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Switching IT provider

Changing IT support provider is more routine than it feels

Businesses put up with poor IT support for years because they imagine the switch will be worse than the problem. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so you can decide with the facts.

Plan your switchStart with a health check

In short

Switching IT support provider takes less time than you think, typically up to 2 days. The new provider audits the environment, deploys its monitoring, security and backup tooling alongside the incumbent, secures administrator credentials and documentation, briefs staff, then takes over support on an agreed date. Done properly there is no downtime, and your accounts, licences and data stay under your ownership throughout.

Should you switch?

Signs that it is time to move

  1. 01

    Slow or no response

    Tickets sit for days, calls go to voicemail, and staff have stopped reporting problems because nothing happens.

  2. 02

    The same faults keep coming back

    Symptoms get patched, causes never get fixed, and the invoice for the same issue arrives every month.

  3. 03

    Security is vague

    You cannot get a straight answer on MFA, EDR, patching or whether backups have ever been restored.

  4. 04

    Costs creep and nobody explains why

    Licences you do not recognise, chargeable visits that used to be included, a renewal you did not agree to.

  5. 05

    They have outgrown you, or you them

    Either you are too small to matter, or you have grown past what a one-person outfit can safely support.

  6. 06

    No plan, no reviews, no roadmap

    You have never had a conversation about where your IT is going, what will fail next or what it will cost.

Step by step

How the handover works

The same sequence we have used to take over from other providers, from single offices to multi-site businesses. Nothing is removed until the replacement is proven.

What stays exactly the same

  • Your Microsoft 365 tenant, email addresses and files
  • Your domain names and DNS, under your registrar account
  • Your licences, phone numbers and broadband contracts
  • Your staff's devices and the way they sign in
  1. 01

    Step 1

    Discovery

    An honest conversation about what has gone wrong, your contract and notice period, and whether we are a good fit.

    No contact with your current provider

  2. 02

    Step 2

    Secure audit

    Read-only review of users, devices, Microsoft 365, network, security and backups. Written scope, monthly price and transition plan.

    Nothing changes yet

  3. 03

    Step 3

    Access handover

    Administrator credentials, domains, licences and documentation secured under your ownership. Our tooling deployed alongside the incumbent.

    Your accounts, your data, at all times

  4. 04

    Step 4

    Stabilisation

    Backups verified, MFA and endpoint protection gaps closed, former staff and old provider access removed.

    Security improves before cut-over

  5. 05

    Step 5

    Migration

    Support moves to us on an agreed date. Staff get a new number to call and a short briefing. Anything intrusive happens out of hours.

    No downtime, no surprises

  6. 06

    After the switch

    Ongoing support

    Known backlog resolved, 30-day review held, and a roadmap agreed so nothing arrives as a surprise again.

    Reviews, reporting, a plan

Checklist

What we need from your current provider

Ask for these in writing before your notice period ends. Any reputable provider will supply them; the reaction to the request tells you a lot.
  • Administrator credentials for Microsoft 365, domain registrar, DNS, firewalls, servers and any cloud platforms
  • Licence and subscription details, including who is billed for Microsoft 365, backup, antivirus and domains
  • Network documentation, or access so we can document it ourselves
  • Backup configuration and the location of existing backup data
  • Supplier contacts and contract details for broadband, phones, printers and line-of-business software
  • A list of open tickets and known recurring problems

Why clients stay

What keeps clients with us once they have switched

Changing provider only pays off if the new relationship lasts. These are the reasons ours do.
IT helpdesk workstation with headsets, keyboards and monitors
  • 01

    Reliability and trust

    Dig IT Solutions understands our clients’ systems, people and business needs, and we have built a track record of resolving issues.

  • 02

    Good responsiveness

    We respond quickly when something goes wrong and resolve problems effectively.

  • 03

    Knowledge of the business

    Over time we become familiar with how our clients operate, so we can identify improvements proactively rather than simply responding to tickets.

  • 04

    Integrated services

    We handle Microsoft 365, networking, cyber security, cloud services, backups, devices and support together. A one-stop supplier is always more efficient than trying to coordinate several.

  • 05

    Predictable costs

    A managed IT agreement gives you a relatively predictable monthly cost, which is easier to budget for than unpredictable one-off bills.

  • 06

    Strategic relationship

    We contribute to technology planning, cyber security strategy, digital transformation and growth, so the relationship extends beyond basic IT support.

Plan your switch

Tell us where you are

A few details about your current arrangement let us come to the first conversation with a realistic timeline and a sense of the risks. No obligation and no contact with your current provider.

Prefer to read first? See the full switching guide and what to check in an IT support contract.

Town or postcode area helps us plan on-site cover

Approximate is fine; it shapes the handover plan

What is prompting the change?

No pressure and no auto-renewing quotes. Just a conversation with an engineer.

FAQ

Switching: the questions everyone asks

Straight answers. If yours is not here, call 020 8482 4020 or 01992 939 365 and ask an engineer.
Will there be downtime when we switch?
Not if it is done properly. Our tooling is deployed alongside your current provider's, and nothing is removed until the replacement is proven. The only change staff typically notice is a new number to call. Where a system genuinely has to be moved, for example email hosting, it is planned for a quiet period with a rollback option.
Can our current provider refuse to hand over passwords or block the move?
Your accounts, domains, licences and data belong to your business, and a reputable provider will hand over administrator access when the contract ends. If a provider is obstructive, we help you recover control through the platforms themselves, for example by proving domain ownership with Microsoft or the registrar, and we document everything so it cannot happen again.
What happens to our Microsoft 365?
Nothing disruptive. Microsoft 365 is your tenant, not the provider's. We become the delegated administrator, review licensing and security settings, and where a reseller relationship needs to move, arrange that with Microsoft. Mail and files stay where they are.
How long does switching take?
Less time than most people expect. The changeover itself typically takes up to 2 days, with multi-site businesses and poorly documented environments taking longer. Your notice period with the current provider is separate and often sets the overall date; we can support urgent issues from day one while the handover completes.
What information do we need to give you?
As much as you have: contracts, licence details, any documentation, and the names of your suppliers. If you have very little, that is common and not a problem. Discovery is designed to rebuild the picture from the systems themselves.
Will our staff be disrupted?
Staff receive a short briefing on how to get help and what will change, which is usually just the phone number and a new support agent icon on their machine. We schedule anything intrusive outside working hours and agree it with you first.
How do you check security during the handover?
Discovery includes an MFA and admin-role review, endpoint protection coverage, patch status, email security records, backup verification and a check for former staff and old provider accounts that still have access. Gaps are prioritised and closed straight away, with removal of the outgoing provider's access as a final step.

Next step

Talk to an engineer, not a sales script

Tell us what is not working, or what you are planning, and we will give you a straight view on what it would take to fix.

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020 8482 4020 01992 939 365 WhatsApp +44 7726 366420Mon–Fri 8:30am – 5:30pm
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