Summary: The price of IT support says very little unless you also know what responsibility is actually included. A service desk can be anything from basic user support to a central function that handles incidents, escalation, Microsoft 365, devices and the relationship with other IT suppliers. Here we go through what businesses should compare before choosing a support model – and why the lowest price per user does not always mean the lowest cost.
IT support is one of those services where two quotes can look fairly similar on the first page and still mean completely different deliveries. Both may say ”IT support for businesses”. Both may have a monthly price. Both may promise fast help.
But what actually happens when a user cannot log in on a Monday morning? When Teams stops working for half the organisation? When a new employee starts in two days? When a problem turns out to sit with the internet provider, Microsoft or the business system?
That is when the difference between support models becomes visible.
IT support is more than answering the phone
A working service desk is normally the organisation’s single point of entry for users’ IT needs. ITIL describes the service desk as the central point of contact between the service provider and the users. The role is closely linked to incident management, service requests, problem management and monitoring, among other things.
But the scope varies enormously between providers. In one model, support may only handle:
- password problems
- basic Microsoft 365 questions
- printers
- device problems
- installation of standard software
In another model, the service desk also acts as the hub for:
- incidents
- escalation to other suppliers
- user administration
- Microsoft 365
- device management
- networks
- backup
- security questions
- onboarding and offboarding
One is not necessarily better than the other. But the customer needs to know which one they are actually buying.
What affects the cost of IT support?
Price is rarely driven by the number of users alone. Four factors usually weigh most.
Number of users and devices
A hundred users does not necessarily mean a hundred computers. The organisation may have desktops, laptops, mobiles, tablets, shared workstations, terminals and other devices. The more types of devices and platforms to support, the more complex the environment.
Support hours
Support during office hours is a different service from on-call or extended availability in the evenings and at weekends. It is therefore important to separate two questions:
- When can we log a ticket?
- When is someone actually available to start working on it?
How quickly must the provider act?
An SLA should not just say that a critical ticket has high priority. It needs to be clear what the priority means:
- When does someone start working on the problem?
- How does escalation work?
- When is the customer informed?
- Are there different levels depending on business impact?
A problem that stops one person is not the same as a problem that stops the whole business.
How complex is the IT environment?
An organisation that mainly uses Microsoft 365, standardised Windows clients and a few SaaS systems is easier to support than an environment with:
- several offices
- older servers
- specialist applications
- production systems
- many integrations
- several external IT suppliers
- wide variation in user equipment
This should be reflected both in the price and in how support is organised.
Fixed price or time and materials?
Both models can work.
Fixed monthly price
The advantage is predictability. The customer knows roughly what support will cost, and users do not need to wonder whether they are ”allowed” to call. But a fixed price requires clear boundaries. Otherwise the discussion about what is actually included starts quickly.
Time and materials
This can be efficient for organisations with few support tickets. But the cost becomes less predictable, and the organisation may start hesitating to report smaller problems.
There are also hybrids: a base fee for service desk and management, combined with hourly billing for larger changes and projects. What matters is not the pricing model as such. What matters is that the responsibility is clear.
Ask what is not included
This is perhaps the most important question when comparing quotes.
If the provider says Microsoft 365 support is included: does that mean user questions only, or also administration of Entra ID, Teams, SharePoint and Exchange?
If networks are included: does that mean troubleshooting, or also configuration changes in switches, firewalls and Wi-Fi?
If new users are included: who orders the licence? Who configures the computer? Who ensures MFA and the right permissions? What happens when the person leaves?
Other areas that need to be clear include:
- hardware
- spare computers
- licences
- larger changes
- projects
- on-site work
- travel
- evening work
- support for specialist applications
- restoration from backup
What is missing from the quote is often at least as important as what is in it.
Service desk or full IT responsibility?
It is also worth distinguishing between support and IT operations or management. Support is mainly reactive: something has happened and a user needs help. IT operations and management are broader and more proactive: how do we make sure the problems do not arise in the first place? That can include:
- patching
- monitoring
- backup
- capacity planning
- lifecycle management
- security follow-up
- documentation
- supplier management
- continual improvement
An organisation can therefore have a good service desk and still lack clear responsibility for the underlying IT environment.
There should be a path from incident to root cause
A common problem is that the same type of ticket is resolved over and over again. A user gets an error. Support fixes it. Next week the same thing happens to someone else.
Good support should therefore also be able to identify patterns. Why do ten users get the same problem? Is it the configuration? An old client version? The network? A missing routine? This is where service desk, incident management and problem management start to connect.
Support should not just close tickets. It should contribute to a more stable IT environment over time.
What should you compare between providers?
When we help organisations evaluate support and operations models, we find a few questions particularly important:
- What responsibility does the provider take?
- Which types of tickets are covered?
- What is not handled?
- What response times apply, and what do they mean in practice?
- How does escalation work?
- Who coordinates other IT suppliers?
- How do onboarding and offboarding work?
- What documentation does the customer get access to?
- How are recurring problems and improvement proposals reported?
- What happens if the relationship ends?
That gives a far better comparison than cost per user alone.
How Kristensson i Skåne works
Kristensson i Skåne delivers IT support and service desk as part of a broader IT responsibility. We can help with, for example, service desk and user support, Microsoft 365, devices, identity and access, networks, monitoring, backup and ongoing technical advice.
The model can be adapted depending on whether the customer needs a complete IT partner or wants to keep existing suppliers and complement them in certain areas. Our starting point is that it should be clear:
- Who is responsible for what?
- How do users get help?
- How are problems escalated?
- How is the environment improved over time?
A good support service should make IT easier for users – but also give the organisation better control.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a help desk and a service desk?
The terms are often used interchangeably. A service desk usually has a broader perspective and acts as the single point of contact between users and IT delivery, while help desk often refers to more narrowly scoped break-fix support.
Is a fixed price always best?
No. It depends on support volume, complexity and how much responsibility the customer wants to place with the provider. A fixed price gives predictability but requires clear boundaries on what is included.
Can the support team work alongside existing suppliers?
Yes. A good model can mean the service desk acts as the first point of contact and escalates to, for example, internet, system or hardware suppliers.
Is IT support the same as IT operations?
No. Support focuses mainly on users and incidents. IT operations usually also include proactive management of the technical environment, such as patching, monitoring, backup and lifecycle management.
Want to compare your current support model with an alternative? Read more about our IT support and service desk for businesses or contact us for an informal conversation.
Sources: ITIL 4, practice guides for service desk, incident management and problem management (PeopleCert/Axelos).
This text is general information. Prices, response times and scope in an individual agreement are always determined by the specific engagement.