ramsac: frequently asked questions

ramsac is a UK-based managed service provider (MSP) specialising in outsourced IT support, cybersecurity, AI, cloud solutions and strategic IT consultancy. Since 1992, we have supported organisations of all sizes by delivering reliable, secure and user-friendly IT environments. Our focus is on proactive management rather than reactive fixes, which means we work to prevent issues long before they disrupt your day. With dedicated support teams, industry-leading security tools and a strong people-first culture, ramsac acts as a trusted IT partner that helps your organisation work efficiently, securely and confidently.

We work with a wide range of industries including SMEs, charities, education, financial services, professional services, membership organisations and national bodies. Most of our clients have between 30 and 500 users, although we also support organisations outside this range where our service model is a strong fit. Many clients choose ramsac because they require a reliable, security-focused IT partner that understands complex, multi-site, compliance-driven or hybrid working environments.

We can operate as your entire outsourced IT department, providing complete support, cybersecurity, monitoring and strategic guidance. However, many organisations already have an internal IT function and use ramsac to supplement their team. In these situations, we provide additional technical expertise, specialist cybersecurity services, project delivery, escalation support and strategic consultancy. Whether we act independently or collaboratively, our goal is always to enhance your IT capability without creating duplication or complexity.

ramsac is unique because we place equal emphasis on security, proactivity and people. We are a security-first MSP, which means our services are built around protecting your organisation from cyber risk. At the same time, we believe great IT support should be friendly, human and jargon-free. Our teams are trained to communicate clearly and to take ownership of every issue. We invest heavily in our staff through the ramsac Business School, cybersecurity academies and leadership programmes, ensuring our people are motivated, skilled and focused on delivering exceptional service. We also offer flexible contract terms, transparent pricing and a structured roadmap approach, helping your organisation plan confidently for the future.

Managed IT support is a comprehensive service where an MSP takes responsibility for your organisation’s IT environment. Instead of waiting for issues to occur, ramsac proactively monitors your systems around the clock, handles maintenance, patches, backups and security, and provides fast helpdesk support whenever your users need assistance. This eliminates the unpredictability of ad hoc fixing and ensures your technology remains stable, secure and aligned with your goals. Managed IT support is ideal for businesses looking for consistent service quality, reliable budgeting and protection against growing cyber threats.

totalIT is ramsac’s flagship fully managed IT support solution. It provides unlimited helpdesk access, proactive monitoring, cybersecurity tools, patching, system maintenance, cloud backup, reporting and strategic guidance within a single monthly fee. Unlike traditional IT support that simply reacts to problems, totalIT takes full responsibility for the health and performance of your IT estate. Your organisation benefits from proactive protection, fast issue resolution, clear visibility through our client portal, and ongoing support from experienced consultants who help you plan ahead and make informed technology decisions.

All totalIT packages include core IT management such as unlimited helpdesk support, monitoring, patching, backups, Microsoft 365 administration and access to the ramsac client portal.
The differences lie in security and strategic depth:

– totalIT essentials offers a solid foundation for organisations that need reliable IT support and proactive management without advanced cybersecurity monitoring.

– totalIT secure adds enterprise-level security controls including MDR, ITDR, SIEM-based threat monitoring, vulnerability management, monthly cyber training and simulated phishing. This is designed for organisations that prioritise cyber resilience.

– totalIT premium includes everything in secure, along with enhanced governance: Cyber Essentials certification support, annual IT policy reviews, risk management analysis and ISO 27001 preparation. This is ideal for organisations with regulatory obligations or higher risk exposure.

Yes. Consultancy is built into our service model, because strategic IT planning is essential for long-term success. Every client receives support from a Relationship Manager, who oversees your account and ensures service quality, a Technical Consultant who provides architectural and technical expertise and a Solutions Architect who helps design and maintain your IT roadmap. Whether you need help with budgeting, planning for growth, improving cybersecurity or delivering major projects, our consultants ensure your technology evolves in line with your organisation’s needs.

Yes. While most support is delivered quickly and efficiently remotely, many clients also benefit from onsite visits. Our Field Support Consultants provide hands-on user support, device builds, troubleshooting and face-to-face technical assistance. Technical Consultants also attend onsite for project work, infrastructure enhancements or strategic meetings. Onsite time can be scheduled regularly or delivered ad hoc depending on your requirements.

Our onboarding process is designed to be structured, thorough and low-disruption. It begins with a full IT health check where we review your systems, infrastructure, cyber posture and existing tools. From there, we document your entire environment, collect information from your incumbent IT provider, deploy our monitoring and management tools, configure backups and security systems, and build templates for new starter and leaver workflows. You are assigned a dedicated onboarding team, including a Project Manager who keeps everything on track. The result is a smooth transition that ensures we have everything needed to support you effectively from day one.

Onboarding typically takes between 4 and 8 weeks, but the timeline can vary depending on the size of your organisation, the number of systems in place, the complexity of your infrastructure, the quality of documentation from your previous provider and any remediation work required. We always provide a clear project plan that sets expectations and outlines each step of the process.

Switching providers does not need to be disruptive when approached professionally. We manage the entire process for you by liaising directly with your previous IT support company, identifying what needs to be migrated and ensuring all access, documentation and credentials are correctly transferred. Our onboarding team works to minimise user impact, schedule key tasks at appropriate times and ensure that your organisation benefits from improved service without experiencing unnecessary downtime.

During onboarding, we assess all third-party tools such as antivirus, backups, email security and cloud services. Some may be replaced with ramsac-approved alternatives, some may continue under your direct billing and others may require migration work. Our team evaluates cost, compatibility, security and long-term suitability, then provides you with clear recommendations and a structured plan for transitioning any tools that require change.

Absolutely. Many of our clients operate with hybrid teams or fully remote staff. We offer device storage, shipping, remote setup, laptop preparation, courier returns and device refurbishment to ensure new starters and leavers are managed efficiently regardless of location. Our support processes are fully remote-friendly, ensuring all employees receive the same high-quality service no matter where they work.

All support requests are logged through our ticketing system (ConnectWise). Each request is assigned a priority level based on impact and urgency. Our first-line engineers handle everyday issues such as password resets, software support, printing problems or connectivity queries. More complex problems are escalated to second-line or third-line specialists. Throughout this process, users receive clear updates, and tickets are tracked against strict service level targets. Our remote access tools allow us to take control of a device quickly, which helps resolve most issues on the first contact.

We use a real-time feedback system that asks users to rate each ticket as soon as it is closed. Any rating that is not positive triggers an immediate alert to our Support Managers. They review the case, contact the user within the hour and address any concerns. This prevents dissatisfaction from going unnoticed and ensures continuous improvement. In addition, our support teams work in small dedicated groups, meaning your organisation benefits from engineers who become familiar with your systems and people.

Yes. totalIT secure and totalIT premium include access to our out-of-hours emergency support for business-critical issues. This ensures your organisation remains protected and supported no matter when issues arise.

The client portal is a central hub for your IT environment. Users can log tickets, track progress, access helpful articles and review past support. Primary contacts can also manage new starter and leaver requests, view device information, access compliance and security reports, monitor patching and antivirus status, review billing and access dashboards that provide real-time insight into the health of your IT estate. The portal ensures transparency and gives you complete visibility of your technology investments.

We use ConnectWise, an industry-leading IT service management platform. It provides robust ticket management, asset tracking, documentation, reporting and integration with our monitoring and security tools. ConnectWise ensures every request is captured accurately and dealt with efficiently.

Cybersecurity is a core part of our offering. Depending on your package, services include:

– 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR) for devices
– Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) to monitor Microsoft 365 accounts
– SIEM-based monitoring of your wider IT estate
– Vulnerability scanning and remediation
– Patch management for operating systems and third-party software
– Monthly cybersecurity awareness training for staff
– Simulated phishing tests
– Cloud backup for Microsoft 365
– Microsoft 365 security reviews

These services work together to reduce the likelihood of cyber incidents and help your organisation detect, respond to and recover from threats quickly.

Managed Detection and Response is a service that continuously monitors your devices for suspicious behaviour. If a potential threat is detected, our security team investigates immediately, verifies whether it is malicious and takes action to isolate or remove the threat if necessary. MDR adds a critical layer of defence that goes far beyond traditional antivirus software by combining advanced technology with human expertise.

Yes. Many organisations choose us because they need support with regulatory or governance requirements. totalIT premium includes Cyber Essentials gap analysis, ongoing compliance guidance and support submitting your annual certification. We also offer ISO 27001 gap analysis to help organisations understand what is required to achieve or maintain certification. This includes reviews of your controls, policies, risk management processes and recommended improvements.

This annual report evaluates your organisation against ramsac’s three-tier Cyber Resilience Framework: Bronze, Silver and Gold. It provides a clear overview of your current cyber posture, highlights gaps, prioritises remediation work and demonstrates your commitment to protecting data. The report includes Red, Amber and Green recommendations, along with a certificate and digital badge where applicable. It is extremely useful for stakeholders, boards, auditors and clients.

Yes. We manage Microsoft 365 and Azure environments end to end. This includes configuration, licensing, security, identity management, ongoing administration, compliance reviews and continuous optimisation. We help organisations use these platforms more effectively by ensuring they are secure, properly configured and aligned to best practice.

Yes. Whether you are moving from on-premises servers to Microsoft 365, adopting Azure for the first time or transitioning to a hybrid cloud model, our team manages the full migration process. We plan the migration, ensure minimal downtime, protect data integrity and support users throughout the transition.

Yes. We include a third-party cloud backup solution for Exchange, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive in all totalIT packages. This ensures your data can be restored in the event of accidental deletion, corruption or cyber incidents such as ransomware.

Technology changes quickly, and organisations need strategic guidance, not just support. Our consultants work with you to develop an IT roadmap that aligns with your goals, budgets and future plans. We conduct quarterly reviews to assess performance, discuss upcoming changes, review security and ensure your IT continues to support your organisation effectively. In totalIT secure and premium, this includes structured time with a Solutions Architect who helps shape your long-term technology strategy.

A Technical Consultant is a senior engineer who manages complex IT projects, designs secure technical solutions and provides high-level guidance. They often act as a fractional Head of IT, helping you plan for growth, transformation or compliance.
A Field Support Consultant provides hands-on, user-facing support. They attend onsite regularly to help with everyday IT needs, build and prepare devices, support VIP users and ensure a strong IT presence within your organisation. Both roles complement each other and are tailored to your organisation’s needs.

New starters and leavers are critical security and productivity touchpoints. We build templates that define what each role requires, including hardware, software, access permissions, security settings and licensing. These templates are added to the client portal so requests can be submitted easily and consistently. For remote organisations, we can store spare devices, ship laptops directly to employees, handle equipment returns and refurbish devices. Our automated processes ensure that user accounts are set up correctly, securely and on time.

We charge per device. This is often clearer and more predictable than per-user pricing and ensures every piece of equipment is properly managed, secured, updated and protected.

Our standard contract length is 90 days. We believe our service should earn your loyalty, not lock you into lengthy commitments. This flexible approach provides confidence and reduces risk for new clients.

During onboarding, we review your existing third-party tools. Some can be replaced with ramsac-managed solutions, some may continue under your direct billing and others may require a migration project. We provide clear guidance and ensure that any necessary changes are carefully planned and communicated.

Yes. Advanced security services such as SIEM and identity monitoring rely on Azure storage for logs and activity data. This typically results in a small additional monthly fee, which may vary depending on the size of your environment.

Yes. Registered charities receive a 10 percent discount on our services as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the non-profit sector.

We take a layered approach to security. This includes 24/7 threat monitoring, encryption, multifactor authentication, proactive patching, advanced endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning and secure cloud backups. Our team continuously assesses your environment against industry best practice and responds quickly to potential risks. Our security processes are supported by strong governance, internal training and adherence to recognised standards such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.

We primarily use Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, which offer secure, compliant and highly available data hosting. UK data residency is available for organisations that require it. All systems are configured to meet high security and compliance standards.

In the event of a security incident, our team acts immediately to investigate the issue, contain the threat, protect your data and restore affected systems. We then provide a comprehensive post-incident report outlining what occurred, what was done to resolve it and what improvements may be needed to strengthen your resilience. This transparent approach helps your organisation learn from incidents and reduce future risk.

We hold ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 27001 for information security and Cyber Essentials Plus certification. We are also a Microsoft Modern Work Solutions Partner and hold Gold-level accreditations from major vendors such as Dell and Sophos. These certifications reflect our commitment to excellence, security and continuous improvement.

We believe that exceptional IT service starts with exceptional people. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do. We invest heavily in training, career development, wellbeing and culture, because motivated and engaged staff deliver better service. Our recognition as a Best Companies 3 Star World Class employer, along with multiple industry awards, demonstrates the strength of our culture and the dedication of our team. Clients often tell us that the friendliness, expertise and genuine care shown by our staff are what set us apart from other IT providers.

ramsac offers a uniquely proactive and security-led approach to managed IT, delivered by a friendly, jargon-free team who genuinely care about the organisations they support. We focus on preventing problems rather than reacting to them, ensuring your systems remain secure, reliable and aligned with your long-term goals. Our people-first culture means our team is highly trained, motivated and deeply invested in providing exceptional service. With transparent pricing, consistent communication and a strategic mindset, we act as a trusted partner rather than just a helpdesk, giving you confidence that your IT is always in safe hands.