Guides
Practical guides for the IT decisions small firms face.
29 guides: one per service area, practice and common decision. Each explains how the work is done and ends with what to bring to the first call.
Help desk, people and devices
Everyday support
- IT help desk and user supportUnlimited remote support requests during business hours: sign-in trouble, email, shared files, printers and slow devices, handled from the task the person was trying to finish.
- New hires and departuresAccounts, access and device handover prepared before a start date, then removed with the access checklist when someone leaves.
- DevicesWindows, macOS, iOS and Android devices supported remotely in both plans; monitoring, patching and endpoint protection come with Managed.
- Vendor coordinationInternet, phone, printer, copier and business-software vendors coordinated on your behalf, so one person keeps the issue moving.
Protection, access and backup
Security and continuity
- Security essentialsMulti-factor sign-in enforced, separate admin accounts, device encryption checked and endpoint protection, kept current.
- Email securityYour platform’s email-protection settings, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your domain, configured and kept current.
- Identity and accessMulti-factor enforced for everyone, separate admin accounts and sign-in settings kept current. Multi-factor setup itself is in both plans.
- Backup and recoveryMicrosoft 365 or Google Workspace mail, files and shared drives backed up, with restores on request and the backup licence included.
- Patching and monitoringContinuous device monitoring and automated operating-system and application patching, with alerts handled during business hours.
Cloud, network and phones
Platforms and infrastructure
- Microsoft 365 administrationUsers, mailboxes, groups, Teams and SharePoint sites, licence assignment, multi-factor setup and sign-in recovery.
- Google Workspace administrationUsers, Gmail, groups, shared drives, licence assignment and sign-in recovery, for firms that run on Google.
- Network, Wi-Fi and remote accessFirewall, Wi-Fi and remote-access changes and monitoring for one office, managed remotely.
- Cloud and server migrationRetire an aging server or move line-of-business apps to the cloud, sequenced so nothing that depends on it is lost. Quoted as a project.
- Business phones and VoIPA new phone system, number porting or call-routing redesign is quoted as a project; day-to-day coordination with your phone provider is in both plans.
Budget, compliance and change
Planning and projects
- IT planning and budgetA quarterly IT review: recurring issues, risks, renewals, budget and next-quarter priorities.
- Hardware and software licensingHardware and licences are purchased separately, quoted in writing. Licence assignment is in both plans; licences and renewals are reviewed at the Managed quarterly review.
- Office moves and IT projectsMoves, new offices, rollouts and tenant migrations planned with vendors, dates and owners aligned. Quoted as a project.
- Law 25 and PIPEDA readinessPrivacy support on the IT side: access register, device and account inventory, and help with the incident log, alongside your privacy advisor.
- Switching IT providersOwnership, admin access, documentation and vendors mapped and handed over before anything changes.
Professional practices
Guides by practice
- Law firmsPrivileged documents, matter-based access and filing deadlines.
- Accounting and tax firmsSeasonal staff, client-file separation and changes planned around filing season.
- Healthcare practicesBooking and check-in, clinical-area devices and a separate patient network.
- Financial and professional servicesMulti-factor sign-in, client-portal access and payment-change verification.
Before you decide
Choosing an IT provider
- Getting startedWhat happens after the first call, step by step.
- How we workFrom the first call to everyday support, and who decides what.
- Plans and pricingEssential and Managed compared line by line, with an estimator and what is quoted separately.
- Service boundariesWhat each plan covers, and what is quoted separately as a project.
- Continuity readinessCritical work, decision owners and workarounds named before an interruption.
- Questions before choosingPrices, coverage, getting started and sharing information safely.
Reading further afield: Mirage IT practice in Quebec City.
Found your situation?
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From $59 CAD per user, per month.Essential covers help desk and administration; Managed, at $89, adds monitoring, security and backup.
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