Managed IT, done by humans + AI.

One team replacing five vendors. Cloud, helpdesk, security, compliance, and AI under one roof for SMBs across the Raleigh-Durham Triangle.

CMMC-AB RPO #1449 · BBB A+ Since 2003 · Founded 2002
Call Penny → (919) 348-4912 2026 Survival Guide
24+ Years Protecting Businesses
RPO #1449 CMMC-AB Registered Provider Org
A+ BBB Accredited Since 2003
Cloud Services Helpdesk Co-Managed IT Pen Testing Raleigh MSP vCISO
Why one provider

Five vendors. One bill. One throat to choke.

Most SMBs are stitched together: a break-fix shop for hardware, a Microsoft reseller for licenses, a security guy on retainer, a cloud consultant on Slack, and a printer guy who somehow still has your network admin password. When something breaks, nobody owns it.

Petronella consolidates the stack. We run your cloud infrastructure across Azure, AWS, and Microsoft 365, staff your helpdesk with AI-assisted technicians, and handle compliance-grade security in the same engagement. One contract. One escalation path. One team that already knows your network when the call comes in at 2am.

Humans + AI

AI handles the noise. Humans handle the judgement.

Roughly 40 percent of helpdesk tickets are repetitive: password resets, printer queues, MFA enrollments, license assignments. Our AI helpdesk automation resolves these in under 90 seconds, end to end, without waking anyone up. The remaining 60 percent (the messy, judgement-heavy work) goes straight to a Triangle-based engineer who has full context, not a Tier-1 reading a script.

That mix is why we can hold sub-15-minute response targets without billing $185/hour for someone to click through a runbook. It is also why our co-managed clients keep their internal IT lead in the chair: we extend their team, we do not replace them. See how co-managed IT pairs your internal staff with our 24/7 NOC and SOC.

Security baked in

Security is not a separate line item.

You should not have to negotiate a second contract to get patching, EDR, MFA, backup verification, and quarterly attack-surface review. Every Petronella managed-IT engagement includes continuous automated penetration testing and live cloud security posture assessments across your tenants. We surface what is exposed, not just what is patched.

For regulated industries (healthcare under HIPAA, defense contractors under CMMC 2.0, finance under PCI), the same engagement maps controls to evidence in our ComplianceArmor system, so audit prep is a download not a six-week scramble.

Cloud, on your terms

Hybrid by default. Locked-in to nobody.

The honest truth about cloud in 2026: the public-cloud bills got out of hand. Plenty of workloads run cheaper, faster, and more compliant on right-sized on-prem hardware that you actually own. We will tell you which is which. If your AWS or Azure bill is creeping past what you would pay for capex hardware on a 5-year cycle, we can plan a cloud repatriation or full cloud-to-on-premise migration with zero downtime windows.

And when the building floods or the encryptor hits at 3am, our emergency IT support line is staffed by people who already have your runbook open. No "let me create a ticket" between you and recovery.

Explore

Managed IT Services

Pick the path that matches what you need next. Or call Penny - she will book your free 15-minute consult.

Cloud Services

Hybrid and multi-cloud architecture across Azure, AWS, GCP, and Microsoft 365. Migration, security, cost optimization.

Explore cloud services →

Helpdesk Automation

AI-assisted Tier-1 resolves password resets, MFA, and license tickets in 90 seconds. Engineers handle the rest.

See helpdesk automation →

Co-Managed IT

Extend your internal IT lead with our 24/7 NOC, SOC, and senior engineering bench. You stay in the driver's seat.

Explore co-managed IT →

Automated Penetration Testing

Continuous attack-surface validation. Findings mapped to MITRE ATT&CK with prioritized remediation tickets.

See pen testing →

Cloud Security Assessments

CSPM-grade review across Azure, AWS, M365. Misconfigurations, identity sprawl, exposed storage - surfaced and fixed.

Book an assessment →

Emergency IT Support

Ransomware, outages, fired-admin lockouts - live engineer on the line, not a ticket queue. 24/7/365.

Call emergency support →

Cloud Repatriation

When your AWS bill outgrew the value, bring workloads home to right-sized hardware you own. Zero-downtime cutover.

Plan repatriation →

Cloud-to-On-Premise Migration

Full lift-and-shift back to on-prem or colo. Capex modeling, hardware sourcing, hypervisor build, data sync.

Start migration plan →
Hardware, industry IT, and related resources
Service areas across North Carolina
FAQ

Common questions about managed IT

What is included in a managed IT services contract?
A flat-fee monthly engagement covering 24/7 helpdesk, patching, EDR/MFA, backup verification, network monitoring, vendor management, and quarterly business reviews. Cybersecurity (SOC, MDR, dark web monitoring) and compliance evidence collection are baked in, not billed separately. See cybersecurity for the full ZeroHack stack.
How is co-managed IT different from full outsourcing?
Co-managed keeps your internal IT lead in the chair and extends the team with our 24/7 NOC, SOC, and senior engineering bench. You stay in control of strategy and vendor relationships; we cover after-hours, escalations, and the deep-bench skills (cloud, security, compliance) most internal teams cannot staff for full-time. See the co-managed IT page.
How fast does Penny's team respond to a ticket?
Sub-15-minute first response on managed and co-managed contracts. AI-assisted helpdesk closes routine work (password resets, MFA, license assignments) in under 90 seconds. Active emergencies (ransomware, outages, fired-admin lockouts) skip the queue and go straight to a Triangle-based engineer.
Do you support both Microsoft 365 and on-premise environments?
Yes. We run hybrid by default. Cloud workloads on Azure, AWS, and M365; right-sized on-prem hardware for what runs cheaper or more compliant on bare metal. If your AWS bill outgrew the value, we can plan a cloud repatriation with zero downtime.
Will managed IT help with HIPAA, CMMC, or PCI compliance?
Yes. Every engagement maps controls to evidence inside our ComplianceArmor system. Audit prep becomes a download, not a six-week scramble. We are a CMMC-AB Registered Provider Organization (RPO #1449) and serve healthcare under HIPAA, defense subs under CMMC 2.0, and merchants under PCI.
What does it cost?
Flat-fee monthly pricing scoped to user count, server count, and the security tier you need. Most SMBs land between $95 and $185 per user per month, including security and compliance. Call Penny at (919) 348-4912 for a written quote after a free 15-minute scoping call.

Ready to talk?

Call Penny - she answers before the third ring, asks 3 qualifying questions, then books your free 15.

Call Penny → (919) 348-4912 SMB IT Survival Playbook