Pay As You Go IT Support in Soham

Flexible IT support with no monthly commitment

Pay as you go IT support is straightforward: you purchase a block of hours, call on them when something needs attention, and pay nothing further until you need more time. There is no rolling contract, no minimum term and no charge in months where everything runs smoothly. Monthly monitoring comes with every block, so your systems are being watched even between support calls.

We work with Windows PCs, laptops and Microsoft 365 - remote support, phone guidance and on-site visits all draw from the same block. We do not cover Apple Macs.

Block prices at a glance

All prices exclude VAT.

• 4 hours - £312
• 8 hours - £592
• 16 hours - £1,123

You use the time as you need it - troubleshooting, Microsoft 365 configuration, setting up a new machine, sorting a network problem. When the block nears its end, you top up. There is no pressure to use hours you do not need.

Should you repair, replace or switch support model?

One of the most common decisions a small business faces with IT is whether a problem is worth fixing on existing equipment, or whether the money is better spent on something new. A second, related decision is whether pay as you go support still makes sense as your business grows, or whether a monthly contract would serve you better. Both decisions are worth thinking through carefully.

When repair is the right call

Repairing existing hardware or software makes sense when the underlying machine is sound and the fault is specific and fixable. Common faults that are straightforward to resolve include:

• Slow performance caused by a software problem, a failing drive or insufficient memory
• Windows update failures or corrupted system files
• Microsoft 365 sync errors, licence problems or account configuration issues
• Network or printer connectivity faults
• Virus or malware infections on an otherwise healthy machine

A machine that is three or four years old and working well apart from one specific fault is usually worth repairing. The cost of a new machine, the time needed to transfer data and set it up, and the disruption to the person who uses it all add up. If the repair cost is materially less than the cost of replacement plus setup time, repair wins.

When replacement makes more sense

Replacement becomes the better option when the hardware is old enough that it is no longer supported by current versions of Windows, or when the fault is systemic rather than specific. Warning signs that point towards replacement rather than repair include:

• The machine cannot run Windows 11 and will lose security support for Windows 10 in October 2025
• Multiple components are failing or have already been replaced
• Repair costs are approaching half the price of a comparable new machine
• The machine is so slow that it is affecting the productivity of the person using it every day
• The manufacturer no longer produces drivers for the operating system you need to run

Windows 10 end of support is a genuine deadline, not a theoretical one. From that date, Microsoft will not release further security patches, which means any machine still running Windows 10 becomes an increasing risk to your business data and your network. If you have machines in your office that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, planning their replacement before that deadline is worth doing now.

The hidden cost of keeping old machines running

A five-year-old machine that needs attention every few months is eating support hours at a rate that can exceed the cost of a new machine within a year or two. Before committing to another repair, it is worth asking your support provider to look at how many hours that machine has consumed over the past twelve months. That number often makes the replacement decision straightforward.

With a pay as you go block, that calculation is easy to see - you know exactly how much time has been spent on each machine because it comes directly out of your block balance.

When to move from pay as you go to a monthly contract

Pay as you go works well when IT problems are infrequent and unpredictable. As a business grows and machine count rises, the balance can shift. If you find yourself buying a new block every two or three months, it is worth comparing that spend against a monthly contract.

Our monthly contracts are priced per computer, not per user. Business Essentials starts at £36 per month for a single machine (£31.20 each for two to three, down to £21.60 each for eighteen or more), covering unlimited remote and phone support, updates, backups and security monitoring. On-site visits are charged separately at £60 call-out plus labour. Business Premium adds on-site labour and call-outs to the monthly price, starting at £54 for one machine.

The crossover point - where a contract becomes cheaper than pay as you go - depends on how many machines you have and how often things go wrong. We can work through those numbers with you directly.

What to ask before deciding

Before committing to a repair, a replacement or a change in support model, it is worth getting clear answers to a few practical questions:

• How old is the machine and can it run Windows 11?
• What has been spent on this machine in support time over the past year?
• Is the fault a one-off or a symptom of a wider problem?
• Would the money spent on repair be better used as part of a replacement budget?
• Is the current support model still the most cost-effective option for the number of machines you now have?

Businesses in Soham looking for straightforward answers to any of these questions are welcome to call us. We will give you a direct assessment, not a sales pitch.