Managed IT vs Break-Fix: Which IT Support Model Saves You More?
Break-fix IT charges you every time something goes wrong. Managed IT prevents problems before they happen. Compare the two models and see why 2,500+ businesses chose Petronella's proactive managed IT services over reactive break-fix support.
BBB Accredited Since 2003
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23+ Years in Business
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2,500+ Clients Served
Q: What is break-fix IT? Break-fix is the traditional IT support model: something breaks, you call a technician, and you pay per incident. There is no monitoring, no preventive maintenance, and no predictable monthly cost. Managed IT flips this model — you pay a flat monthly fee for proactive monitoring, maintenance, security, and support. See PTG's managed IT plans →
Managed IT vs Break-Fix: The Complete Breakdown
Every category where proactive managed IT outperforms reactive break-fix support.
| Factor | Managed IT (Petronella) | Break-Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Flat monthly fee (predictable) | Per-incident billing (unpredictable) |
| Response Time | 15-minute SLA guaranteed | Hours to days (availability-dependent) |
| Monitoring | 24/7/365 proactive monitoring | None — you discover problems yourself |
| Patching & Updates | Automated, scheduled, tested | Manual, when remembered |
| Security | Endpoint protection, firewall, SOC | Basic antivirus at best |
| Backup & DR | Automated, verified, tested | Often nonexistent |
| Downtime | Minimized through prevention | Extended — fix starts after failure |
| Strategic Planning | Quarterly business reviews, roadmap | None |
| Compliance Support | HIPAA, CMMC, PCI, SOC 2 | Not included |
| Vendor Management | Included — we manage your vendors | You handle everything yourself |
| Average Annual Cost (50 users) | $60K–$120K (predictable) | $80K–$200K+ (unpredictable) |
The True Cost of Break-Fix IT
Break-fix looks cheaper on paper, but the hidden costs of downtime, data loss, and security breaches quickly exceed a managed IT retainer.
3-Year TCO Comparison (50-User Business)
Includes: service fees, downtime costs ($5,600/min average per Gartner), security incident costs, hardware replacement, and productivity loss. Break-fix totals include at least one major incident (ransomware, server failure, or data breach) over 3 years, which affects 60%+ of SMBs.
Hidden Costs of Break-Fix
- Downtime: Average SMB loses $10,000–$50,000 per hour of unplanned downtime
- Data loss: 60% of SMBs that lose data shut down within 6 months
- Emergency rates: After-hours break-fix often costs 1.5–2x standard rates
- No prevention: Same problems recur because root causes are never addressed
- Security gaps: No monitoring means breaches go undetected for months
- Compliance fines: HIPAA violations up to $1.5M per incident category
What Managed IT Includes
- 24/7 monitoring: Network, server, endpoint, and cloud monitoring
- Help desk: Unlimited support tickets with 15-min response SLA
- Patch management: OS, firmware, and application updates
- Backup & DR: Automated backup with verified restoration
- Cybersecurity: Endpoint protection, email security, SOC
- Strategic planning: Quarterly reviews and technology roadmap
Six Reasons Businesses Switch from Break-Fix to Managed IT
Predictable Monthly Costs
No surprise invoices. One flat monthly fee covers monitoring, maintenance, support, and security. Budget with confidence instead of dreading the next emergency bill.
Proactive Security
24/7 SOC monitoring, endpoint detection and response, email filtering, and vulnerability scanning. Issues are identified and remediated before they become breaches.
Faster Response Times
15-minute SLA on support tickets. No waiting for a technician to become available. Our NOC identifies issues proactively — often before you even notice a problem.
Strategic Technology Planning
Quarterly business reviews, technology roadmaps, and budget forecasting. Your IT infrastructure evolves strategically instead of just reacting to failures.
Compliance Ready
Built-in support for HIPAA, CMMC, PCI DSS, and SOC 2. Managed IT with compliance baked in eliminates the separate compliance project and its associated costs.
Vendor Management
We manage your ISP, phone provider, hardware vendors, and software licenses. One point of contact for all technology issues instead of juggling multiple vendors yourself.
When Break-Fix Still Makes Sense (And When It Does Not)
Break-Fix May Work If:
- You have fewer than 5 employees
- You do not store sensitive customer or patient data
- Your business can tolerate days of downtime
- You have no regulatory compliance requirements
- Your technology is minimal (basic email and web)
You Need Managed IT If:
- You have 10+ employees relying on technology daily
- You handle PHI, PII, CUI, or financial data
- Downtime costs you revenue or reputation
- You must meet HIPAA, CMMC, PCI, or SOC 2 requirements
- You lack an in-house IT team (or your team is stretched thin)
- You have experienced a security incident in the past 2 years
- You are growing and need IT to scale with you
Why 2,500+ Businesses Trust Petronella for Managed IT
Founded in 2002 by Craig Petronella in Raleigh, NC, Petronella Technology Group has been delivering managed IT services to businesses across North Carolina and nationwide for over 23 years. We are not a break-fix shop that added "managed services" to our website. Our entire model is built around proactive prevention.
Every client gets a dedicated account manager, 24/7 SOC monitoring, a technology roadmap, and compliance support built into their plan. We serve healthcare practices, law firms, defense contractors, financial services firms, and growing businesses who cannot afford downtime or data loss.
Our team includes a Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner, CMMC Registered Practitioners, and certified engineers across Microsoft, Cisco, and cloud platforms. When you choose PTG, you get an entire IT department — not just a technician with a toolkit.
PTG Managed IT Includes
- 24/7/365 network and endpoint monitoring
- Help desk with 15-minute response SLA
- Automated patch management
- Managed backup and disaster recovery
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
- Email security and phishing protection
- Vendor management (ISP, telecom, hardware)
- Quarterly business reviews and IT roadmap
- Compliance support (HIPAA, CMMC, PCI, SOC 2)
Managed IT vs Break-Fix: Common Questions
How much does managed IT cost compared to break-fix?
Managed IT typically costs $100–$200 per user per month for comprehensive support. For a 50-user business, that is $5,000–$10,000/month. Break-fix can appear cheaper month to month, but a single server failure ($15K–$50K), ransomware attack ($200K+ average), or extended downtime event erases years of perceived savings. Over 3 years, managed IT clients consistently spend 25–40% less than break-fix clients when total cost of ownership is calculated.
What is the difference between managed IT and an MSP?
An MSP (Managed Service Provider) is the company that delivers managed IT services. "Managed IT" describes the service model; "MSP" describes the provider. Petronella Technology Group is an MSP that provides managed IT services, cybersecurity, compliance support, and vCISO services.
Can I keep my current IT person and add managed services?
Absolutely. This is called co-managed IT. Your internal IT staff handles day-to-day tasks while we provide 24/7 monitoring, security operations, backup management, and escalation support. It extends your team's capabilities without replacing anyone.
How fast can you respond when something breaks?
Our SLA guarantees a 15-minute initial response time for all support tickets. Critical issues receive immediate escalation to senior engineers. Because we monitor your systems 24/7, we often detect and resolve issues before you even notice them — that is the proactive advantage over break-fix.
Do managed IT services include cybersecurity?
Yes. Every PTG managed IT plan includes endpoint detection and response (EDR), email security, patch management, and 24/7 SOC monitoring. For businesses with additional compliance needs, we layer on advanced services like vCISO, penetration testing, and security awareness training.
What industries do you serve with managed IT?
We serve healthcare practices (HIPAA), defense contractors (CMMC), law firms, financial services (PCI DSS/SOC 2), manufacturing, nonprofit organizations, and professional services firms. Any business with 10–500 employees that depends on technology and handles sensitive data is a fit for our managed IT services.
How long does onboarding take?
Standard onboarding takes 2–4 weeks. During that time, we audit your existing infrastructure, deploy monitoring agents, configure backup systems, migrate email security, and document your entire environment. You receive a detailed technology assessment and recommendations report within the first week.
Stop Paying for IT Emergencies. Start Preventing Them.
Schedule a free IT assessment with Petronella Technology Group. We will audit your current setup, identify risks, and show you exactly what managed IT would cost for your business.