A managed service provider (MSP) looks after a business’s IT on an ongoing basis, for an agreed monthly fee, instead of being called only when something breaks. Host-It is an Irish MSP based in Bray, Co. Wicklow, established in 2003. Our engineers are Irish-based and in-house, with no outsourced helpdesk, and our average first response is under 15 minutes. We support SMEs across Ireland with managed IT, cybersecurity, backup and phone systems, and we work to a standard, documented setup rather than improvising for each client.
Who we work with
Our clients are Irish SMEs, typically 5 to 100 users, that want a reliable IT partner rather than a part-time favour from someone’s cousin. They are usually professional firms, practices, distribution and service businesses, and growing teams that have outgrown ad hoc support. We currently manage more than 700 endpoints. See how we support accountancy practices and law firms.
What a managed service covers
| Area | What we do | How |
|---|---|---|
| Helpdesk and user support | One place for staff to raise requests, with every ticket tracked | Service desk platform and customer portal |
| Monitoring and patching | Spot failing hardware, missed updates and offline devices early | Remote monitoring and management |
| Endpoint security | Detect and respond to threats on every device, with people reviewing alerts | Huntress managed EDR |
| Web and DNS protection | Block malicious and unsuitable sites before they load | DNSFilter |
| Backup and recovery | Back up servers, laptops and cloud data, and test restores | Comet Backup |
| Identity and Microsoft 365 | Multi-factor authentication, conditional access, licensing and administration | Microsoft Entra and Microsoft 365 |
| Phones | Business VoIP that follows staff across office, home and mobile | VoIP phone systems |
Managed service, break-fix or an in-house hire?
| Break-fix | One in-house IT person | Managed service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Unpredictable, billed per call | One salary, plus cover and tools | Predictable monthly fee |
| Cover when someone is off | Whenever the supplier is free | Single point of failure | A team behind the service desk |
| Security depth | Usually reactive | Depends on one person’s breadth | Standard security stack, monitored |
| Best for | Very small, low-risk setups | Larger teams with constant IT demand | Most SMEs that want reliability without a full IT department |
These are not mutually exclusive. Many businesses keep an in-house person for day-to-day needs and use an MSP for security, backups and projects.
How the first 30 days work
- Review. We look at your devices, Microsoft 365, backups, network and suppliers, and rank what we find by risk.
- Onboard. We install monitoring and protection and connect your staff to the helpdesk, without disrupting the working day.
- Secure the baseline. Multi-factor authentication, patching, filtering and tested backups are brought up to our standard.
- Document. Your setup is written down, so it never depends on one person’s memory.
- Run. From then on staff contact the helpdesk, and we report on what has been done and what is coming up.
A framework, not a shopping list
Security tools bought one at a time tend to leave gaps. We use the CIS Controls as our working checklist, align our approach to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and help clients prepare for Cyber Essentials. The point is a routine you can evidence, not a pile of products. Read more on our cyber security services page.
How pricing works
Our service is priced per user per month, so your cost scales with the size of your team. We quote after the free review, so the price reflects your real setup.
What our clients say
Helped move our company to the cloud and also simplified our setup.
Susan Thomas
Superb service. They’ll get you out of trouble and calm you down and authoritatively sort things out for you.
Sarah
Common questions
What does a managed service provider cost in Ireland?
We price per user per month. The fee depends on the number of users and on which services you need, and we quote after the free review.
How long is the contract?
Our standard agreement is 12 months.
Will you replace our IT person?
Only if you want us to. We can take over the whole function or work alongside your in-house person, covering security, backups, after-hours support and projects.
Where do you operate?
We are based in Bray, Co. Wicklow, and support businesses across Ireland. Most support is delivered remotely, with on-site visits where needed. See our page for IT support in Wicklow and Bray.
Do you only do support, or security as well?
Both. Security is part of the standard service, not an add-on. That includes managed endpoint protection, DNS filtering, multi-factor authentication and tested backups.
Can we try you before committing?
Start with the free IT review. It shows you what we would find, ranked by risk, before you commit to anything.