Know exactly what your IT provider is doing
Most businesses cannot answer a simple question: is our IT actually being maintained? Managed clients get a monthly technology report that answers it in writing.
Reporting is the difference between trusting your IT provider and being able to verify them. When patching is reported as a percentage, backups are reported as pass or fail, and tickets are reported with resolution times, there is nothing to take on faith.
It also makes budgeting easier. Recurring hardware failures, ageing machines, and licence changes show up as trends months before they become an emergency purchase, so replacements can be planned into a quarter rather than dropped on you in a week.
What your monthly technology report looks like
Managed clients receive a monthly report so IT becomes something you can see, not something you hope is being handled. The example below shows a typical month, including the parts that were not perfect. That is the part most owners never get told about.
Risks identified
- Needs attentionSix laptops purchased in 2019 do not support device encryption. They hold client documents and should be replaced this fiscal year.
- Needs attentionTwo staff accounts are still using SMS as their only second factor. App-based MFA is recommended before the next quarter.
- MonitoringThe file server's oldest drive reported two SMART warnings this month. Not failing yet, but it is now on the replacement watch list.
- ResolvedA blocked credential-phishing sign-in attempt from outside Canada on one account. Password rotated, sessions revoked, user notified.
Security alerts
- 5 security alerts raised, 5 triaged and closed
- 1 impossible-travel sign-in blocked by conditional access
- 0 confirmed malware detections on managed endpoints
- 3 blocked phishing messages reported by staff and reviewed
Recommendations
- Replace the six unencrypted laptops. Quoted separately, with no urgency before Q4
- Move the two remaining SMS MFA users to an authenticator app
- Schedule the annual restore test for the file server and Microsoft 365 mailboxes
- Review the four accounts that have not signed in for 60 days and confirm they are still needed
Upcoming priorities
- April: quarterly access review with the office manager
- April: firewall firmware update, scheduled after hours
- May: file server drive replacement if SMART warnings continue
- June: security awareness refresher for all staff
What device management actually means
Every business device accounted for, monitored, updated, and protected. RMM and MDM are industry acronyms. Here is what they mean for your business, without the jargon.
Computer monitoring and maintenance (RMM)
We watch your computers and servers around the clock so problems get fixed before they stop your day.
A small agent reports device health, disk condition, patch status, and security state back to us. Alerts have defined actions, and maintenance runs outside working hours.
Learn morePhone and tablet management (MDM)
We make sure company phones and tablets are set up correctly, kept secure, and can be wiped if one goes missing.
Enrollment, security policies, app deployment, and remote lock or selective wipe for company and BYOD devices across iOS, Android, and Windows.
Learn morePatching and updates
Security updates get installed on schedule instead of whenever someone remembers.
Policy-driven Windows and third-party patching with controlled reboot windows and compliance reported to you monthly.
Learn moreEndpoint protection oversight
We check that your security software is actually running on every device, not just most of them.
Antivirus and EDR agent state, disabled protection, and suspicious activity are monitored alongside device health.
Learn moreReporting questions
How often do we get a report?
Managed clients receive a technology report every month. Secure Business and Compliance Ready clients also get a quarterly review where we walk through trends, budget planning, and upcoming projects together.
Who is the report written for?
The owner or manager, not an IT department. It leads with what matters to the business: what broke, what was prevented, and what needs a decision, with the technical detail available underneath.
Can we get reporting without a full managed agreement?
Reporting is produced from our monitoring and management platform, so it needs devices to be under management. For businesses with internal IT, we can scope a co-managed monitoring and reporting arrangement.
Do reports include recommendations?
Yes. Each report ends with the recommendations we think matter next, ranked, with an honest note on which are urgent and which can wait a quarter.
Where reporting comes from
Services
- Managed IT Services
Proactive monitoring, patching, and predictable monthly support.
- Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM)
24/7 device monitoring, automated patch management, and remote maintenance.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM)
Enroll, secure, and manage business phones, tablets, and laptops centrally.
- Backup & Disaster Recovery
Backup strategy, monitoring, and recovery testing.
- Cybersecurity Services
Endpoint protection, MFA, email filtering, and M365 hardening.
Plans
- Managed IT Plans
Essential IT, Secure Business, and Compliance Ready.
- Trust & Security
The controls we apply across managed environments.
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