Running modern IT
Practical writing on patching, security, automation and the day-to-day of managing IT estates at scale, whether you run them for clients or for your own organisation.
From the founder
Opinion pieces on where IT tooling is going, written by the founder of Helios.
October 202620 posts
Atera discounts and annual deals: how to pay less, and when NinjaOne still works out cheaper
The real Atera discount is annual billing and the right tier, not a promo code. Worked examples show when NinjaOne's per-device price comes out cheaper.
17 October 2026Syncro vs SuperOps: which all-in-one MSP platform fits a small team
Syncro vs SuperOps for one to ten technician MSPs: pricing models, PSA depth, scripting, AI features and contract terms, with a clear verdict.
16 October 2026The MSP software price index, October 2026: published RMM and PSA rate cards in one table
MSP software price index, October 2026: published RMM and PSA rates, pricing units, contract terms and quote-only vendors, every row sourced and dated.
15 October 2026Atera ticket migration: what you can export, what migration services do, and when to archive instead
Atera ticket migration explained: what exports cleanly, where history and attachments lose fidelity, how migration services work, and when to archive.
14 October 2026IT Glue alternatives: documentation and credential vaults for small MSPs
IT Glue alternatives compared for small MSPs: Hudu, open-source wikis and vaults, and RMM-built documentation, judged on price, security and depth.
13 October 2026MSP billing software with time tracking: PSA options that sync to Xero and QuickBooks
MSP billing software with time tracking compared: how HaloPSA, ConnectWise, Autotask, Syncro and SuperOps handle contracts, hours allowances and Xero sync.
12 October 2026A Cyber Essentials checklist for Windows PCs (with the PowerShell to check each setting)
A Cyber Essentials checklist for Windows: twelve settings, the PowerShell to read each one, the value that passes and the command that fixes it.
11 October 2026Cyber Essentials for MSPs: how to get a client ready, control by control
Cyber Essentials for MSPs: what to check on every computer under each of the five controls, what only a person can answer, and where the time goes.
11 October 2026Cyber Essentials v3.3 (April 2026): what changed and what it means for your clients
The six changes in Cyber Essentials v3.3, quoted from the April 2026 requirements, plus the standing rules on updates, passwords and MFA.
11 October 2026Microsoft 365 management tools for MSPs: Lighthouse, CIPP, Augmentt and RMMs compared
Microsoft 365 management for MSPs compared: Lighthouse, CIPP, Augmentt and RMM modules on licences, MFA and cost, plus whether you need a tool at all.
11 October 2026MSP software with flat pricing: which vendors publish a price, and how to check it yourself
MSP software with flat pricing is rare. See which RMM and PSA vendors publish prices, which hide them, and how to build a price-checked shortlist.
10 October 2026How to export RMM scripts from NinjaOne, Atera and Datto before you cancel
How to export RMM scripts from NinjaOne, Atera and Datto RMM before cancelling, and catalogue them by job into a portable library you own.
9 October 2026Kaseya VSA pricing in 2026: per-endpoint cost, contract terms and what the IT Complete bundle really adds
Kaseya VSA pricing explained: reported per-endpoint ranges, 50-endpoint minimums, three-year terms, and worked totals against NinjaOne, Atera and Syncro.
8 October 2026N-able pricing explained: N-sight vs N-central costs, minimums and add-ons in 2026
N-able pricing explained for 2026: how N-sight and N-central are quoted, minimums, contract terms, paid add-ons and how to model your real total.
7 October 2026Can you run two RMM agents at once? A safe two-week overlap during a switch
Yes, you can run two RMM agents at the same time. Here is how to avoid patching clashes, AV false positives and policy fights during a two-week overlap.
6 October 2026SuperOps vs NinjaOne: AI features, pricing and fit for small MSPs
SuperOps vs NinjaOne for small MSPs: pricing transparency, RMM depth, PSA and what the AI really does, with a recommendation for each fleet size.
5 October 2026HaloPSA vs Syncro: full PSA depth or all-in-one simplicity
HaloPSA vs Syncro compared on ticketing depth, billing, implementation time and true cost once an RMM is included, and which MSP suits each.
4 October 2026Kaseya VSA pricing in 2026: what MSPs report paying, and what the contract adds
Kaseya VSA pricing is quote-only. What is publicly known, what is not, and how to sanity-check a VSA quote before you sign a multi-year term.
3 October 2026HaloPSA migration: exporting tickets, contracts and time to a unified RMM and PSA
A practical HaloPSA migration plan: export clients, contracts, tickets and time, rebuild SLAs, archive the rest and run a realistic cutover weekend.
2 October 2026Leaving Kaseya VSA: a migration plan that works around a multi-year contract
A Kaseya VSA migration plan built backwards from your contract end date: notice clauses, parallel running, moving agent procedures and policies.
1 October 2026September 202628 posts
Leaving Syncro: moving RMM, PSA and invoices off the platform in one go
A Syncro migration guide for MSPs using its billing too: what to export before cancelling, what breaks in transit and how to cut over cleanly.
30 September 2026Leaving Atera: how to migrate agents, scripts and tickets without losing an endpoint
A practical Atera migration plan: export devices, customers and tickets, port scripts, run two agents side by side and cut over with a rollback point.
29 September 2026Action1 alternatives: when free patching is not enough and you need the rest of the stack
Looking for an Action1 alternative? Work out whether you have a patching problem or a platform problem, and what bolting on a PSA or consolidating costs.
28 September 2026MSP margin per endpoint: the one number every owner should know
How to calculate MSP margin per endpoint: allocate tooling, licences and labour to each client, then rank your book by profitability within a week.
27 September 2026Remote access software for MSPs: is a separate remote tool still worth paying for?
Remote access software for MSPs compared: standalone tools vs RMM-bundled access on quality, unattended access, logging and cost per technician.
26 September 2026Microsoft 365 and Defender monitoring for MSPs: watching the tenant, not just the endpoint
Microsoft 365 and Defender monitoring for MSPs: the tenant signals endpoint tools miss, how vendors differ, and a checklist every client deserves.
25 September 2026RMM for internal IT teams: what changes when you are not an MSP
Choosing an RMM for an internal IT team? Which MSP features to ignore, what matters in-house, and how to size and price a 100 to 500 endpoint estate.
24 September 2026Atera vs NinjaOne vs Syncro: the honest three-way comparison for one to five technician MSPs
Atera vs NinjaOne vs Syncro for 1–5 technician MSPs: illustrative costs at 100, 250 and 500 endpoints in GBP and USD, features, support and migration.
23 September 2026MSP client portal software: what clients actually use and what they ignore
MSP client portal software only works if clients prefer it to email. What drives real adoption, what gets ignored, and what the major platforms charge.
22 September 2026Winget for patch management: automating third-party updates with Microsoft's package manager
Winget patch management, hands on: how winget sources packages, the upgrade commands that work at scale, pinning, and where winget alone falls short.
21 September 2026Third-party patch management software for MSPs: what to look for beyond Windows Update
Third party patch management software for MSPs: catalogue approaches, real costs, and the tests that score any tool against your estate in an afternoon.
20 September 2026What is AI auto-remediation? How self-healing IT actually works
AI auto remediation explained step by step: detection, investigation, fix, approval, execution and verification, plus the controls that make it safe.
19 September 2026RMM vs PSA vs endpoint management: which tool does what
RMM vs PSA vs endpoint management, untangled: devices, tickets and the business layer, plus a decision guide for MSPs and internal IT teams.
18 September 2026What is a PSA? Professional services automation for IT teams, explained
What is a PSA? What professional services automation actually covers, why MSPs run one with their RMM, and what doing it by hand is costing you.
17 September 2026Why MSPs leave Atera: the five complaints that recur in verified reviews, and which alternative fixes each one
Why MSPs leave Atera: five complaints that recur across verified reviews, worked pricing in pounds, and the alternative that fixes each one.
16 September 2026Leaving Datto RMM: how to migrate agents, ComStore scripts and policies without losing an endpoint
Leaving Datto RMM? A practical migration plan: export inventory, map ComStore scripts, rebuild policies, run agents side by side and cut over per site.
15 September 2026What is RMM? Remote monitoring and management explained in plain English
What is RMM? A plain-English guide to remote monitoring and management: agents, alerts, patching, and who needs one versus built-in tools.
14 September 2026RMM free trials without a credit card: what to test in your first 14 days
Which RMM vendors offer a free trial with no credit card, plus a day-by-day 14-day test plan: agents, patching, email ticketing and browser remote access.
13 September 2026MSP software with no long-term contract: why monthly billing changed the market
MSP software with no long term contract: why multi-year auto-renewals took over, how to read notice clauses, and which vendors offer real monthly terms.
12 September 2026The cheapest RMM for under 100 endpoints: real totals, not headline prices
The cheapest RMM for under 100 endpoints depends on the pricing model, not the vendor. Work out your true monthly total at 50, 75 and 100 devices.
11 September 2026The best PSA for small MSPs: ticketing, SLAs and time tracking without the enterprise weight
The best PSA for small MSPs judged on email-to-ticket, SLAs, portals, time capture and invoicing. A shortlist and the minimum your size actually needs.
10 September 2026RMM pricing in pounds: what UK MSPs actually pay at 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 endpoints
RMM pricing UK: what Atera, NinjaOne, Syncro, Datto RMM, N-able and Level cost in pounds at 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 endpoints, with VAT and add-ons.
9 September 2026Leaving NinjaOne: how to migrate off it without losing scripts, policies or endpoints
A practical NinjaOne migration guide: what exports, what must be rebuilt, script portability, agent removal at scale and a realistic 500-endpoint timeline.
7 September 2026RMM software in the UK: GBP pricing, VAT and support hours that match your day
What actually differs when UK MSPs buy RMM software: GBP pricing, VAT treatment, UK support hours and data residency. A checklist for any evaluation.
6 September 2026HaloPSA alternatives: the configuration tax and who should not pay it
Weighing a HaloPSA alternative? What Halo's setup really costs a small MSP, who truly needs its flexibility, and which tools trade depth for speed.
5 September 2026ConnectWise alternatives for small MSPs: when the platform is bigger than the business
Looking for a ConnectWise alternative? How one to ten technician MSPs compare lighter platforms on setup time, published pricing and contract terms.
4 September 2026How to switch RMM platforms without dropping a single endpoint
How to switch RMM platforms without losing an endpoint: audit what you use, run agents in parallel, follow a week-by-week plan and time the cancellation.
3 September 2026AI service desk for MSPs: from ticket triage to verified resolution
The maturity ladder for an AI service desk for MSPs: categorise, draft, answer, act, verify. Plus the guardrails and acceptance criteria for a fair trial.
1 September 2026August 202632 posts
NinjaOne alternatives compared: Atera, Syncro, SuperOps, Datto RMM and Level head to head, with real quote data
Every serious NinjaOne alternative compared at 300, 500 and 1,000 endpoints, with community-reported quote data NinjaOne itself will not publish.
31 August 2026Datto RMM alternatives compared: NinjaOne, Atera, Syncro, N-able and ConnectWise head to head
Datto RMM alternative shortlist: NinjaOne, Atera, Syncro, N-able and ConnectWise compared on pricing, migration effort and what you lose leaving Datto.
30 August 2026AI RMM software: what autonomous remediation really does, and what it should never do
AI RMM software claims range from summaries to real remediation. Five trial scenarios that separate AI that investigates from AI that narrates.
29 August 2026Flat rate RMM pricing: how it works and when it beats per-endpoint or per-tech
Flat rate RMM pricing explained: how banded flat fees work, the break-even points against per-tech and per-endpoint billing, and when flat rate loses.
28 August 2026All-in-one PSA and RMM software: what one platform should actually include
What all in one PSA and RMM software must include, plus a first-hour trial checklist to spot a true single platform vs. two products stapled together.
27 August 2026Syncro alternatives: when the per-user bundle costs more than the stack it replaced
The best Syncro alternative depends on how you'd rather pay and whether Syncro runs your billing. Per-endpoint, per-tech, PSA+RMM and flat-fee compared.
26 August 2026Datto RMM alternatives: getting out of a multi-year Kaseya contract
How to find your Datto RMM renewal and notice dates, compare Datto RMM alternatives on exit terms as well as features, and build a dated exit plan.
25 August 2026NinjaOne alternatives: escaping quote-only pricing and per-endpoint growth
Looking for a NinjaOne alternative? Compare the realistic options on published pricing, bundled service desk and migration effort before your renewal.
24 August 2026The real cost of RMM: add-ons, minimums and hidden fees vendors leave off the pricing page
RMM software cost is not the pricing page. Add-ons, minimums and quote-only fees explained, with worked bills at 250, 500 and 1,000 endpoints.
23 August 2026Atera alternatives compared: NinjaOne, Syncro, SuperOps, Halo and Level head to head
Six Atera alternatives compared by an MSP that ran the evaluations: pricing at 300 and 1,000 endpoints, what you gain, what you lose, migration effort.
22 August 2026Atera alternatives: what to look at when per-technician pricing stops making sense
Looking for an Atera alternative? What per-technician pricing costs a growing team, which tools are credible, and what actually transfers when you switch.
21 August 2026The best RMM for small MSPs: an honest shortlist for one to five technician teams
The best RMM for small MSPs, judged on time to value, pricing fit at 50 to 300 endpoints, and what is bundled. An honest shortlist with real trade-offs.
20 August 2026RMM pricing comparison 2026: what Atera, NinjaOne, Syncro, Datto and HaloPSA actually cost
An honest RMM pricing comparison for 2026: Atera, NinjaOne, Syncro, Datto and HaloPSA rates, with worked totals at 50, 250 and 500 endpoints.
19 August 2026IT support statistics UK 2026: costs, response times and what SMEs actually pay
IT support statistics UK 2026: sourced figures on cyber incidents, patching timelines and SME support costs, plus which popular numbers to distrust.
17 August 2026Cyber Essentials and Your RMM: Evidencing the Five Controls with Tooling You Already Run
Map Cyber Essentials to cyber essentials RMM evidence: what your monitoring and patching tooling can prove per control, and the gaps policy must cover.
16 August 2026We break our own servers on purpose
Everything we sell runs on us first. Why we stage real faults on our own infrastructure, let our own AI fix them, and publish the unretouched transcripts.
16 August 2026Co-Managed IT: How to Share a Ticket Queue Between In-House IT and an MSP
How to make the co-managed IT services model work day to day: responsibility splits, queue routing, permissions, escalation and blame-free reporting.
15 August 2026Backup Monitoring for MSPs: Catching Silent Failures Before the Restore Request
Backup monitoring for MSPs beyond the green tick: spot stale jobs and shrinking datasets, test restores on a cadence, and escalate missed jobs properly.
14 August 2026How to build an IT asset inventory you can actually trust
A six-step walkthrough for building an IT asset inventory that stays accurate: where to pull the data from, how to reconcile it, and the failure mode at every step.
13 August 2026AI Guardrails for IT Automation: Approvals, Scopes and Audit Trails That Keep You Safe
AI automation guardrails for IT: approval modes, allow-lists, blast-radius limits and audit trails, plus a written policy you can show a nervous client.
12 August 2026MSP security checklist: harden your own house first
A practical MSP security checklist: six controls that decide whether one phished technician credential becomes fifty breached client estates.
12 August 2026MSP Tooling Costs as a Percentage of MRR: How to Model It
How to model your MSP tooling cost percentage of revenue: build a tooling ledger, allocate costs per client and find the contracts quietly losing money.
12 August 2026The 3-2-1 backup rule: still right, no longer enough
The 3-2-1 backup rule is the most repeated advice in IT, and it is still sound. Here are the three modern failures it quietly says nothing about.
11 August 2026Business email compromise: anatomy of an attack that almost worked
Business email compromise rarely starts with the fake invoice. We trace one attack backwards, from payment to first sign-in, and the changes that stop the next.
10 August 2026How to choose an RMM: stop scoring feature lists
Every RMM ticks every feature box, so matrices can't pick a winner. Choose an RMM on what actually differs: failure behaviour, defaults and the exit.
9 August 2026Slow computer troubleshooting: find the real cause before you reimage
Every slow computer has one of a short list of real causes. How to tell disk, memory, background jobs, thermals and network apart before you reimage.
8 August 2026Shadow IT is feedback: stop blocking it and start reading it
Blocking shadow IT drives it underground and costs you visibility. Why every unsanctioned app is feedback, and how discovery and a faster yes beat prohibition.
7 August 2026IT onboarding checklist: the steps that get skipped and what they cost
An IT onboarding checklist with the reasoning attached: what to set up before day one, what to prove in the first hour, and what each skipped step costs later.
6 August 2026Co-managed IT: where the model works and where it quietly fails
Co-managed IT is growing fast and most of the advice about it is half right. Where the model genuinely works, where it quietly fails, and what to do instead.
5 August 2026Do phishing simulations work? The evidence says barely
A trial of 19,500 employees found phishing training barely moves click rates. Why phishing simulations keep failing, and what stops phishing instead.
3 August 2026MSP pricing models: per-device, per-user or flat fee?
An honest comparison of the three MSP pricing models, per-device, per-user and flat fee: how each one fails, and the hybrid most MSPs should actually run.
2 August 2026How fast should you patch? Faster than your rings allow
Exploits land in days; most estates patch in months. Why staged deployment rings are risk theatre for smaller fleets, and the faster patching cadence to run instead.
1 August 2026July 202614 posts
IT offboarding checklist: how a leaver's account becomes a breach
Around one in four ex-employees can still log in somewhere. Where IT offboarding really breaks, traced to root cause, and the checklist that closes every door.
31 July 2026Why Windows updates fail: how to find the real cause
Windows update failures have five causes: full disks, reboot loops, corruption, stale WSUS settings and absent machines. Spot and fix each one.
30 July 2026MSP client offboarding checklist: how to lose a client well
An MSP client offboarding checklist that protects both sides: notice and scope, inventory and credential handover, clean access removal and a final sign-off.
29 July 2026One person IT department: how to make it work
Most one person IT departments fail by copying how big teams work. The case for running IT as a system: standardise, automate, and staff for the residue.
28 July 2026Hardware refresh cycles: how often to replace laptops, desktops and servers
How often should you replace laptops, desktops and servers? Practical hardware refresh cycle guidance, replacement signals, and how to budget a rolling refresh.
27 July 2026Microsoft 365 security checklist: the ten settings to fix first
A practical Microsoft 365 security checklist: the ten settings to fix first, from MFA and legacy authentication to mail forwarding and offboarding.
26 July 2026Do you still need an MSP? An honest answer from someone who runs one
For twenty years the answer was automatic. AI changed what a platform can do unaided, so here is an honest look at when you still need an MSP and when you do not.
25 July 2026MSP QBR guide: quarterly business reviews clients actually value
What to put in an MSP QBR (and what to skip): a 45-minute agenda, the metrics that matter, and the mistakes that lose clients, prepped in under an hour.
25 July 2026MSP SLA response times: setting targets you can actually hit
What MSP SLA response times actually mean: realistic targets by priority, service credits, 24/7 cover and the reporting that keeps you out of breach.
24 July 2026MSP client onboarding checklist: the first 30 days done properly
A practical MSP client onboarding checklist: discovery, agent rollout, baselining patching, security and backups, and the 30-day review that sets margin.
23 July 2026Backup monitoring: why a green tick is not a restore
A successful backup job is not proof you can restore. A practical guide for MSPs and in-house IT: silent failure modes, the 3-2-1-1-0 rule and restore tests that fit a real week.
22 July 2026SMEs are not small enterprises: what the big IT tools keep getting wrong
Why the big IT platforms are built for the biggest buyers, how small organisations differ from enterprise, and what that means for in-house teams and MSPs.
22 July 2026Alert fatigue in IT: how to cut alert noise without missing real incidents
Alert fatigue is a configuration problem, not a staffing problem. A practical guide for MSPs and in-house IT teams on cutting alert noise at the source.
21 July 2026Third-party patching: why it is harder than Windows Update
Third-party patching hides your riskiest gaps: browsers, PDF readers, conferencing apps, all invisible to Windows Update dashboards.
21 July 2026No articles under that topic yet.