Compago Technologies

Managed IT vs Break-Fix: Which One Is Your Business Paying For?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:08:54 GMT

Most businesses know they're paying for "IT support."

Fewer know which of two very different things that means.

One is break-fix. The other is managed IT services. They can both be described as support, and they can both come with a monthly or hourly invoice. But they work in very different ways, and the difference shows up when something goes wrong.

What is break-fix IT support?

Break-fix is reactive. Something goes wrong, you call, someone fixes it, and you pay for the work.

That can make sense in some situations. If your technology is simple and the occasional problem is a nuisance rather than a risk, it can be a reasonable choice.

The limit is built in. Nobody is responsible for your systems between calls. Problems tend to be found when they cause damage, not before.

What are managed IT services?

Managed IT services take a different approach.

Instead of focusing only on fixing individual problems, the provider takes ongoing responsibility for agreed parts of your technology environment. That includes monitoring, maintenance, security and planning, delivered under an agreement you understand.

The value isn't just fixing things faster. It's having fewer avoidable problems in the first place.

What does reactive-only support really cost?

On paper, break-fix often looks cheaper. The invoice is smaller, and you only pay when you use it.

But the invoice is only one part of the cost.

People sitting around waiting for systems to work
The same issue happening again and again
Sensible upgrades being put off
Urgent after-hours work, often at higher rates
A technology or security problem that disrupts the whole business

Add those up over a year and the cheaper option isn't always cheaper. The cost is just sitting somewhere less visible.

How do the two models compare?

Look beyond the hourly rate and compare what each model means for:

Predictability. Managed IT is typically a known monthly cost. Break-fix depends on what goes wrong and when.
Responsibility. With managed IT, someone owns the health of your environment. With break-fix, you do, until you call.
Security. Managed IT can include protection and monitoring as part of the agreement. Break-fix usually deals with security after an incident.
Planning. Managed IT can include a view of what needs upgrading and when. Break-fix tends to replace things when they fail.
Your own time. How much of your week is spent chasing technology problems?

Which model suits which business?

Break-fix may suit you if your technology is simple, a day or two of disruption is an inconvenience rather than a risk, and you don't hold sensitive information that needs active protection.

Managed IT services may suit you if your business relies on its systems every working day, you handle client or financial information, you're growing, or you've already had a problem that cost more than it should have.

Many businesses start with break-fix and move to managed IT after the first problem that really hurts. It's an easier decision to make before that happens.

Do managed IT services suit small businesses?

They can, but only if the agreement fits the business. A smaller organisation doesn't need every service on a product list. It needs the right support, clearly defined, at a price that makes sense.

Good managed IT for a small business starts with how you work and what you rely on, not with a package.

What should you ask before signing a managed IT agreement?

What is included, and what isn't?
What security is part of the service?
Who is responsible for what?
What happens when something falls outside the agreement?
Will this help us improve our technology over time, or only fix it when it breaks?

If the answers are clear, you can judge the price. If they aren't, that tells you something too.

Which one are you actually paying for?

In Tasmania, the relationship matters. You want to know who you're dealing with, and you want straight answers.

If you're not sure whether you're paying for break-fix, managed IT or a bit of both, Compago can look at your current arrangement and tell you plainly. No pressure to change anything.

Find out more about our managed IT services or talk to us .

What Does IT Support Cost in Tasmania?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:00:28 GMT

It's a fair question.

If you're running a Tasmanian business and looking at IT support, you probably want to know what it's going to cost before sitting through a sales presentation.

So here's the answer according to Gartner, Gartner is a global IT research and advisory firm that helps organisations make better technology and business decisions through independent research, industry analysis and performance benchmarks. Its insights are widely used to assess technology providers, understand industry trends and compare IT spending and operational performance against industry peers.

What does IT support typically cost,

Approximate monthly support pricing per device:

Why isn't there one price for IT support?

"IT support" can describe very different services.

At one end, you might simply want someone to call when something breaks. At the other, you may want a partner managing your technology, security, Microsoft 365 environment, planning and ongoing risk.

Those aren't the same service, so they won't cost the same. That's why comparing providers purely on the monthly figure can be misleading. The better question is: what am I getting for the money?

If you're weighing reactive support against an ongoing agreement, we've covered that in detail in managed IT vs break-fix .

What affects the cost of IT support?

The size of your business. More people usually means more devices, accounts and applications. But headcount alone doesn't tell the whole story. A smaller organisation with complex systems or serious compliance requirements can need more support than a larger one with a simple setup.

What's included. Two proposals might both say "managed IT support" while including quite different things. A cheaper proposal isn't better value if important services sit outside the monthly agreement.

How much security you need. IT support and cyber security are increasingly hard to separate. A business handling sensitive client information may reasonably need more protection than one with a simpler risk profile. The aim isn't to buy every product available. It's to put the right protection around the things that matter.

The state of your technology. Sometimes the biggest factor is what the provider is inheriting. Old equipment, inconsistent systems and years of short-term fixes are harder to support. Good IT support should reduce that complexity over time, not keep patching the same problems.

What should a quote include?

When you're comparing proposals, look past the bottom line and ask:

What support is included, and what is charged separately?
Is Microsoft 365 management included?
What security services are included?
Are backups covered?
Is strategic planning included?
What happens when we need a project, or something falls outside the agreement?
Who is responsible for keeping the environment healthy?

Can cheap IT support end up costing more?

It can.

The cheapest option becomes surprisingly expensive if you're constantly dealing with outages, recurring problems or security gaps. The invoice from the IT company is only one part of the cost.

There's also the cost of people waiting for systems to work. The same issue happening repeatedly. Sensible upgrades being delayed. And potentially, a technology or security problem that disrupts the business altogether.

That doesn't mean expensive IT is automatically good IT. You're looking for value, not simply the lowest or highest price.

Does it matter that your IT support is local?

In Tasmania, the relationship matters. When something important stops working, you want to know who you're dealing with.

But good local support should mean more than having someone nearby. It should mean understanding your organisation, giving you a straight answer, following through and being willing to have sensible conversations about what you do and don't need.

So, what should you actually pay?

Enough to get the level of support, security and responsibility your business genuinely needs. No more complicated than necessary, but not so little that important risks are simply being ignored.

Once you know what's included, what isn't and who is responsible for what, the price becomes much easier to judge.

No mystery. No unnecessary technology. Just the right level of support for the business you're running.

Want to know what IT support would cost for your business?

Compago can help you work through what you actually need, what you may not need, and what a sensible arrangement could look like. See how our managed IT services work, or talk to us about your IT support .

These are broad indicative market figures. Actual pricing depends on the support scope, device complexity, service levels, security and monitoring tools included, and whether helpdesk support is bundled or charged separately.

Your own number will move up or down depending on what's below.

How Much Cyber Security Does a Tasmanian Business Actually Need?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:46:56 GMT

If you run a business in Tasmania, cyber security probably isn't the reason you get out of bed in the morning.

You've got customers to look after, staff to support and a business to run. You know cyber security matters. You've heard about ransomware, stolen passwords, dodgy emails and data breaches.

But there's a more useful question:

How much cyber security does your business actually need?

Because you can spend a lot of money on security and still not be particularly secure.

What is actually likely to go wrong?

For most Tasmanian businesses, the risk isn't a sophisticated overseas hacker. It's far more ordinary:

A convincing fake invoice, or an email that looks like it's from the boss asking for an urgent payment
A stolen or reused password
Ransomware getting in through a device that hasn't been updated, or a poorly protected remote connection
Someone clicking a link when they were busy

Most attacks on small and mid-sized organisations rely on everyday gaps, not clever technology. That's good news, because everyday gaps can be closed.

What does your business actually need to protect?

Good cyber security starts with understanding what matters to your organisation.

What information would cause a serious problem if it was lost or exposed?
What systems would stop the business operating if they went down?
Who has access to important systems and information?
Could you recover if something went wrong?
What do your customers, insurers and industry expect from you?

Those are business questions before they're technology questions.

What does good basic cyber security look like?

The foundations aren't glamorous. That's probably a good thing.

Multi-factor authentication on email and remote access
Systems and software kept up to date
Protection on every device
Backups that are tested, and kept separate from the systems they protect
Clear control over who can access what
Staff who know what a suspicious email looks like
A plan for what happens when something goes wrong

Frameworks such as the Essential Eight and standards such as SMB1001 give useful structure.

But ticking boxes isn't the end goal. The goal is a business that can protect what matters, keep operating and recover when something goes wrong.

Does every Tasmanian business need the same level of security?

No. A professional services firm, an NDIS provider and a growing manufacturer may all be Tasmanian businesses, but they don't carry the same risks. The information they hold is different. The consequences of an outage are different. Their obligations and customer expectations are different too.

So a one-size-fits-all package doesn't make much sense. Your security should be proportionate to your risk.

When do you need more than the basics?

A few signs it's time to look further:

You hold sensitive client or personal information
A contract, insurer or regulator expects a particular standard
You've had a near miss, such as a phishing email that almost worked
Your cyber insurance renewal asks questions you can't confidently answer

At that point it's worth a proper look at cybersecurity and risk , not another product.

Why does reputation matter so much in Tasmania?

Tasmania is a relationship-driven place to do business.

People know each other. Your customers know your suppliers. Your accountant might know your client. There's a decent chance you'll run into one of them at an event, over coffee or down the street.

That means trust matters. When a customer gives you information, they're trusting you to look after it. Cyber security is increasingly part of protecting that trust.

So, how much cyber security is enough?

There isn't one answer for every organisation. But your leadership team should be able to answer a handful of straightforward questions:

What are our biggest cyber risks?
What are we doing about them?
Where are our important gaps?
Could we recover if a critical system went down?
Who is responsible for making sure this actually happens?

If those answers are clear, you're having the right conversation. If they aren't, another security product probably isn't your first priority. A clear picture of where you stand is.

No scare campaign. No technology for technology's sake. Just a sensible understanding of the risks and a practical plan for dealing with them.

Not sure where your business stands?

Compago can help you take a practical look at where you stand, identify the gaps that actually matter and work out what deserves attention first.

Talk to Compago about your cyber security .

Strategic Technology Alignment e-Book

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 22:44:00 GMT

This e-Book is a great summary for business owners to build out the Strategy for the underlying Technology.

Most owners we talk to, reluctantly say they don’t understand the technology, so don’t want to ask questions.

We want you to start asking questions!

Feel free to download this PDF BELOW

Strategic Technology Alignment e-Book PDF

Download PDF

If you have any questions about how to implement thee above or how this all fits into overall Strategy and Governance, please visit this PAGE

AI (Artificial Intelligence) in ICT Compliance

Mon, 20 May 2024 22:53:00 GMT

If you have any questions about how to implement thee above or how this all fits into overall Strategy and Governance, please visit this PAGE

AI-in-Compliance-Infographic.pdf

Download PDF

Is AI your Friend or Foe?

Do you have reservations about deploying AI-powered solutions? You're not alone.

AI is still a new technology, and to many businesses, it may feel like uncharted territory. That’s why we’ve created an infographic that will shed light on how AI can be used both ethically and unethically.

It’ll help you:

Keep your business safe
Harness the benefits of AI
Take proactive steps to improve customer trust

Ready to fortify your understanding around ethical AI?

Feel free to download and print out this PDF for your staff training BELOW

World Password Day - May 2nd | 5 tips for passwords.

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:58:00 GMT

Here are some tips to help your staff with your password policy.

Tip 1: Use Complex Passwords

Think beyond birthdays or pets names.
Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.

Tip 2: Don’t Reuse Passwords

Keep your passwords unique for different apps.
A data leak on one website can make all your applications vulnerable.

Tip 3: Leverage Password Managers

Remembering passwords is hard.
Password managers securely store them and can even generate unique passwords for your applications.

Tip 4: Enable Two-factor Authentication (2FA)

Even strong locks can be broken.
Enable 2FA on all your cloud apps to make it harder for criminals to gain access.

Tip 5: Beware of Imposters

Watch out for phishing emails impersonating familiar contacts.
Clicking on links in these emails could put your business at risk.

Feel free to download and print out this PDF for your staff training ->

Strategic Technology Alignment e-Book PDF

Download PDF

If you have any questions about how to implement thee above or how this all fits into overall Strategy and Governance, please visit this PAGE

Compliance | Data Loss Prevention

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:26:00 GMT

Data Loss Prevention .

It is extremely pleasing to see the Australian Government working hard on helping organisations with their overall Information Security Management.

Home | Cyber.gov.au is an excellent website to bookmark.

With the information constantly being updated on this site, I worry that organisations are falling farther behind, because Information Security Management still does not make its way into the overall Risk Management Strategy.

As organisations, we seem to have implemented Work Health and Safety so very well, so how do we start getting the same uptake on Information Security Management?

Some suggested steps .

Elevate, across the entire organisation, the words being used;
instead of the more technical word(s); cybersecurity, firewalls, application control -> think instead of the overall Information Security Management , ie The Owners or Board MUST manage the security of ALL information !
Start picking some risk areas to understand;
I find this is an excellent first step in understanding “does my business actually have client’s personal data?“ and “how do I start securing that information“ ->
Securing Customer Personal Data for Small to Medium Businesses | Cyber.gov.au
Share that information and understandings across the entire organisation. The IT team might know this inside and out, BUT most likely the language is far too complex. Speak in non IT language, Speak in business language.

SEEK UNDERSTANDING TO STAY COMPLIANT!

Summary

Some of those actions can be carried out by yourself, some ideally will be done in partnership with a Trusted Technology Solutions Provider.

Links

List of our Professional Services | Strategy & Governance | Compago Technologies

Compliance | World Data Privacy Day.

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 21:13:00 GMT

Strategic Technology Alignment e-Book PDF

Download PDF

If you have any questions about how to implement thee above or how this all fits into overall Strategy and Governance, please visit this PAGE

World Data Privacy Day

Whilst we were all enjoying the long weekend late January, World Privacy Day Unsecured was celebrated / recognised around the world -> Your Guide to Celebrating Data Privacy Day | Blog | OneTrust

Then, whilst settling back into work after the weekend, the following article appeared on the ABC website.

“Football Australia data breach exposes player, fan details to public”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-01/football-australia-data-breach-contracts-passports-players-expos/103415548

Reading of another breach should be a really good teaching moment for all of us. What questions do we still need to keep asking about Risk?

Some starting points for thinking about Information Risk, from the board level down;

Data privacy is not the same thing as data security, although they are connected.
Data privacy is more than not sharing your passwords with anyone.
Personal information is as valuable as money.

WAKE UP CALL | ACTION(s)

Start taking data privacy seriously and learn how to ensure the privacy of your information.

Only adopt devices with latest supported version of operating systems and software.
Housekeeping: regularly delete cookies, review your browser’s privacy settings, clear the cache.
Keep your router and its settings updated.
Rethink your passwords.
Internet of Things (IoT) – learn how they are connected to the digital universe to ensure personal data is not being shared with those who do not need them.
If you have started the regulatory compliance journey in the IT space, have you thought about extending that to be strategic compliance?
Information Security Management should work hand in hand with underlying IT based Policies, Plans and Procedures, but do they mesh seamlessly into the overall NON-IT Operational Policies & Procedures.

BE VIGILANT TO STAY COMPLIANT!

Summary

Some of those actions can be carried out by yourself, some ideally will be done in partnership with a trusted professional partner.

Compliance | Don’t get taken by surprise.

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 01:34:00 GMT

Lets reset expectations!

Over the last 2-3 years, we have been working with our contracted clients on their compliance journey around Cyber Security, Essential 8 or ISO27001.

The first step, is usually the hardest and most commonly, it involves getting EVERYBODY ( board, owners, exec’s, staff and IT ) to all agree that things ARE NOT 100% secure and compliant and that we need to start somewhere.

It is much more important to be honest with what % compliance a company is currently at and having a plan to address the gaps VS pig headedness.

The below image is a typical organization’s dashboard approximately 3 months into a monthly compliance engagement, in that, the board | exec’s are aware that;

All requirements have been articulated, reviewed and selected from a relevant standard .
All requirements have had possible controls identified that will meet the requirements .
Of those controls , there are no “ unsure “, like there would be at the beginning of the process.
The organisation is;
50% through the process BUT, depending on budget, timing and other business pressures, they might be 12 - 18 months away from 100%
ready and expecting that Insurance companies will add extra requirements each year.
aware that the Australian Government will continue to lift the awareness of cyber awareness ( Small business | Cyber.gov.au )

Summary

Any small to medium business can start the journey, and the journey simply takes scheduled time and diligence BUT it will be a waste of time if the board or owners won’t take that HONEST first step of assessment. GREEN is the goal, but it starts with mostly RED .

A typical dashboard approximately 3 months into a compliance journey

A (shared) tale of two cities

Fri, 13 May 2022 02:13:00 GMT

Retaining skills and knowledge sharing within a company is paramount, while not spreading resources too thin. So, what do organisations that want to deliver a state-wide capacity do when they are in Southern Tasmania and are required in the North of Tasmania, and vice versa?

Maintaining and supporting multiple sites can be a costly exercise; office expenses, cars, and travel, quiet workload periods all eventuate with the customer footing the bill.

This was the position for Southern Tasmania based Compago Technologies and Northern Tasmania based Eagle Crest Technologies : both wanted to deliver a true state-wide presence to their customers; customers who are equally invested in retaining the skills and career pathways of their staff, in Tasmania, while being cognizant of the social, environmental, and financial implications inherently attached.

Compago Technologies and Eagle Crest Technologies are excited to announce a blending of business philosophies and operational culture by way of a newly formed state-wide coverage partnership.

Imagine, a state-wide footprint of local staff who know their customers business, retaining onshore employment and community connections while saving valuable costs to all involved.

Both companies now have access to Northern and Southern state skilled technicians and a customer service desk that executes level 1 support from 6am to 9pm.

The contact details for Compago Technologies remain the same 1300 871 821 and support@compagotechnologies.com.au

This collaboration will see a reduction of risks for both companies, however, it'll be their customers that are the real beneficiaries; obtaining intelligent IT that allows them to be free to do.

We know you’re curious, here are a few already obtain FAQs we’ve addressed:

· Is this a Merger or Acquisition?

Neither . This is a partnership between two organisations that have very similar business philosophies and cultures around customer-centricity. Both companies will maintain their own ownership and management structures but will work together in the interests of both organisations' clients to ensure a high level of service.

· Will the invoicing change?

No . Each organisation's clients will continue to be invoiced by the individual organisation as they currently are. Your finance department won’t notice a thing different.

· Will there be any job losses due to this new arrangement?

No . There will be no job losses through this partnership. The intent of the partnership is to enable both organisations to grow and therefore employ more staff. It does however increase the likelihood of staff engagement by way of new projects, upgrade of skills and retention.

· Will there be any impact on pricing for current and future customers of either organisation?

No . Outside of annual reviews for CPI, the current rates of both organisations will remain the same. One of the benefits of this partnership is that through the sharing of resources we can maintain our overheads going forward and therefore not put upwards pressure on our current rates.

· Should existing clients for either organisation expect any changes to products and services

No . In the early stages of the partnership, we are not envisaging any changes to our products and services other than you may talk to or meet staff from both Compago Technologies and Eagle Crest.

James, the Intelligent Business IT guru

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 22:11:00 GMT

Hands up if you seem to be doing things the hard way, or see your colleagues fly through their computer-based activities, pushing out image-rich presentations in record time that have no spelling or grammar issues - Do you wonder if there is a more intelligent way to work, or if there is an update for the PC user staring back at you?

At Compago Technologies, IT Service Engineer, James wowed the marketing team recently with the snipping tool - we were awkwardly stuck in the '90s using screenshots, but couldn't find where we'd saved them.

James literally changed our working day, you see the Print Screen button and the resulting images we were searching so dramatically for is a legacy holdout from the 90's, and now that we have multiple monitors attached to our computer the function gives you a gigantic file that you’re going to have to edit any way - insert another headache task, that keeps us productively slow.

James explained that using the snipping tool to add small snippets into your documents/emails and presentations, was where all the intelligent IT cool cats were at - and above all, super easy.

Our ears pricked up - snipping tool, you say... super easy - we are listening!

James explained that by using the built-in Snipping Tool (or the updated version) Snip and Sketch you simply drag a selection box over what you want to be captured and it's done, already saved to your clipboard for pasting into a document using Ctrl V

Honestly, it's that easy - give it a whirl right now.

Oh, that's right, where would we find the snipping tool - Jaaammmeeesss...?

This got us wondering what other gems does James have that will contribute to Intelligent Business IT? The stuff that you and your team (and to be honest, our entire marketing department) could greatly benefit from?

James is a sought after team member - and it's not surprising, clients totally appreciate his knowledge sharing and great communication - so here are his top three PC productivity tips, four really when we circle back to the vintage screenshot scenario...five if you see the plug to getting things done.

Tip 1

Windows is always listening, well not really 'listening' but it does know what's going on and where – if you’re looking for something you know is on your PC but have no idea where, simply start typing in the 'Type here to search' box (the text box in the bottom left of your screen), no need to click on anything just type. Your search can be a filename, a program, the text from page 52 of a document, Windows will have it indexed and will find it for you. Gold!

Tip 2

The Snipping Tool and Snip and Sketch – To find the Snipping Tool see Tip 1.

Tip 3

Read Aloud – Do you like audiobooks? Well, that giant report you just wrote is your next publication. Before sending to a teammate to proofread or red pen, use the Review section of the Office Ribbon in any word document and hit Read Aloud . It’s a good enough simulation of conversational English that any serious grammatical or spelling errors will be very noticeable. Very handy if you don’t have a second set of eyes available to check something, you are working from home alone, or you've left your reading glasses somewhere. More Gold, thanks, James!!

Tip 4

Clipboard History - By default Windows only keeps one thing on the clipboard, that’s not enough. In the search box (Tip 1) enter Settings then click on System > Clipboard and switch the Clipboard History toggle to On. Now when you hit The Windows key + V it will bring up a history of things you’ve copied ready for pasting.

This is a game-changer for those who have high repetition of specific content distribution!

Then, if you want to get fancy and sync your clipboard across devices, that can also be done here - but be sure you've connected all approved workplace devices, and if you need it done, check out the article ' Getting 'stuff' done - intelligently ', where we discuss how to get 'stuff' done - how to log a support request with Compago Technologies.

Intelligent Business IT has never been more important or accessible, contact us today to discuss how we could partner with you.

Ph 1300 871 821

Getting 'stuff' done - intelligently.

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 03:46:00 GMT

There are many moving parts to keeping your business IT intelligently operating, and at Compago Technologies we are very excited to be using the powerful and intuitive cloud-based tasking platform, Autotask PSA.

Autotask PSA will allow us to make real time decisions to improve the service we provide to you, and the productivity of your business.

How so?

Let's walk through a typical support request scenario, data transfer.

It's been identified a staff member has data stored on a laptop that is not fully integrated into your IT system information, they work from home on one PC and in the workplace on another, for ease and productivity, everyone agrees it would be super handy to have all content syncing to only approved work devices.

What happens and who does what in this scenario?

Your staff member logs a support request at to the email support@compagotech.com.au

This is the central spot for all support requests, your email to us would contain a brief description of the situation or problem - in an IT emergency, you would call 1300 871 821

for example

'Hi need a hand transferring all the data from my old PC to the workplace systems'

This email generates an automated response from Autotask, you'll see year/month/day and then a ticket number. Also in this email, you'll find a link to the client portal where you can keep up to date on your ticket's progress, if you would like to use it, please let us know.

Through our Autotask system, a system engineer will be assigned your request and they will contact you to discuss your situation.

This is a critical stage in ensuring your job request meets your needs - ensuring the terminology and tasks match is paramount.

From here, your system engineer will determine a solution, adding the details into Autotask, present it to you and on approval, conduct the activities to remediate the task.

In this 'data transfer' example, the system engineer confirmed the support request was for data transfer – there were work specific files stored in a non-approved cloud-based system and work related photos that required appropriate archiving.

This is a common, and recurring support request as the business community migrates to cloud-based storage, and while it is an 'easy' fix for our engineers, if not done, the reduced productivity of your staff members and cyber security breaches will continue as they navigate various systems.

The staff member can now use any device to work from, with the syncing occurring automatically.

Once your ticket is completed, you'll receive an email containing the activities conducted relating to your support request.

Working intelligently is important to Compago Technologies and using platforms such as Autotask allows us to quickly and efficiently action your support requests, keeping you in the loop as we go.

Be sure to get in contact to discuss your Intelligent Business IT.