---
title: "Managed IT or break-fix? The numbers for 20 seats"
description: "Managed IT services or repair only when things break? The numbers in euros for 20 seats, when each model pays off and how to switch. No-obligation proposal."
language: en
url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-vs-break-fix-sme-costs/
source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-vs-break-fix-sme-costs/
publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal
---

> Managed IT services or repair only when things break? The numbers in euros for 20 seats, when each model pays off and how to switch. No-obligation proposal.

# Managed IT or break-fix? The numbers for 20 seats

At a glance For decision-makers short on time.

- 01 In the 20-workstation example, the reactive model costs around €11,800 a year.
- 02 Proactive management wins back almost €7,800 a year in productivity and ad hoc engineer time.
- 03 Break-fix only pays off for cheap peripherals and equipment with no impact.
- 04 IT Unlimited from €395/month + VAT (Essential) or €750/month + VAT (Premium).

### In this article

**In a 20-workstation SME, waiting for a failure before calling someone costs around €11,800 a year in this article's example, and almost none of it appears on an invoice.** With managed IT services, the cost becomes fixed and known; with break-fix repairs, it arrives when it is least convenient. For everything that blocks the business when it fails (server, network, internet, email, backups), proactive management wins within twelve months. Ad hoc repair only makes sense for what is cheap, replaceable and has no impact. We do the numbers in euros so you can redo them with your own figures.

## Where is the real cost of break-fix repair hidden?

In people standing idle. The reactive model looks cheap because the biggest expense has no invoice: it is the team's time waiting for someone to fix things. In the 20-workstation scenario we use below, between lost hours and an engineer called out by the hour, the annual bill reaches €11,800.

Think of a company car. Some only take it to the garage when it breaks down on the motorway. Others have it serviced, change the tyres before the limit and have warning lights on the dashboard. Both end up with the car fixed. Only the second does not miss the meeting.

## Reactive or managed IT: what changes day to day?

| Aspect | Break-fix repair | Managed IT services |
| --- | --- | --- |
| When action is taken | After it stops | Before, with a defined plan |
| Budget | Nobody knows, until there is a crisis | Fixed, predictable monthly fee |
| Who raises the alarm | The employee who can no longer work | Monitoring, often first |
| Response time | Whenever an engineer is available | Set in the contract |
| Repeat failures | They recur, because the symptom is treated | They disappear, because the cause is treated |
| Technical memory | Every job starts from scratch | Inventory and history always up to date |

## How much does repairing only when things break cost? The numbers for 20 workstations

This is an **illustrative example**, not a statistic. Replace each assumption with your company's real figure.

- **Size** 20 people with a workstation.
- **Hourly cost** €25 per employee, fully loaded.
- **Minor incidents** One per workstation every month (printer, password, slowness, email), each costing 1 hour including the wait.
- **One serious outage a year** Server, network or internet down, 8 hours with all 20 people unable to work.
- **Engineer called out by the hour** €60/hour, 30 hours a year, not counting travel.

| Item | Value per year | How it is calculated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minor incidents | €6,000 | 20 workstations, 12 months, 1 hour each, at €25 |
| Serious outage | €4,000 | 8 hours for 20 people at €25 |
| Engineer hours | €1,800 | €60 times 30 hours |
| **Annual total** | **€11,800** | |

And there is what does not go into the table: data lost for lack of a valid backup, delayed invoicing, clients kept waiting, overtime to catch up.

### How much is won back with proactive management?

Suppose monitoring, updates and contracted response times halve the minor incidents and cut the serious outage to 2 hours. Lost hours then come to €3,000 plus €1,000, i.e. €4,000. That is €6,000 of productivity returned, plus the €1,800 of engineer time that no longer exists: almost €7,800 a year, which covers the monthly fee in whole or in part. And that is before counting the risk of data loss avoided.

The cost of an hour of downtime varies widely from company to company. Calculate yours with the guide [what an hour without systems costs your business](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/cost-of-it-downtime-calculation/).

## What does an MSP do that a repair does not?

- **Security patches** Installed in a controlled way and, wherever possible, outside working hours.
- **Daily backups with tested restores** Without a test, a backup is just a hope; see our [managed backup](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-backup-services-portugal/).
- **Automatic alerts** On disks, servers, firewalls, network and internet connections, delivered to engineers rather than users.
- **Access control** Leavers' accounts disabled, excess permissions removed.
- **Lifecycle** Warranties and end of support inventoried, so replacements happen by plan rather than emergency; reference timelines in [when to replace company computers](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-estate-lifecycle-renewal-disposal/).
- **Reporting to management** What was done, what is at risk, what comes next.

We explore this difference in [proactive monitoring and reactive support compared](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/noc-proactive-monitoring-vs-reactive/).

## When does ad hoc repair still pay off?

- **Low-cost peripherals** A mouse, keyboard or second monitor, with a spare in the cupboard.
- **Equipment with no data and no business impact** Such as a secondary printer.
- **Components** Those that can be swapped faster than they could be diagnosed.

The mistake is applying the same reasoning to the server, firewall, internet or email. There, every hour of downtime is multiplied by the number of people unable to work.

## What changes in the first month of managed IT?

- **Assessment**: every device, who uses it and what condition it is in.
- **Data protection**: an off-site copy created and a restore proven.
- **Monitoring**: alerts active on critical systems, calibrated not to create noise.
- **Scheduled maintenance**: updates and restarts in known windows.
- **Planned renewal**: replacements for the next two to three years already in the budget.

At DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting, these five steps open every [IT Unlimited](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-services/) contract. [Essential](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-essential-remote-managed-it/) costs from €395/month + VAT and provides remote and phone support, with no site visits. [Premium](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-premium-on-site-support/) costs from €750/month + VAT and adds unlimited on-site support. Monitoring with alerts and security are included in every plan.

## Proof: Boost Portugal, under monitoring since 2018

Boost Portugal, a tourism activities and alternative mobility operator born in Lisbon with the GoCar brand, contracted DataRoad in 2018: monthly support under an annual contract and continuous monitoring of all its information systems.

The scope includes ongoing user support, backups, maintenance of the IP phone system, redundant internet with failover, remote monitoring, alerting and availability reports. When one connection fails, the other takes over immediately; management receives reports. [Read the full Boost Portugal case study](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/boost-portugal-redundant-internet-managed-it/).

## Frequently asked questions

### With managed IT services, do failures stop altogether?

They do not stop, but they become rarer and less serious. The failure is detected early, there are tested backups to restore and the engineer knows the history of every device.

### Is monitoring the same as preventive management?

No. Monitoring observes and alerts; preventive management adds updates, backups, access control and planned renewal.

### With 15 workstations, is a contract worth it?

In most cases, yes, provided the company depends on email, shared files and the internet. Redo the numbers above with your own figures.

### Does DataRoad take on one-off repairs?

No. We only work under contract and with companies above 10 workstations. It is an annual contract with automatic renewal and no lock-in.

## Want your preventive plan in 5 working days?

We assess your estate and deliver a prioritised plan: what to monitor, the state of your backups and which renewals to bring forward. Request a no-commitment proposal.

**More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support.** Call +351 211 459 950 * or write to sales@dataroad.pt.

**Call to a Portuguese landline.*

Chosen by respected and international companies

★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews

★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews

DataRoad

## Related articles

[Managed IT and cybersecurityTeams on the move: securing laptops, phones and public Wi-FiThe real travel risk is an unencrypted lost laptop, not hotel Wi-Fi. With disk encryption, central management, MFA and a controlled connecti…12 October 2026 · 7 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-cybersecurity-travelling-teams/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityExternal attack surface: what the internet sees of your companyAutomated attacks hunt for vulnerable versions, and company size is irrelevant. In 2025, CERT.PT recorded 3,864 incidents, 40% more than in …12 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/external-attack-surface-managed-cybersecurity/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityNOC and managed cybersecurity: who watches your SME, and whenThe question is not whether you have a SOC: it is who receives the alert at 10 pm on a Saturday and what they do next. At DataRoad, nights, …12 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/noc-managed-cybersecurity-sme/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityMicrosoft 365 security: the 10 controls that are yoursIn Microsoft 365, the platform is Microsoft's and the keys are yours. According to Microsoft, MFA and blocking legacy authentication stop mo…12 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/microsoft-365-managed-cybersecurity-shared-responsibility/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityGDPR and managed cybersecurity: 10 technical controls to proveWithout documented technical measures, a data breach turns from an IT incident into a problem with the regulator. Ten controls in three bloc…12 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/gdpr-managed-cybersecurity-10-technical-measures/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityExposed passwords: audit your domain and close the door in 5 daysThe risk is not the email appearing in a breach: it is the same password opening a work account. Change what is exposed, MFA on every accoun…12 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/company-credentials-data-breach-check/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityAsset inventory: the basis of IT estate management and NIS2Without an asset inventory there is no planned renewal, no demonstrable security and no answer to CNCS. NIS2 entities must submit the list o…12 October 2026 · 7 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-asset-inventory-management-nis2/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityBreak-glass accounts in Microsoft 365: your company's insuranceA locked-out admin can leave email, Teams and files unmanaged for days. Break-glass accounts are the reserve administrator you only use when…12 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/microsoft-365-break-glass-accounts/)[Managed IT and cybersecurityWindows 365 for business: when a cloud PC cuts costsA cloud PC pays off for consultants, seasonal staff, teams without an office and mixed Mac and Windows estates. For video, CAD or weak inter…12 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/windows-365-business-cloud-pc-costs/)

Numbers you can verify

**11** years in business

**232** clients

**< 10 min** average response time

**15+** IT vendor certifications

**10+** Countries with clients supported

**5.0 ★** 52 Google reviews

Transparency

## What many providers hide, we publish.

[See plans and prices →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/it-unlimited/)

- **Prices upfront** Essential from €395/month + VAT, Premium from €750 and Premium 365 from €1,200.
- **No lock-in** Annual contract, no lock-in and no joining fees.
- **Everything in writing** What is included, the scope and the price, before you sign.
- **Support without counted hours** Remote and phone in every plan; on-site support from Premium.

Partners and certifications

DataRoad · IT Unlimited

## One StepAhead of IT.

Predictability is a service: the same fee every month, requests without counting hours and an SLA written into the contract.

- **232** clients under management
- **5 ★** on Google · 52 reviews
- **10+** workstations: our minimum per client

We do **IT** right.

DataRoad IT Unlimited

## Have your backups ever been put to the test?

Automated, monitored backups stored off site.

[Request a proposal, no commitment →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#contact)+351 211 459 950 **Call to a Portuguese landline · More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support[Not sure what you need? Talk to the assistant →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#assistente)

---
Versão HTML desta página: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-vs-break-fix-sme-costs/