How much does managed IT cost in Kansas?

The short answer

Managed IT is priced per user per month. Our estimate, based on the quotes we write and compete against, is that small businesses in the U.S. commonly pay somewhere around $100 to $250 per user per month, depending on what’s included. That range is our own estimate, not a published survey, and you’ll find quotes outside it in both directions. Providers in rural and small-city Kansas often land toward the lower half for similar coverage. For a 15-person office, that usually means a four-figure monthly bill, not five.

What the rate covers varies by provider, which is why two quotes with the same per-user price can be very different deals. Typical plans include monitoring, updates and patching, security tools, and help desk support. Backups, after-hours coverage, and on-site visits are included in some plans and billed separately in others. Compare the scope line by line, not the price.

What moves the price

• Users and devices. The base. Most providers count people, some count computers. Ask which.
• Servers. An on-site server adds monitoring, backup, and patching work. Cloud-only offices pay less.
• Security and compliance. HIPAA, FFIEC, or the IRS written security plan mean more controls and more documentation. Expect a higher per-user rate.
• Locations. A second office or a site an hour from the provider adds travel and sometimes a second firewall.
• What’s already broken. Old equipment and an undocumented network cost more in the first few months. A good provider tells you this up front instead of hiding it in the rate.
• After-hours coverage. Some plans include it, some charge extra. Ask what happens at 7 p.m. on a Friday.

Managed IT versus paying by the hour

The difference is scope, not effort. With break/fix (hourly) support, you call when something is wrong and pay for the time to fix it; preventive work like patching, monitoring, and backup checks happens only if you schedule and pay for it separately. With managed IT, that preventive work is part of the monthly rate and happens on a schedule whether or not anyone calls.

Hourly can cost less in a quiet year. A single ransomware recovery or server failure can cost more than a year of managed service. If you have five or more computers, or data you can’t afford to lose, managed service is usually the better fit. If you have three computers and rarely have problems, hourly is fine, and an honest provider will say so.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. What exactly is included, and what costs extra? Get it in writing.
2. What’s your average response time, and is it measured or a goal?
3. Who answers the phone? A technician, or a call center that creates a ticket?
4. Are backups tested, and how often? Ask to see the last test.
5. What’s the contract term, and what happens if we want to leave?
6. Will you document our network so we’re not dependent on you?

CK Technologies quotes a flat monthly rate per user after a 15-minute call. After the first term, plans run month to month. How our pricing works.

Sources

• CK Technologies Master Services Agreement (our standard service terms)