has a named account rather than a shared mailbox used as a login
  • Multi factor authentication on all accounts
  • Sensible governance and retention for Exchange, Teams and SharePoint

We follow vendor licence policies. If licence terms change, we may update requirements or adjust configurations to keep you compliant.

Security platform

  • IT Start monitoring and management agent on every managed device
  • Managed anti virus and endpoint detection and response
  • Central patch management for operating systems and common applications
  • Managed email security and phishing protection
  • Web and DNS filtering where appropriate
  • Multi factor authentication for VPN, remote access and cloud services
  • Supported password management solution and secure password policies

Remote work and home environments

Remote access

  • Secure VPN or modern remote access tools
  • MFA enforced for all remote access paths
  • Company devices managed and secured in the same way as office devices

Home networks

We will assist staff who work from home, but issues caused by home networking, ISP routers, WiFi coverage and consumer gear may be outside standard support and can incur additional charges.

What we cannot support under standard plans

  • Operating systems that are end of life
  • Hardware older than 5 years or out of vendor warranty
  • Consumer routers and WiFi gear used as the main business firewall
  • NAS devices that are no longer supported by the vendor
  • Unlicensed or pirated software
  • Systems that the vendor no longer supports or patches

We can help plan upgrades or replacements for these items as project work.

How this links to our Managed IT plans

These technology platform standards apply to our Managed IT and support plans. When your systems match this platform, we can provide predictable response times, consistent security and a higher level of support.

If your environment does not meet these standards, we use this platform as the basis for onboarding and remediation work before or during the start of a managed service agreement.

Exceptions and changes

From time to time we may update these platform standards as technology and security requirements change.

Any exceptions to this platform must be agreed in writing and may carry extra risk and cost. We will explain these clearly and agree a plan with you before we proceed.