Your outsourced IT department – for a fixed monthly fee
Managed IT Services for North West SMEs
Stop firefighting IT problems and start focusing on your business. Blowfish Technology provides fully managed IT services for small and medium businesses (SMEs) across the North West – proactive monitoring, fast support and strategic planning – all delivered by a local team who know your business and grow with you.
Under 15 seconds average call waiting time
91% of issues resolved same day
98% of issues resolved within SLA
On-site engineers across the North West
What is managed IT?
IT That Works – Before You Even Notice a Problem
Managed IT is the practice of outsourcing your entire IT function to a trusted partner who proactively monitors, maintains and supports your technology – for a single fixed monthly fee. Rather than waiting for things to break and calling someone to fix them, a managed IT provider keeps your systems running smoothly around the clock.
Blowfish Technology acts as your complete IT department. We get to know your business, your systems and your team – and we use that knowledge to keep your technology working the way it should, every single day.
For North West businesses, this means no more IT emergencies derailing your day. No more unexpected repair bills. No more worrying whether your data is backed up. Just technology that works, looked after by people who care. In 2026, Blowfish Technology was ranked No. 55 in the world in the MSP 501 – independently recognised as the highest-ranked managed service provider in the North West of England.
Break-Fix IT Is Costing You More Than You Think
Paying for IT support only when something breaks is inefficient and expensive. Problems go undetected, small issues escalate and you’re always one hardware failure away from a crisis.
One IT Person Isn’t Enough
A single in-house IT employee can’t cover all disciplines, provide out-of-hours cover, or take holidays without leaving you exposed. Managed IT gives you a full team.
Threats Go Undetected Without Monitoring
Without 24/7 monitoring, security vulnerabilities, failing hardware and performance degradation go unnoticed until they cause serious damage.
No IT Strategy Means No Direction
Technology should support your business goals – not just keep the lights on. Without a roadmap, businesses end up with outdated, mismatched systems that hold them back.
Unpredictable IT Costs Hurt Planning
Break-fix bills, emergency call-outs and unplanned hardware replacements make IT costs impossible to budget for. Managed IT makes it a predictable monthly line item.
What you get
Everything Included in Your Managed IT Service
One fixed monthly fee covers all of this – no hidden charges, no call-out fees, no surprises.
24/7 Monitoring
Automated monitoring of your servers, workstations, network and services – alerts raised and investigated before issues affect your business.
Unlimited Helpdesk Support
Unlimited remote support from qualified engineers via phone, email or our ticketing portal – with an average call waiting time of under 15 seconds.
On-Site Engineers
For issues that can’t be resolved remotely, our North West engineers are on the road – same-day response for business-critical problems.
Patching & Updates
Scheduled patching of operating systems, applications and firmware keeps your systems secure and performing at their best.
Firewall Management
We configure and manage your firewalls to block attacks and enable secure remote access at all times.
Backup Monitoring
We monitor your backups daily and test restores regularly – so when you need to recover data, you can trust it’s actually there.
Dedicated Account Manager
A named contact who knows your business, attends regular reviews and acts as your strategic IT advisor.
IT Roadmap & Planning
Regular technology reviews and a forward-looking IT roadmap that keeps your technology aligned with your business goals.
Full IT Documentation
We document your entire IT environment – hardware, software, configurations and licences – so nothing is ever a mystery.
Managed IT vs break-fix
See the Difference for Yourself
Still weighing up whether managed IT is worth it? Here’s how it compares to calling someone only when something breaks.
| Break-Fix IT | Managed IT with Blowfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Unpredictable – pay per call-out and repair | Fixed monthly fee per user – easy to budget |
| Support model | Reactive – you call once something’s broken | Proactive – 24/7 monitoring catches issues early |
| Response time | Varies – often hours or days | Under 15 seconds average call waiting time |
| Security | Basic antivirus, patched when convenient | Layered security, scheduled patching, MFA and firewall management |
| Backups | Often unmonitored or untested | Monitored daily, with regular restore testing |
| Strategy | None – decisions made reactively when things fail | Dedicated account manager and a forward IT roadmap |
Add-on services
Build Your Complete IT Solution
Our managed IT service forms the foundation – these additional services let you build a complete, fully managed technology environment.
Blowfish Technology
Hardware & Software
Supply, configuration and lifecycle management of all your business hardware and software – from workstations and servers to licensing and renewals.
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Blowfish Technology
Disaster Recovery
Business continuity planning and tested disaster recovery solutions – so that if the worst happens, your business gets back up and running fast.
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Microsoft 365 Backup
Automated, secure backup of all your Microsoft 365 data – emails, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive – protecting against accidental deletion and ransomware.
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Blowfish Technology
Managed Backup
Fully managed, monitored backup for your servers, workstations and cloud data – with regular restore testing to ensure recoverability when you need it.
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Microsoft Solutions Partner
Microsoft Modern Workplace
Microsoft 365 Business Premium deployed and managed properly – Office apps, Teams, Intune, Defender and Conditional Access, configured correctly from day one.
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Cyber Security
A complete managed cyber security stack – EDR, ITDR, DNS filtering, MFA, password management and security awareness training – built into your managed service.
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How we work
Getting Started With Managed IT
Switching to a managed IT provider shouldn’t be disruptive – and with Blowfish Technology, it isn’t. We’ve onboarded hundreds of North West businesses and we’ve refined the process to make it seamless.
We start by fully understanding your current environment – documenting every device, application and configuration. Then we transition your support to us, applying our monitoring tools, security baselines and backup checks before we go live.
From day one, your team has access to our helpdesk and your account manager is in place. Most clients notice the difference within the first week.
Who we support
IT Support Built Around Your Sector
Managed IT works best when it’s shaped around how your business actually operates. We provide sector-specific IT support across a wide range of North West industries, including:
Common questions
Managed IT FAQs
Answers to the questions North West businesses most commonly ask us about managed IT services.
What exactly is included in managed IT support?
Our managed IT service includes unlimited helpdesk support (remote and on-site), 24/7 proactive monitoring, scheduled patching and updates, backup monitoring, security management, a dedicated account manager and regular IT reviews. Everything your business needs to keep technology running smoothly – for a single fixed monthly fee per user.
How is managed IT different from break-fix support?
Break-fix support means you call someone when something goes wrong and pay for the time to fix it. Managed IT is proactive – we monitor your systems continuously, address issues before they cause downtime and maintain your infrastructure to prevent problems arising in the first place. It’s the difference between a reactive repair service and a dedicated IT department.
Can you take over from our existing IT provider?
Yes – and we do this regularly. We’ll handle the transition carefully, working with your existing provider to ensure nothing falls through the gaps during handover. We document everything during onboarding so we understand your environment fully before we take responsibility for it.
How quickly do you respond to support requests?
Our average call waiting time is under 15 seconds. 91% of tickets are resolved remotely on the same day. For issues requiring on-site attendance, our North West engineers provide same-day response for business-critical problems and next business day for lower-priority issues.
Is cyber security included in managed IT?
Core security practices are embedded throughout our managed IT service – including security patching, backup monitoring and access management. For a full layered security stack (EDR, ITDR, DNS filtering, MFA, user awareness training), we offer our Managed Cyber Security service either as a standalone or bundled with managed IT.
How is managed IT priced?
Managed IT is priced on a per-user per-month basis, making it predictable, scalable and easy to budget for. The exact price depends on your team size, infrastructure complexity and the specific services included. We’ll provide a detailed, transparent quote after an initial free assessment – no obligation.
Do you offer managed IT services specifically for SMEs?
Yes – Blowfish Technology’s managed IT service is built for small and medium businesses across the North West. Most of our clients are SMEs with 5 to 100 staff who need reliable IT without hiring a full internal IT department. Our service scales up (or down) as your business changes, and our fixed monthly pricing makes it easy to budget for.
How is managed IT for SMEs different from enterprise IT?
SME managed IT is designed for businesses without a dedicated in-house IT team. Our helpdesk becomes your IT function, our engineers handle everything from Wi-Fi troubleshooting to Microsoft 365 admin, and our account managers focus on practical, cost-effective advice rather than large enterprise projects. Enterprise IT often requires internal specialists to manage the provider relationship – SME managed IT is designed to take that off your plate entirely.
What does managed IT cost for an SME?
Costs vary based on your team size and requirements, but as a rough guide most SME clients pay a fixed monthly fee per user that covers everything – helpdesk, monitoring, patching, backup monitoring, security, account management and reviews. Compared to hiring an internal IT manager (£40-50k) plus support staff (£28k+), managed IT is typically far more cost-effective for businesses under about 50 staff. We’ll provide an exact quote after an initial free assessment.
Ready to Take IT Off Your Plate?
Talk to Blowfish Technology for a free, no-obligation IT assessment. We’ll review your current setup, identify any gaps and show you exactly what managed IT would look like for your business.