Straightforward answers to common technology questions.

The agreed scope can include user helpdesk, supported devices, monitoring, updates, endpoint security, Microsoft 365 management, backup and ongoing improvement planning. Your quote should make clear what is included, optional or treated as separate project work.

Yes. Remote support is normally the quickest route for everyday user, account and software issues. Planned onsite work is used for infrastructure, hardware, Wi-Fi, classroom technology, projects and problems that need somebody at the premises.

Response depends on the agreed service, priority and impact of the issue. CompTech will define the support route and response expectations as part of the service scope rather than promise one time for every request.

Yes. CompTech can provide additional capacity, specialist Microsoft 365 or cyber support, project help and planned onsite cover while responsibilities remain clear between teams.

Yes. Each sector has a different support and pricing route because its users, licensing, budgets, onsite needs and responsibilities differ.

Helpdesk support is provided during the support hours agreed for the service. Endpoint security monitoring can run continuously, but that does not mean the CompTech helpdesk is available 24 hours a day.

Server support can be included where it is part of the agreed environment and scope. The starting review identifies servers, virtual machines, devices, cloud services and supplier responsibilities before support is agreed.

Yes. Defined projects such as migrations, Wi-Fi, infrastructure, device refreshes and Microsoft 365 changes can be planned separately from regular managed support.

Start by identifying what is unclear, unresolved or creating risk. A free IT review can provide a second opinion, while the four-week transition explains how CompTech can take over in a controlled way.

CompTech uses a structured four-week transition approach covering discovery, access and documentation, service preparation, handover and stabilisation. Four weeks is the standard structure, not a guaranteed completion date; timing depends on available access, outgoing-provider cooperation and response, customer decisions, third-party suppliers and the complexity of the environment.

Business managed support starts at £49.99 per supported endpoint per month ex VAT. The final price depends on the agreed support, security, Microsoft 365, backup, onsite and project scope.

Business managed support uses a 90-day rolling agreement, providing a clear ongoing arrangement without a long multi-year commitment. Education, projects, licensing, hardware and separately scoped services may use different terms.

There is no onboarding fee for Business managed support. Projects, hardware, software or licensing, migrations and separately scoped work may still be chargeable where applicable. Education and other services are scoped separately.

The business calculator starts with managed endpoints and Microsoft 365 users, then applies the services selected. A final quote confirms how the actual environment is scoped.

Eligible charities and non-profits receive a 20% discount from the standard managed endpoint support price after charity number or eligibility checks. Microsoft programme eligibility and licences are considered separately.

Education is scoped around sites, users, onsite requirements, term-time needs, infrastructure and planned projects rather than a standard per-device price.

Major migrations, new sites, large refreshes, cabling, Wi-Fi redesign and other defined projects are normally planned and priced separately unless the agreement explicitly includes them.

Hardware, Microsoft licensing, broadband, telephony, specialist software and supplier fees are normally identified separately unless a quote says otherwise.

Yes. The free IT review gives you a practical view of support, Microsoft 365, security, backup and priorities without requiring a provider change.

CompTech is based in Blackpool and supports organisations across Fylde, Preston and wider Lancashire, with broader coverage considered where appropriate. Remote support covers many everyday needs, while onsite work is planned around the location and task.

You speak to the CompTech team responsible for your support and planning, with a clear route for users and named responsibilities agreed during onboarding.

Projects are scoped around the outcome, dependencies, responsibilities, timing and cost. They can sit alongside managed support or be agreed as separate work.

Yes. CompTech can coordinate with internet, telephony, software, hardware and other suppliers where access, ownership and escalation routes are clear.

The starting point is a clearer picture of users, devices, Microsoft 365, security, backup, suppliers and known issues. Access, support routes and responsibilities are then confirmed before normal support takes over.

Yes. Reviews turn recurring issues, ageing technology, security risks and upcoming needs into priorities that can be addressed now, planned next or kept under review.

Yes. CompTech can manage users, groups, licensing, identity, security settings, collaboration, device management and ongoing platform changes within the agreed scope.

Yes. A licensing review can look at the services people use, capabilities already included and areas of overlap before recommending the right mix. Pricing and eligibility are confirmed against the current programme and organisation.

Yes. Secure Score can highlight gaps across identity, devices, applications and data, but it is a starting point rather than proof that an organisation is secure. Recommendations should be prioritised by risk, licensing and practicality.

Yes, where the organisation has suitable licensing and the controls fit its needs. Policies should be planned carefully so accounts are protected without creating avoidable access problems.

Yes. Intune can help manage supported devices, configuration, updates, security and access. The right approach depends on device ownership, user roles and licensing.

Yes. CompTech can help organise collaboration, permissions, sharing and ownership so these services are easier to use and less likely to expose information unintentionally.

Microsoft 365 includes native platform resilience, retention and recovery capabilities. Microsoft also offers its first-party Microsoft 365 Backup service, while an independent third-party backup can provide separately managed copies and different retention or recovery options. CompTech helps choose the appropriate approach for the workloads, retention, recovery, compliance and operational risks involved.

Yes. Readiness work can review identity, permissions, sharing, data protection, licensing and governance before a pilot or wider rollout.

Yes. CompTech can coordinate with existing suppliers where responsibilities, access and escalation routes are clear.

Antivirus focuses on known malicious software. EDR records and responds to suspicious endpoint behaviour. MDR adds a managed team that monitors and investigates security alerts. The right combination depends on the organisation and agreed service.

CompTech can provide continuous monitoring for supported endpoint and identity security services within the agreed scope.

No. Continuous security monitoring and normal helpdesk support hours are different services. Support availability and escalation arrangements are confirmed in the service scope.

Yes. Work can cover MFA, Conditional Access, administrator roles, email security, device access, sharing, Secure Score and backup where appropriate.

Vulnerability scanning can be included as an additional service to identify exposed services, unsupported systems and weaknesses that need attention. Findings still need context and prioritisation.

Yes. CompTech can review email protection, authentication, suspicious-message controls, user reporting and Microsoft 365 settings as part of a wider security approach.

CompTech provides free browser-based awareness courses. The General course is suitable for Business, Charity and Non-Profit teams and other workplace staff. The Education course is designed for adult school and college staff. Wider awareness programmes and phishing exercises can also be discussed separately.

Yes. CompTech can help define scope, identify practical gaps, prepare evidence and get the environment ready for formal assessment. Certification is awarded through the scheme and cannot be guaranteed.

Cyber Essentials uses a verified self-assessment of the required controls. Cyber Essentials Plus includes independent technical verification as well. Neither means an organisation is protected from every attack.

CompTech can help assess the technical position, contain supported systems, coordinate recovery and identify sensible improvements. The exact response depends on the incident, existing access and service arrangements.

Start with the systems and information the organisation needs to keep operating, then define what is included, retention, recovery order, access and responsibility. Devices, servers, cloud platforms and Microsoft 365 may need different approaches.

The Business and eligible Charity/Non-Profit calculators automatically include independent Microsoft 365 backup for every entered Microsoft 365 user, separately from licensing, with no calculator opt-out. This independent third-party backup is different from Microsoft’s native resilience, retention and recovery features and its first-party Microsoft 365 Backup service. Backup for other workloads and services, including coverage, retention and recovery requirements, remains subject to the agreed scope.

Testing should follow the importance and rate of change of the protected systems. The useful question is whether restores are checked often enough to give confidence before an incident, not whether a backup job reports success.

Backup creates recoverable copies. Disaster recovery covers the people, priorities, dependencies and steps needed to restore useful service after disruption.

Recovery Time Objective is the target time for restoring a service. Recovery Point Objective is the amount of recent data loss the organisation can tolerate. Both are planning targets, not automatic guarantees.

CompTech can help plan and coordinate recovery from protected systems. The available options and timing depend on what was affected, how backups are isolated and tested, and which services must return first.

Keeping suitable copies separate from the main environment reduces the chance that one incident affects both production data and every recovery copy. The right design depends on the systems and risks involved.

Check what is protected, what is excluded, retention, isolation, access, monitoring and evidence from test restores. A recovery exercise should also show whether people know what to restore first.

Yes. CompTech can help review licensing, identity, permissions, sharing, data protection, governance and pilot planning before wider use.

Shadow AI is the use of AI tools without clear organisational approval, visibility or controls. It can create data, privacy, accuracy and ownership risks even when staff are trying to work more efficiently.

That is an organisational decision. Staff need clear guidance on approved tools, acceptable information, checking outputs, confidentiality and when AI should not be used.

It should explain approved services, information that must not be entered, human checking, intellectual property, record keeping, accountability and how concerns are reported.

Copilot can surface information a user is already allowed to access. Old sharing links, broad groups and weak permissions can therefore become much more visible when AI is introduced.

Yes, where suitable licensing and a clear data approach are in place. These controls need practical design and testing rather than being enabled without understanding how people work.

A defined pilot can test licensing, permissions, use cases, support needs and governance before committing to a broader deployment.

Yes. A readiness review can look at current AI use, Microsoft 365 permissions, sensitive data, licensing, governance and practical next steps.

Yes. CompTech supports schools and trusts with day-to-day ICT, cloud services, cyber security, infrastructure and planned project work.

Yes. Support can be scoped across trust sites to improve consistency while respecting the needs of individual schools.

Yes. Reviews and support can cover either platform, including user lifecycle, permissions, MFA, collaboration, backup, licensing and device management where relevant.

CompTech can help turn relevant standards and guidance into a practical action plan, show what is already in place and clarify ownership. This is not a certification of DfE compliance.

Yes. Remote support can resolve many everyday issues, with planned onsite help for infrastructure, classroom technology, projects and work that needs somebody at the school.

Yes. CompTech can provide additional capacity for internal teams, planned project work and agreed cover during staffing gaps.

Yes. Work can cover Wi-Fi, switching, cabling, servers, classroom AV, devices and planned upgrades without assuming every school needs the same solution.

Yes. The free course is for adult school and college staff and covers practical threats, reporting, accounts, devices and resilience in a safeguarding and data context. It includes the external NCSC school-staff training step. The CompTech certificate records this browser course only; schools must keep any separate NCSC evidence required under current RPA rules, and it is not evidence of RPA compliance. The course does not replace safeguarding training, policies or formal obligations.

Yes. The School ICT Review looks at support, security, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, infrastructure and projects, then separates immediate issues from planned improvements.

Yes. CompTech can support configuration, technical review, testing, troubleshooting and evidence or supporting information where appropriate. Governing bodies and school leaders retain overall responsibility, while the DSL and safeguarding team retain safeguarding decisions. Technology does not replace the school’s wider safeguarding processes, and CompTech does not make safeguarding judgements for the school.

Education support is individually scoped around the school or trust and its agreed requirements. It may combine term-time support, agreed onsite visits, remote support and planned holiday or project work. Coverage, hours and availability are confirmed for each arrangement.

Yes. Support can cover staff, trustees, volunteers, devices, Microsoft 365, cyber security, backup and practical planning around the organisation’s needs.

Eligible organisations receive a 20% discount from the standard managed endpoint support price after charity number or eligibility checks and final scoping.

Yes. CompTech can help check eligibility, licensing, setup and security. Microsoft programme terms and availability remain subject to Microsoft’s current rules.

Yes. Support and access controls can reflect different roles, working patterns, devices and levels of responsibility.

Yes. Work can cover account lifecycle, permissions, sharing, MFA and the practical controls around sensitive organisational, beneficiary and financial information.

Yes. CompTech can bring identity, devices, email, awareness, backup and recovery into the same practical plan.

The charity route helps make regular support more predictable, while priorities, optional services and separate projects remain clear before work is agreed.

Yes. A free IT review can look at current support, Microsoft 365, security, backup, licensing and the areas that need attention first.