Frequently Asked Questions

Proactive support includes regular updates and patches to keep your systems running smoothly and securely. Outdated software or operating systems can leave vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Proactive support combats this by ensuring that your systems are always up-to-date and protected against the latest threats.

It is essential to compare apples to apples when considering a Managed Service Provider. We are happy to look at any competing proposals to help you understand any fundamental differences in the services and support another company is quoting. 

Just like buying a car, there are different “trim” packages when it comes to IT Managed Services. Every provider has the choice between a wide variety of tools – some are the very base model, and others are fully-loaded. At Safety Net, we strive to provide small and medium Michigan businesses with enterprise-grade support and security. That’s not to say we default into partnering with the most expensive, most complex tools, but we do our due diligence in choosing what we believe will offer the most comprehensive, necessary security and support tools.  The products we use to protect our own environment are the same as we use to support you organization.

Additionally, people are a critical piece in the support puzzle. You deserve to have the best of the best supporting the team you’ve worked so hard to build. We pride ourselves on being human – friendly, engaging folks that you actually enjoy working with – imagine that! While quality of service is something that can be hard to quantify with a dollar amount, the value of a true partnership and meaningful connections can’t be underestimated.

Even though small businesses may not seem like attractive targets for cybercriminals, they are actually more vulnerable to attacks due to a lack of security measures. Overall, investing in security products is a crucial step for small businesses to protect their sensitive data and remain secure in an increasingly digital world.

Absolutely! Our Your Net Managed Service offering includes support any time, any day.  We do ask that our clients reserve after hours requests for truly urgent situations, but we always have a technician and escalation resource on call to help.

Our managed services start at $2,000 per month, tailored to suit various factors including the number of IT systems and sites we manage, the scale of support required, and your specific service needs. While this baseline serves as a starting point, we understand that each business is unique. Therefore, our pricing structure is flexible and customizable to align precisely with your individual requirements.

Managed IT services are more beneficial than a break-fix model because:

1. There is no incentive for a third-party IT firm to ensure your systems function optimally when they charge you for each minute of time they spend providing support. In fact, it’s the opposite.  The more support you require, the more money they make.  
2. Having a contract with an MSP allows you to know what your IT expenditures will be each month. Outside of a set fee for managed services, you will also have a budget for project work that may need to happen.

Check out online reviews. Look at their LinkedIn pages to see the type of information they share. Ask to speak to references. Call their office and talk to whoever answers the phone about the services they provide. Call again and select a different menu prompt to be directed to a different department; you’ll get a strong sense of the organization from a variety of perspectives.

While our business offers versatile remote support for small to medium-sized businesses, we are absolutely available on-site when a need arises. Our established comprehensive communication systems ensure efficient and timely assistance.

While onsite support is sometimes necessary, access to immediate, remote support can be critical in minimizing downtime and getting your systems operational again. If you do decide to go the remote IT support route, rest assured that with our advanced remote troubleshooting tools, our IT professionals can identify and rectify issues just as effectively as they would on-site without skipping a beat. Regardless of the type of support you need, we’re happy to assist you with ease.

We pride ourselves on having a quick response time, no matter the time of day. Our remote support is designed to provide flexibility and promptness in addressing your concerns, a critical factor in today’s fast-paced business environments.

You can reach out to us at any time through our IT Support Panel feature. Just submit a short description to open and track the ticket, and we’ll be at the ready. Our other options include telephone, email, or a web support form. These platforms are managed by our team of professional IT experts who are dedicated to responding as quickly and effectively as possible. And don’t worry—our inboxes are constantly monitored to ensure each one gets addressed swiftly.

If you have a critical issue, you can also take advantage of our telephone support by contacting your local office, which is available 24/7. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that your business operations are not disrupted by IT-related issues. We believe that robust and reliable remote support, combined with our technological expertise, will meet and exceed your IT service needs. Remember, no matter the issue or question, our team is just a phone call or message away, ready to help you navigate your IT challenges.

Safety Net has offices in Traverse City and Farmington Hills. We work with businesses throughout Northern Michigan and Metro Detroit. That partnership includes on-site support and regularly scheduled meetings (in-person or online), all with our Michigan-based team of about 40!

We have a detailed Disaster Recovery plan that is audited annually as part of our SOC2 Type 2 certification process. We are big advocates of practicing what we preach, and as such, we run through our DR plan every year to make sure we’re prepared in the event of a disaster.

There are so many different critical applications across the industries we support, that it would be unreasonable for us to think we could be an expert in them all. We’re not afraid to admit when something isn’t our forte, but we are happy to work as a liaison between your organization and the official support for your LOB applications.

We have experience supporting clients in England, Mexico, India, China, and more. There are different considerations when it comes to international support, but we are willing and able to help.

Congratulations on recognizing the importance of adequate security! Reach out by completing the Contact Form, or call us at your convenience. We’ll gather some basic information and then work with you to develop a security assessment that addresses your concerns, and other issues you may not have considered.