Outsourced IT · Canada
Service group: Managed ITA complete IT department, without hiring one
For organizations with no internal IT staff, Podium Catchers takes on the whole function: daily support, systems administration, security responsibilities, vendor relationships, budgeting and the technology roadmap, all under a written scope with one accountable team.
At a glance
- Service
- Podium Catchers acting as your organization’s full IT department under a recurring agreement
- Best suited to
- Canadian organizations of roughly 20 to 200 employees with no internal IT staff, or replacing a departing IT employee
- What we own
- Support, administration, security baseline, vendor management, IT documentation, budgeting input and roadmap planning, as scoped
- What you keep
- Business decisions, final spending approval, ownership of accounts, data, credentials and documentation
- Not included by default
- Hardware, licences, major projects and after-hours coverage unless written into the proposal
- Pricing basis
- Recurring per-user fee plus scoped components, confirmed in a written quotation after discovery
- Regions
- Remote delivery across Canada; on-site availability in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary confirmed per address
What an outsourced IT department is
An outsourced IT department is the broadest arrangement we offer. Instead of buying help desk hours or a monitoring tool, you hand us the entire IT function that an internal team would normally run: answering staff, administering systems, owning security tasks, managing vendors, planning purchases and advising leadership. There is no internal IT person to hand work back to, so the scope is written to cover the full picture and to name who in your business approves decisions.
This differs from co-managed IT, where an internal IT lead keeps some responsibilities and we share the work, and from small business IT support, which is a lighter package for very small teams with simpler needs. Outsourced IT suits organizations large enough to need real IT management, planning and governance, but not large enough, or not willing, to employ and retain a department of their own.
Why organizations outsource their IT department
The IT employee is leaving
Your only IT person has resigned or retired, and the credentials, vendor contacts and undocumented fixes are about to walk out the door with them.
One person can’t cover every specialty
A single hire is expected to be a help desk technician, network engineer, Microsoft 365 administrator, security lead and budget planner, and nobody covers their holidays.
No one is planning
Laptops are replaced when they die, licences renew without review, and leadership has no forecast for next year’s technology spending.
Vendor sprawl
Internet, phones, printers, software and cloud services each have their own contract and support line, and staff spend time chasing them instead of working.
What your outsourced IT department handles
Front-line support
A help desk for all covered staff, with escalation to senior technicians and on-site visits within the confirmed service area when needed.
Systems administration
Microsoft 365, Entra ID, devices, file storage, servers and network equipment administered under documented standards.
Security responsibilities
MFA, endpoint protection, administrator account control, patching and backup oversight assigned to us in writing rather than left implied.
Vendor and contract management
We act as the technical contact for your internet, phone, printer, software and cloud vendors and track renewal dates.
Budgeting and lifecycle planning
An asset register, replacement schedule and annual technology budget input so purchases are planned rather than reactive.
IT leadership reporting
Regular reviews with your leadership covering ticket trends, risks, open projects and recommendations, in business language.
Outsourced IT scope
Because we are the whole department, the scope is broader than a support plan. Your proposal confirms every line.
Typically included
- Help desk for all covered users during agreed business hours
- Administration of Microsoft 365, identities, covered devices and in-scope servers
- Patch, endpoint protection and backup oversight for covered systems
- Vendor coordination and renewal tracking for technology contracts
- Asset register, lifecycle schedule and annual budget input
- IT policies and documentation maintained on your behalf
- Leadership reviews and a written technology roadmap
Requires separate scope or quotation
- Hardware, software and licence purchases themselves
- Large projects such as migrations, office builds or system replacements
- After-hours or weekend coverage unless written into your plan
- Enterprise cloud architecture, referred to our sister brand CloudArchitects.expert
- Custom software, AI agents and automation, referred to Mars Innovation Technology
- Legal, regulatory or compliance certification advice
The environment we take responsibility for
An outsourced department touches nearly every system. We confirm vendors and versions during discovery.
- Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID, including licensing and conditional access
- Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot for company devices
- Microsoft Defender for Business or comparable endpoint protection
- Windows Server, Active Directory and file shares, on-premises or hybrid
- Business firewalls, switches and Wi-Fi access points
- Cloud and on-premises backup platforms for servers and Microsoft 365
- IT documentation, asset inventory and password vault platforms
- Line-of-business applications, through vendor coordination
Who should consider an outsourced IT department
Firms losing their IT person
Organizations facing a resignation or retirement that want a structured handover instead of an emergency hire.
Growing companies of 20 to 200 staff
Businesses whose IT needs now include planning, governance and vendor management, not just fixing things.
Leadership teams that want one accountable party
Owners and operations leaders who prefer a single provider answerable for IT outcomes rather than several disconnected contractors.
What changes when IT is a department again
- IT knowledge is documented and owned by your business, not one person
- Several specialties are available without several salaries
- Coverage continues through holidays, sick days and staff turnover
- Technology spending is forecast and approved, not discovered
- One party coordinates every technology vendor
- Leadership gets regular, plain-language reporting on IT risk and progress
How we become your IT department
Consultation
We learn how your business operates, who makes technology decisions, and what the previous IT arrangement looked like.
Discovery and handover planning
We inventory systems, accounts, vendors and contracts, and plan a knowledge transfer from any departing IT employee or provider.
Written scope and responsibilities
The proposal defines what we own, what you approve, coverage hours, escalation contacts and pricing.
Transition
Credentials move into a vault you own, tooling is deployed, documentation is rebuilt, and urgent risks found in discovery are prioritized.
Run, plan and review
Daily operations continue under the scope, while regular leadership reviews track the roadmap, budget and risks.
Ways to buy
Outsourced IT is usually built from a package plus planning services. Final pricing is confirmed in a written quotation.
Managed IT Business or Advanced package
Bundled support, Microsoft 365 administration, endpoint security and monitoring sized for organizations taking on a full outsourced department.
One-Month IT Architecture and Review Package
A structured review of your environment and a written roadmap, useful at the start of an outsourced engagement.
IT Infrastructure Health Check
A fixed-scope assessment that documents your current state before you commit to a recurring arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
How is an outsourced IT department different from co-managed IT?
With an outsourced department we own the full IT function because you have no internal IT staff. Co-managed IT divides responsibilities between your internal IT person and our team, with a written responsibility split.
Our IT employee is leaving soon. Can you take over?
Yes. We plan a handover during discovery, ideally while the employee is still available, to capture credentials, vendor contacts, undocumented systems and open issues.
Who makes the final decisions about spending?
You do. We recommend, plan and budget, but purchases and major changes are approved by the people you name in the scope.
Do we get someone on site?
Most work is delivered remotely. On-site visits in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary are confirmed for your address, with visit terms set out in your scope.
What does an outsourced IT department cost?
Pricing is a recurring per-user fee plus scoped components such as per-device security or per-site network monitoring. The calculator shows proposed figures; your written quotation confirms the final price.
Related services
Products and packages
Industries we support
Service areas
Talk through handing over your IT department
Book a consultation to discuss your current setup, any upcoming staff changes and what leadership needs from IT. You will receive a written scope before any commitment.