Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ page. Here you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our IT services, support options, and how we work with businesses like yours. If you don’t see your question answered here, our team is always happy to help.
General Questions
Learn more about Next2IT and how we support businesses across the Midlands and beyond.
Next2IT specialises in enterprise-grade IT solutions including 24/7 Network Operations Centre (NOC) services, managed IT support, cloud infrastructure (Microsoft Azure and hybrid deployments), network infrastructure design and management, ERP migrations (particularly Epicor systems), cybersecurity solutions, and comprehensive business connectivity services. We focus on manufacturing and enterprise clients across the Midlands region and beyond.
We’re not just problem-solvers — we’re strategic technology partners. With enterprise-grade expertise, a proactive approach to infrastructure management, and deep specialisation in manufacturing and complex environments, we help businesses scale confidently. Our 24/7 NOC, certified engineers, and focus on business continuity set us apart from typical break-fix providers. We understand the critical nature of manufacturing operations and deliver solutions with minimal disruption.
We have extensive experience supporting healthcare, veterinary, financial, manufacturing companies, with particular expertise in Cloud systems and the underly infrastructure that provides connectivity to the Cloud. We also work with professional services firms, education institutions, and any organisation requiring enterprise-grade IT infrastructure and support. Our deep understanding of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) convergence makes us particularly well-suited to industrial environments.
Next2IT is based in Stafford in the heart of the Midlands, providing us with excellent connectivity to Birmingham, Manchester, London, and the wider region. Whilst we focus on the UK, our remote support capabilities and NOC services mean we can support clients internationally. For on-site requirements, we regularly serve clients across the Midlands, London and surrounding counties.
Support & Service Delivery
Understanding how we support your business, from response times to service level agreements.
Yes. Our Network Operations Centre (NOC) provides 24/7/365 monitoring and support for infrastructure and critical systems. Our Service Desk operates during core business hours (9am–5pm, Monday to Friday) with extended and out-of-hours support available for clients with enhanced SLAs. For manufacturing clients with operational requirements outside standard hours, we provide tailored support packages to match your production schedules.
Most support tickets are acknowledged within 15 minutes during business hours. For business-critical issues, we aim for immediate response and same-day resolution wherever possible. Our NOC monitors infrastructure continuously with automated alerting, meaning many issues are identified and resolved before they impact your operations. Specific response time commitments are defined in your Service Level Agreement based on priority levels and business impact.
Our onboarding begins with a comprehensive infrastructure audit and discovery phase. We document your current environment, identify immediate risks and opportunities, and create a detailed technical roadmap. We then implement monitoring tools, establish secure remote access, configure backup systems, and integrate with your existing tools and processes. Throughout onboarding, we work closely with your team to minimise disruption, transfer knowledge, and ensure a smooth transition. Most onboardings are completed within 2–4 weeks depending on complexity.
We provide both remote and on-site support. The majority of issues are resolved remotely through our NOC and Service Desk, which is more efficient and faster. However, for situations requiring physical presence — such as hardware installations, network infrastructure deployments, on-site troubleshooting, or planned projects — our field engineers are available throughout the UK. We can typically be on-site within hours for urgent situations, with planned visits scheduled to suit your operational requirements.
We offer both. Our core business is ongoing managed services and NOC support, providing continuous monitoring and maintenance of your infrastructure. However, we also deliver fixed-scope projects such as network upgrades, ERP migrations, cloud migrations, infrastructure refreshes, and connectivity deployments. Many clients engage us initially for a specific project and then transition to managed services once they experience the value of proactive support and monitoring.
Absolutely. We specialise in supporting distributed workforces with secure cloud-based infrastructure, Azure Virtual Desktop deployments, VPN solutions, conditional access policies, and mobile device management. We help businesses enable flexible working whilst maintaining security, compliance, and productivity. Our expertise includes designing and managing hybrid environments where some users work on-premise whilst others work remotely, ensuring seamless access to applications and data regardless of location.
Technical & Infrastructure
Questions about our technical capabilities, platform expertise, and infrastructure services.
We support comprehensive Windows and Linux server environments, Windows and macOS workstations, and Android and iOS mobile devices. For network infrastructure, we’re experts in Cisco, Cisco Meraki, Fortinet FortiGate, Ubiquiti UniFi, and Aruba platforms. On the software side, we support Microsoft 365, Azure, Microsoft server products, Epicor ERP systems, mainstream business applications (Adobe, Google Workspace), and industry-specific software. Our team holds certifications across these platforms to ensure expert-level support.
Absolutely. We specialise in cloud migrations to Microsoft Azure and AWS, including full migrations, hybrid deployments, and lift-and-shift or modernisation approaches. We handle Microsoft 365 migrations, Azure Virtual Desktop implementations, SQL database migrations to Azure SQL Managed Instance, and application hosting in Azure. Our approach includes comprehensive planning, risk assessment, pilot migrations, and phased rollouts designed to minimise disruption to your operations. We also support private cloud and hybrid cloud architectures where appropriate.
We provide end-to-end network infrastructure services including design and architecture, installation and configuration, ongoing monitoring and management through our NOC, network security (firewalls, VPNs, network segmentation), wireless deployments, SD-WAN implementations, and infrastructure upgrades. We work with enterprise-grade vendors including Cisco, Fortinet, Meraki, and Aruba to deliver reliable, secure, and scalable network solutions. Our approach includes comprehensive documentation, change management, and alignment with business requirements.
Yes, we provide comprehensive connectivity solutions including leased lines, full fibre broadband, 4G/5G backup connections, Starlink satellite internet for remote locations, SD-WAN for multi-site connectivity, and emergency connectivity solutions. As an authorised Starlink installer with experienced engineers, we can deploy satellite internet in areas with no traditional connectivity options. We manage the entire process from supplier selection and procurement through to installation, configuration, and ongoing monitoring.
Yes, we design and implement comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solutions tailored to your business requirements and recovery objectives. This includes on-premise backup systems, cloud-based backup to Azure, hybrid backup strategies, business continuity planning, disaster recovery testing, and documented recovery procedures. We ensure your backup systems are monitored continuously, tested regularly, and aligned with your RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) requirements.
Security & Compliance
Understanding our approach to cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
We implement defence-in-depth security strategies including next-generation firewalls with intrusion prevention, endpoint protection with advanced threat detection, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, regular security patching, continuous vulnerability scanning, security information and event management (SIEM), and comprehensive backup solutions. Our NOC monitors security events 24/7, enabling rapid detection and response to threats. All remote access is secured with conditional access policies and encryption.
Yes and we maintain rigorous security standards and work to industry best practices aligned with ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials frameworks. Whilst we focus on delivering enterprise-grade security rather than collecting certifications for their own sake, we can provide detailed information about our security controls, policies, and procedures during the onboarding process. Many of our clients have their own compliance requirements, and we’re experienced in working within those frameworks to ensure your infrastructure meets necessary standards.
We take GDPR compliance seriously. When we access your systems, we operate under data processing agreements that clearly define our role and responsibilities. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including encryption, access controls, audit logging, and secure data handling procedures. Our team receives regular training on data protection requirements, and we maintain comprehensive documentation of our processing activities. We’re happy to work with your Data Protection Officer or compliance team to ensure alignment with your specific requirements.
We have documented incident response procedures that kick in immediately upon detection of a security event. Our NOC team will contain the threat, assess the impact, preserve evidence, notify relevant stakeholders, implement remediation measures, and conduct post-incident analysis. We work with you to understand the incident, implement improvements to prevent recurrence, and provide detailed reporting. For serious incidents, we can coordinate with external forensics specialists, legal advisors, and regulatory bodies as required. Our priority is always to minimise impact and restore secure operations as quickly as possible.
Yes, we can provide security awareness training and phishing simulation programmes as part of our managed service offering. We recognise that human factors are often the weakest link in cybersecurity, so we work with clients to develop security awareness programmes appropriate to their risk profile and user base. This can include regular training sessions, simulated phishing campaigns, security policy development, and ongoing communications to keep security top of mind. We tailor the content and delivery method to suit your organisation’s culture and requirements.
Pricing & Commercial
Understanding our pricing models, contracts, and commercial arrangements.
We offer flexible pricing models to suit different business needs. Managed services are typically priced on a fixed monthly retainer basis, providing predictable costs and unlimited support within agreed scope. Project work is quoted as fixed-price deliverables with clear milestones and outcomes. For NOC services and infrastructure monitoring, pricing is based on the number of devices, complexity of environment, and required service levels. We provide transparent, itemised quotations with no hidden costs, and we’re always happy to discuss tailored packages for specific requirements.
Our managed service packages typically include unlimited Service Desk support during business hours, proactive infrastructure monitoring, patch management and updates, security monitoring and incident response, backup monitoring and testing, regular health checks and reporting, remote support for users and systems, and access to our expert engineers. Higher-tier packages include NOC services, extended hours support, priority response times, and dedicated account management. We tailor packages to match your specific requirements rather than forcing you into rigid tier structures.
For managed services, we typically work on 12-month initial contracts to allow sufficient time for value to be demonstrated and for both parties to build a strong working relationship. After the initial term, contracts typically move to 3-Year agreements with 90 days’ notice. We believe in earning your business through excellent service delivery rather than locking you into lengthy commitments. For project work, we work to fixed scopes and timelines with payment milestones aligned to deliverables. We’re always happy to discuss contract terms that work for your business.
No hidden costs. Our pricing is transparent and clearly documented in your agreement. Your monthly managed service fee covers all agreed services. If work falls outside the agreed scope — such as major projects, significant infrastructure changes, or additional locations — we’ll discuss this with you first and provide a clear quotation before proceeding. Third-party costs (such as software licences, connectivity services, or hardware) are always passed through at cost with no markup. Any on-site visits outside of planned maintenance are discussed and agreed in advance.
For managed services, we’re confident enough in our service delivery that we don’t typically offer trial periods — we’d rather invest that time in a proper onboarding process that sets us both up for success. However, for larger organisations or complex environments, we can structure phased onboarding where we start with a specific department or location, demonstrate value, and then expand coverage. For major projects, we often recommend starting with a paid discovery and design phase to ensure alignment before committing to full implementation.
Getting Started with Next2IT
Ready to take the next step? Here’s what you need to know about working with us.
It starts with a conversation. Simply get in touch via our contact form, email, or telephone, and we’ll schedule a no-obligation discovery call to understand your needs, challenges, and objectives. We’ll ask questions about your current environment, pain points, and what you’re looking to achieve. From there, we can arrange an initial assessment, provide a tailored proposal, and map out how we’d work together. The whole process is straightforward, jargon-free, and focused on understanding whether we’re a good fit for each other.
Our sweet spot is businesses with 500+ employees, though we work with organisations both smaller and larger depending on their complexity and requirements. We’re particularly well-suited to healthcare, veterinary or manufacturing companies, businesses running digital patient or manufacturing systems, organisations with multiple sites, and companies with complex IT infrastructure that requires expert management. If you’re an enterprise with complex requirements and need genuine expertise rather than just basic support, we’re likely a great fit.
Yes, we regularly take over from existing providers. We understand that transitions can be challenging, so we manage the entire handover process professionally and methodically. This includes knowledge transfer sessions with your outgoing provider, documentation review, systems audit, user interviews, and a phased transition plan that minimises disruption. We work to maintain positive relationships with outgoing providers where possible, as this benefits everyone — especially you. Our goal is a smooth transition where your users barely notice the change, except for improved service quality.
To provide an accurate quotation, we need to understand your environment and requirements. This typically includes the number of users, server count, network infrastructure (sites, connectivity, equipment), current technology stack, key applications (especially ERP systems), existing challenges or pain points, and what outcomes you’re looking to achieve. Don’t worry if you don’t have all this information readily available — we can work with you to gather it during our discovery process. For project work, we’ll need to understand the specific objectives, constraints, and success criteria.
Yes, we’re happy to provide references from existing clients and share relevant case studies that demonstrate our capabilities. Due to confidentiality agreements, we can’t always share specific client names publicly, but during our sales process we can arrange reference calls with similar businesses in similar situations. We can also share anonymised case studies that demonstrate our approach to common challenges such as ERP migrations, cloud transitions, network infrastructure projects, and ongoing managed services delivery. Our reputation is built on client satisfaction and long-term relationships.
Still Have Questions?
We’re here to help. Get in touch for a no-pressure, jargon-free conversation with our team about your IT requirements and how we can support your business.
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