Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Managed IT Support Questions
Using Managed IT Services is a fancy way of saying you outsource IT tasks and issues to a dedicated IT Support company as a subscription or on-demand.
Depending on infrastructure complexity, the Managed IT Service provider can either supplement your existing IT Support team or take care of all of your business’ technical needs.
You probably don’t want to hear how we customize each Managed Support package precisely for your business’ or nonprofits’ needs. And that the price depends on details such as your:
o Need for on-demand or ongoing services
o Number of devices you need to support
o Need for server or Cloud services support
o Need for a VoIP phone system support
o Need for advanced threat protection
o Requirements for onsite IT support, and more
…so, the bare bones IT Support packages start at $115 per user per month. However, we offer a free estimate after analyzing your business and propose a tailored solution. To get started, fill out the form on this page.
It sure does! We love organizations with a mission. We have a deep understanding of NPOs fiscal responsibilities, as well as knowing how important it is to keep your donors’ and members’ data secure. Perfectly mixed and matched tech helps you reach more people and move your mission forward.
We are already supporting many nonprofits in Chicago to help them harness technology, and we offer packages customized for the needs and budgets of nonprofit organizations.
o Need for on-demand or ongoing services
o Number of devices you need to support
o Need for server or Cloud services support
o Need for a VoIP phone system support
o Need for advanced threat protection
o Requirements for onsite IT support, and more
…so, the bare bones IT Support packages start at $115 per user per month. However, we offer a free estimate after analyzing your business and propose a tailored solution. To get started, fill out the form on this page.
Ah, thought you’d never ask. Managed IT Support services are perfect for SMBs and nonprofit organizations without the budget for a dedicated in-house IT team, but who are expanding or outgrowing their current IT team.
Here’s the gist:
- Outsourcing IT is much more budget-friendly compared to an in-house team
- You don’t need to rely on one person or sacrifice support speed for price
- You won’t be operating in the technical middle ages, as we help you get up-to-speed with modern tech
- You can budget for IT and get tangible results from your IT investment
- You can breathe a little easier, knowing we have your and your data’s back
Here’s the benefits we add:
- All employees use just one phone number and email for any IT issue
- We keep all infrastructure info and logs in a secure vault to always stay on top of your tech
- We keep you informed of the latest technology that we think would benefit your business
- We protect your data and devices from failures, hacks, and other dangers
We are big on tailoring packages around your business, so you don’t pay for what you don’t need. We build relationships with your team and provide a point of contact for each employee. Lastly, it takes an SMB to know an SMB, and we have seen first-hand how large providers tend to let smaller clients fall through cracks.
Our flat rate proactive maintenance packages help eliminate sudden issues that bring all work to a halt. We work to ensure your network and IT infrastructure is in great shape. You won’t even know you had something looming over your head.
You also don’t have to worry about unexpected costs or surprise bills – just pay a flat rate for as many computers you wish to support, and get access to personalized, tailored support from people who know what your business is all about.
Read more about our IT Support packages.
We get it. Our sprawling office is in the heart of Chicago, just a 20-minute drive from downtown. Need a tech to come onsite? Prefer face-to-face meetings? We got you covered with all Managed IT Support in Chicago and the general Chicagoland area.
Does distance make your heart grow fonder? We also have clients in several states across the United States who we support remotely, so we know how to make it work.
Signing up with a Managed Services Provider is a long-term business relationship. Would you pick a house or a partner based on a few sentences? Running a business is a lot of work, so we won’t waste your time. But we will give you tips and advice on how to run your business more efficiently from the get-go.
Each package is tailored to you. We provide you with a list of recommended services, and you have the full freedom to pick which services will work best for your business.
We offer Cloud Services for Small Business in Chicago, including setting up and managing Microsoft 365, Azure Virtual Desktops and Azure Cloud setup and maintenance.
We can certainly add it to your plan! We will gather details and discuss the necessary steps to either set up or support your business phone system.
We would be delighted to help a small business or nonprofit! Just give us a call at 773-907-0600 and a friendly and skilled PRO will give you some tips on your issue, practical IT advice or a second opinion.
If you’re looking to discuss your whole IT infrastructure and possible changes in more detailed – no strings attached – please schedule a free web meeting with a PRO.
Frequently Asked Help Desk Support Questions
We sure do! For those urgent IT issues (server down, network outage, etc.) we dispatch a technician to your Chicago location ASAP. To get started, call 773-907-0600 and let us know what issues you’re experiencing.
Yes — in fact, our services are specially designed for Chicago small- to medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations. We customize each package precisely for your needs to make sure you you’re not paying for what you don’t need but still get all the IT Support your growing business needs.
Our sweet spot for helping companies utilize technology is from 10 users to about 75 users. We can work with companies outside of that range, but that’s what we focus on.
Yes — PRO specializes in supporting Small- to Medium-sized businesses in the Chicagoland area. Our IT team supports businesses as small as just 5 employees and successfully scale up to businesses of 75+ employees.
We love sharing our knowledge and expertise in a project setting! Our experienced IT consultants provide top-notch IT Consulting Services for small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Chicago. Some of our areas of expertise include:
- Cloud Services
- Wiring Services
- Network Infrastructure Upgrades
- Email Migration
- Network Security Assessments
- Server Setup and Implementation
- Strategic IT Planning, and more
Read more about our IT Consulting services.
Excellent question 😉
We love working with companies that are open to letting technology transform their day-to-day business operations. Reach out to ask and just say ‘I want to make my business more efficient. How do I do that?’ and we will research, sketch and explain how we would improve your operations.
You get a more optimized, professional, and competitive business, and we gain a cool client – win-win!
That’s our bread and butter. We do need something from you, though: you need to be able to turn your computer on and have a stable internet connection.
If you can do that, we can jump in and take care of the rest. To get started with a remote IT support session, call 773-907-0600 and describe the technical issue you are experiencing.
Small- to medium-sized businesses outsource their IT Support needs to a Managed Services Provider, such as Protek-IT.
Instead of paying for a full-time IT support person, it is much more cost-efficient and helpful to have a whole team of IT experts a phone call away. Especially if they are in it to win it, and care about the success of your business.
We help with all facets of IT, including security, maintenance, automation, communications, consulting and more.
We sure do. Protek-IT can either set up a whole new IT infrastructure in your Chicago office or supplement your current one. We have many successful relocation projects under our belt, and we will make sure your office relocation goes smoothly and your business has minimal downtime.
We LOVE Microsoft 365. We support Microsoft 365 environments, including providing employee training and ongoing assistance. We also help clients migrate from their current email service provider to the Microsoft 365 suite and ensure a streamlined experience. Training is half the battle when it comes to switching software, so all employees use software efficiently and uniformly.
Even if technology is not at the core of your business, you still use it every day. Partnering with a professional IT Support Company in Chicago allows you to gain an edge before your competitors and accomplish more – faster.
You can benefit from IT Support if you’re having issues with the following:
- Unexpected fees for failing hardware, network issues, product licenses, etc.
- Suffering from downtime
- Waiting for tech help or researching issues on your own, wasting valuable time
- You are missing an IT roadmap to better your business
- You can’t briefly describe the security features you have in place
- You don’t know who to call if you get stuck on a complicated tech issue
Frequently Asked Business Phone System Questions
Yes, you can keep your existing numbers when you move to Microsoft Teams. We will port your numbers to Teams, and Microsoft will become your new service provider.
You have several options:
- If you prefer a traditional physical office phone, we can set you up with a Teams compatible VoIP phone or headset to give you better mobility.
- You can simply use your computer/laptop/cell phone with the Teams app installed. Either use your cell phone like you would for personal calls (with the separate business number) or your computer with a microphone and headset.
The specific system depends on your business needs, budget, and other factors that we take into consideration during your free assessment.
We ask questions about how your business works and help you make an informed decision that you are happy with. But to answer the question in general — we prefer Teams Phone because it is part of the Microsoft ecosystem and really helps streamline work without the steep learning curve.
Frequently Asked IT Consulting and IT Project Management Questions
We charge $150 per hour for professional IT Consulting Services. Please reach out to us about your specific project or need to get an accurate estimation and price quote by filling out the form below.
Yes! We are constantly advancing our knowledge of new IT technology and keeping up with the changing technology. We understand how important it is to stay competitive by harnessing the help of cutting-edge tech, and specialize in tailoring technology around specific business needs.
We help clients with solutions that align with their business goals and make sure to take their budget into consideration. Small businesses can benefit immensely from Strategic IT planning, so with great IT strategy, you can expect:
– Less upkeep costs
– Less downtime
– Fewer tedious and time-consuming tasks
– Better data security
Yes, Protek-IT offers ongoing support after each project completion. This will ensure your employees will use technology most efficiently, free up time, and help make most out of your new tech.
Absolutely! Protek-IT’s certified and experienced Azure Cloud engineers are specialized in migrating on-premises business environments into virtualized ones. Let us know what your goals are (and don’t worry if you don’t know technical terms. We consider ourselves tech translators who translate issues into IT solutions!).
Frequently Asked SMB Cyber Security Questions
We send monthly phishing simulation emails to employees to keep them sharp about social engineering attempts. The simulations are accompanied by training videos, which walk each employee through the tell-tale signs that someone is trying to impersonate a person in power or otherwise gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
We also keep all employees aware of any credentials that have leaked to the Dark Web and ask them to follow password creation best-policies (complexity requirements, good password hygiene, no reusing, etc.)
The manager(s) at your work also have access to employee safety scores, so everyone is on the same page and we can focus on the most vulnerable employees.
No, you should only use one antivirus at a time. Not only will two or more antivirus programs make your device much slower, it can cause false positives and conflicts in software.
Just make sure the one you’re using is a good one — especially when it comes to business devices!
The details of our tailored solutions depend on your specific business type and even industry, but in general, we can break the it down as follows:
- Identify risk priorities
- Conduct penetration testing to detect security flaws
- Remediate security threats with improved network configuration and modification
- Train employees on phishing and social engineering
- Provide ongoing threat monitoring and analysis
- Act on immediate threats to neutralize any danger
- Provide a compliance audit, if needed
- Design and maintain a disaster recovery solution
- Implement cloud-based security features
- Proactively protect your devices
Frequently Asked Cloud Services Questions
Harnessing Cloud Services helps reach efficiency and cost-efficiency that hasn’t been achievable to small businesses in the past.
Azure Cloud Services, Windows 365 and Microsoft 365 allow employees to access their files and applications securely from anywhere and from any device without technical overhead and data safety concerns.
Since you only pay for what you use, it has proven to be affordable for even the smallest of businesses, making collaboration between employees and clients more streamlined while securing your data.
Yes, you can use Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 on a Mac. However, you will end up with what looks like a Windows operating system inside of your Mac computer, not virtualized MacOS. Imagine opening an ordinary app on your Mac – the app will just be Windows 10.
You can either download the desktop application or conveniently access the Virtual Desktop interface from your browser and get access to all Windows apps. You can also sync all files on your Mac computer to your Azure Virtual Desktop, or keep them separate – you are in control.
Yes, you can use both Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 without a PC. To access all your apps and data, all you need is an internet connection and a browser. You can easily use AVD on a smartphone or tablet (Android and iOS), and the interface will auto-adjust based on your screen size for a smooth and intuitive user experience.
Azure Virtual Desktop interface looks and feel almost identical to the local Windows 10 operating system you’re familiar with. You have access to the same functionality, applications, files, icons, and settings as on your physical computer.
Utilizing Azure Virtual Desktop doesn’t have a steep learning curve for end-users and feels intuitive from the get-go.
No, you need a stable internet connection to use Azure Virtual Desktop. Since your files and applications won’t live on your local device, you need to the connection to access them over the internet.
Yes, you can! There is no special limitations for the number of screens you use when working with Azure Virtual Desktop.
One of the main differences between a virtual and remote desktop is storage. With a remote desktop, all data is stored in the local device that you can then access remotely. With a virtual desktop, your data and apps are stored in the Cloud, accessible from any device and not prone to hardware failure.
To access your remote desktop, your computer needs to be turned on, while you can connect to a virtual desktop even if it’s turned off, which offers more reliability. Both sysytems require an internet connection.
Virtual desktops also offer more security as your data is stored centrally. If your device is stolen or hacked, data loss is not a significant issue.
Yes, you can deploy Windows 7 on your Azure Virtual Machine, and the virtualized version will be the only available Windows 7 that is safe to use after it’s End of Life Support. Azure Virtual Desktops running Windows 7 will keep receiving extended security patches, which you wouldn’t get on a local machine.
Microsoft 365 convenient suite includes the following Cloud-based business apps:
- Outlook for email and calendar
- Excel for data analysis
- Word for word/document processing
- PowerPoint for presentations
- OneNote for note taking
- Teams for web meetings and collaboration
- OneDrive for file sharing and storage
- SharePoint for team-based file sharing and collaboration
- Microsoft Defender for protection against hidden threats
- InTune for advanced device management and data protection
- Bookings for making online appointments
- PowerAutomate to eliminate repetitive administrative tasks
- The PROs help you set up your Microsoft 365 business suite, train your employees and leverage the built-in advanced security and intelligent
- Cloud services so you could focus on your work.
