Managed IT for Professional Services

For most professional services firms in the 10–50 user range, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the right tier — it includes Conditional Access, Microsoft Defender, and Intune device management, which matter the moment you're handling client data on laptops that leave the office. I'll tell you honestly if your firm is small enough or has simple enough needs that a lower tier still covers what you need; I'd rather right-size your licensing than upsell you into features you'll never turn on.

I configure Zero Trust or VPN access depending on what you already have in place, require MFA on every remote connection, and set device compliance policies so only secured, up-to-date devices can reach your business systems — not just any laptop someone happens to be using at a coffee shop on public Wi-Fi. This matters more now that hybrid work is normal; the office network perimeter most firms used to rely on for security mostly doesn't exist anymore.

It comes down to three things: access controls so only the right people see the right files, encryption for data at rest and in transit, and audit logging so there's a record of who accessed what and when. I configure all three inside Microsoft 365 — Conditional Access, information protection labels, and audit logs — and flag anything extra your client contracts or professional standards call for, since some client agreements specify their own security requirements beyond the baseline.

It means I'm responsible for keeping your systems running, patched, backed up, and secure — proactively, before something breaks, not just when you call in a panic. That's endpoint management across every device, Microsoft 365 administration, backup monitoring with actual restore testing rather than just confirming a backup job ran, helpdesk support for your team, and a regular check-in on where your IT environment stands and what's coming up that needs budget or planning.

You get me directly, not a rotating help desk that relearns your systems every time you call. I've spent over 40 years in IT, running Ask Erik Computer Services since 2006 and serving Lane County firms since bringing the business to Eugene in 2017. I'm a Microsoft Partner, AI-certified, and a BNI Hall of Fame member here in Eugene. I document everything, explain it in plain English, return calls, and plan ahead instead of reacting to fires — so IT stays out of your way and out of your billable hours. When something breaks, I tell you why it broke and what we're changing so it doesn't happen again.