Using an IT Support Contract instead of a Break-Fix approach comes with a bunch of benefits, especially if you’re looking for stability, predictability, and faster response times in your business. Here’s a breakdown of why an IT Support Contract usually wins:
You only call IT when something breaks, and you pay per incident.
You pay a monthly or annual fee for ongoing support, maintenance, and monitoring.
IT Contract: Fixed monthly fee, easier to budget.
Break-Fix: Costs can spike unexpectedly during outages or issues.
Contracts usually include ongoing monitoring and regular system checks to catch issues before they become big problems.
Break-fix is reactive, so problems often escalate before you even notice them.
Contracts often come with Service Level Agreements (SLAs)—guaranteed response/resolution times.
Break-fix might leave you waiting, especially if you’re not a priority client.
With proactive support and fast response times, your systems are likely to stay up and running more consistently.
Downtime can be very costly, especially for critical operations.
Contracted providers often include security updates, antivirus, firewalls, and patch management as part of the service.
Break-fix leaves you exposed between fixes.
With a contract, you often get IT consultancy or vCIO services to help align tech with your business goals.
Break-fix is just about solving problems, not planning or improving.
Contracts foster a long-term partnership—your provider gets to know your systems inside and out.
Break-fix providers may not understand your environment deeply or be consistent.
For regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance), contracts can include compliance support.
Break-fix doesn’t typically consider compliance unless you ask specifically.
Unpredictable costs.
Higher long-term costs due to recurring or escalated issues.
No accountability or guaranteed support.
Minimal preventative care.
If you’re running a business or managing more than just a home setup, an IT Support Contract is usually the smarter, safer play in the long run.
So I (Anthony) had an Issue with Classic Outlook it was not opening, Deleting Emails which was frustrating, so I thought, Fix or why not use the New Outlook?
Nobody Likes Change, but there are some simple things which the New Outlook does,:
1, Mess’s with your Head, they have moved Spell Check to Left Click instead of Right Click…..grr.
2, Shared Folders are now under “Shared With Me”. Annoying if you are in an out of them all the time, again, Subtle Change but not nicely layed out.
I did run this question via CHATGPT to see what it’s thoughts were: What are the benefits of using the new Outlook app?
The new Outlook for Windows offers a range of enhancements designed to improve productivity, streamline communication, and provide a more modern user experience. Here are some key benefits:
Simplified Interface: The new Outlook features a cleaner, more intuitive design that aligns with the web version, ensuring consistency across devices. “It Is That“
Unified App: It replaces the older Mail, Calendar, and People apps, consolidating them into a single application for streamlined access. “Hmm“
Smart Email Drafting: Copilot assists in composing emails, summarising threads, and providing writing suggestions. “True“
Inbox Management: It can prioritise emails based on user-specific keywords and topics, helping you focus on what’s important “Still Focus Mode, Which I turned Off“
Integrated Calendar Seamlessly manage your schedule within the same application, with improved meeting scheduling and event tracking. “Hmm“
Quick Actions Features like pinning and snoozing emails, as well as faster meeting creation, enhance efficiency. “True“
Faster Search: Enhanced search capabilities allow for quicker retrieval of emails and information. “It’s More Online so Searching is completed within 365 and not the Local Machine“
Regular Updates: Built on a modern architecture, the new Outlook receives more agile updates and fixes. “Yet to be Seen“
Access to Microsoft 365 Apps: Easily integrate with other Microsoft 365 applications like Teams and Loop for a cohesive workflow. “In Essence, gets you connected to OneDrive Quicker“
Ad-Free Experience for Subscribers: Microsoft 365 subscribers benefit from an ad-free inbox, additional storage, and premium features. “Never had Adverts in the old and glad the new one has kept with this“
The Text in Red is Only “Anthony’s” thoughts are not of the business.
Google has announced that its own Pixel Android phones…