Choosing a managed IT provider is one of the most consequential vendor decisions an Australian business makes. The right provider is invisible — your systems just work. The wrong one costs you in downtime, security incidents, and the distraction of managing a provider who needs managing themselves.
Step 1: Define what you actually need
Before approaching any provider, define your requirements: How many users and devices? How many physical locations? What cloud platforms do you use? What is your industry, and does it carry regulatory IT requirements? Do you need 24/7 support, or is business hours sufficient? The answers determine which providers can actually serve you and what a fair price looks like.
Step 2: Shortlist providers with verifiable Australian credentials
- Australian-based service desk — verified, not assumed
- Demonstrable experience in your industry or business size
- Microsoft Partner status for 365 and Azure work
- References from current clients of similar size you can actually call
- Visible team — real LinkedIn profiles, real engineers
Step 3: Ask the right questions in the sales process
About their team
- How many clients does each engineer manage? (Under 80 is good; over 150 is a red flag)
- What is your staff turnover rate?
- Who is my dedicated account manager and what access do I have to them?
About their service
- What is your documented response time for P1, P2 and P3 tickets?
- What percentage of your issues are caught proactively vs reported by clients?
- How do you handle after-hours incidents for a business like mine?
- What does your onboarding process look like, and how long does it take?
About their pricing and contract
- What does your monthly price include — and what triggers additional charges?
- Is cyber security (Essential Eight, EDR, SOC) included or sold separately?
- What is the contract length, and what are the exit terms?
- What does offboarding look like if we decide to switch?
Step 4: Evaluate the proposal
Compare proposals on like-for-like inclusions — not headline price. A $90/user proposal that excludes cyber security is more expensive than a $140/user proposal that includes it, once you add the security cost. Require every provider to quote using the same scope document.
Step 5: Check the contract before you sign
- Contract length — prefer 12 months initially, then renew if satisfied
- Exclusions schedule — what's not covered that you assumed was
- Price escalation clauses — how much can they raise prices per year
- Exit provisions — what documentation and tooling do you get back
- SLA remedies — what happens if they miss response times
Ready to take the next step?
Talk to a senior Logical Systems engineer — no sales deck, no pressure.
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