Currently exploring options for a managed IT service provider.
The needs would be to maintain a network file and email server, physically located in an office in south Calgary, that 3 employees access 100% remote all the time. File server basically just holds excel, word, and pdf files (although requires fast transfer/access because usually multiples of the same excel file will be open doing financial calculations) and have proper backup and security. Servers already exist, nothing needs to be built, but they would take over maintenance of them (part replacement, etc.). If requirement is they build a new server so they're familiar with their setup, I'm not opposed to that.
Does anybody have any recommendations to look at - I've spoken to a few companies but either the needs are too small for them to want to do (i.e., they want atleast 20-50 staff to take care of) or it's clear when there are issues I'm going to be put on hold with "Bob" in India (has to be local support).
Also, any thoughts on what a fair price for the above is. $10k/yr? $20k? $30k?
I could do it myself, but my knowledge of network security is weak (my solution is localhost and sandbox everything) so I'd rather have some experience handling it given cyber security is critical today.