FAQs

Explore Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), with answers provided by our team of local IT experts. 

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Top 20 Questions Clients Ask Managed Service Providers

Searching for answers to your burning IT questions? Our comprehensive FAQs are the place to start. 

1. What services are included in your managed services agreement?
ETTE’s managed IT services plans cover help desk and user support, on-site and remote troubleshooting, proactive system monitoring, cybersecurity tools (endpoint protection, managed firewall, SOC monitoring), cloud solutions and managed hosting, backup and disaster recovery, patch management, vendor coordination, and strategic IT consulting. 
 
We also offer compliance services, security awareness training through Cyberhoot, technical security assessments, hardware procurement, and network design. There is no one-size-fits-all. We document your environment and build a plan around what you actually need. 
 
We use a per-user pricing model. Each month, we count your user accounts (Microsoft 365, Active Directory, or Google Workspaces), so you only pay for what you use. Full-service plans generally start at $150 per user per month, which includes help desk support, on-site support, and security tools. 
 
Your monthly bill is predictable and scales with your team. If your headcount grows or shrinks, your costs follow. We will let you know before any supplemental services are added to your bill. No hidden fees, no surprises. 
 
Our help desk and support team is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. We set maximum response time targets by ticket severity: 20 minutes for urgent outages, 60 minutes for high-priority issues, 90 minutes for normal requests, and 8 hours for change requests. In practice, our average initial response across all priorities is typically under 30 minutes. 
 
When your team has a tech issue, they are not a ticket number in a far-off call center. Our engineers in Washington, DC, and South America know your systems, your people, and your setup. That is the “Whatever It Takes” culture we operate on. 
 
We build security in layers. Every managed client gets SentinelOne endpoint protection with full Managed Detection and Response (MDR) through Guardz, which means a dedicated Security Operations Center monitors your devices 24/7/365. On top of that: managed firewall, web filtering, and advanced email security that uses AI to catch phishing and business email compromise attacks before they hit your inbox. 
 
We also run security awareness training through Cyberhoot, set up data loss prevention, remote access VPN, and network segmentation. When you want a deeper look, our technical security assessments include penetration testing and a prioritized remediation roadmap for anything we find. 
 
Yes. We handle cloud migration, ongoing management, and hybrid infrastructure support. Whether you are moving to the cloud, already there, or running a mix, we can manage it. 
 
We also operate our own managed cloud infrastructure, powered by Dell 14th-generation servers with solid-state drives, hosted at a Tier IV DataBridge Sites datacenter in Silver Spring, MD. That facility holds SOC 2, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, HIPAA-HITECH, and FISMA certifications, with 100% uptime records and 24/7/365 on-site security. 
 
We set up automated backups, test recovery procedures, and build disaster recovery plans so your team knows exactly what to do if something goes wrong. If a disaster hits, remote services let your business keep running from any location. 
 
As part of our services, we verify that your backup systems are running at the right intervals and actually working. A backup that has never been tested is not a backup. We make sure yours hold up. 
 
This is something we have done well for a long time. When COVID-19 hit, we helped clients move to remote operations quickly, and multiple client testimonials specifically mention how responsive we were during that transition. 
 
For remote and hybrid teams, we provide secure VPN access, endpoint management, cloud-based collaboration tools, and remote troubleshooting. Your people get the same fast help whether they are at the DC office or working from home. 
 
User provisioning and deprovisioning are built into our per-user service model. We track user accounts monthly (whether that’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or Active Directory), so adding new users and removing departing staff is part of the standard workflow: account creation, access control, equipment setup, and secure deprovisioning. 
 
When we onboard a new client organization, our Smooth Start process covers a full inventory and risk review to stabilize your environment quickly and make the transition from your previous provider as painless as possible. 
 
We give you visibility into system health, ticket volume, resolution metrics, and security posture. You will know what is working, what needs attention, and what is coming down the road before it becomes a problem. 
 
Reporting cadence and format are set to match what works for your team. Beyond operational metrics, our strategic IT planning conversations connect technology investments to your organizational goals. 
 
ETTE is not a break-fix shop. Strategic IT consulting is one of the main reasons nonprofits and small businesses in Washington, DC choose us as their managed service provider. We do technology roadmapping, infrastructure evaluation, digital transformation consulting, and we tie IT investments directly to your mission and growth objectives. 
 
As our founder Lawrence Guyot puts it, we are a strategic partner that understands your organization’s needs and budgets. We assess your current technology, recommend upgrades where they will actually make a difference, manage projects from start to finish, and help you make sense of emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing. 
 
You get dedicated support engineers who know your name, your mission, and your systems. We do not outsource to strangers. Your support comes from our own team members in Washington, DC and South America, people who have been with ETTE for years and share our standards. 
 
You will have direct access to our team with clear escalation paths when needed. Our leadership, including founder Lawrence Guyot, stays personally engaged with client relationships. Multiple clients have been with us for over 15 years, and that kind of longevity does not happen by accident. 
 
ETTE provides managed IT services for nonprofits, small businesses, and associations in the Washington, DC area. These are organizations where IT needs to work, budgets are real constraints, and the mission matters more than the margins. We understand that world because we have been providing IT support in DC for 23+ years. 
 
Compliance is a core service area. We support organizations working through various compliance requirements. Where specialized compliance work is required, we often introduce partners to help address client needs specific to their industry. 
 
Our managed cloud infrastructure is hosted at DataBridge Sites facilities that hold SOC 2, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, HIPAA-HITECH, FDA, PCI, and FISMA certifications. We treat compliance as an ongoing process, not a checkbox. We have real-world experience with DFARS and CMMC, and we walk clients through what it takes to get and stay compliant. 
 
Every client is different, so every contract is different. Most agreements are for one year, with additional discounting for longer contracts. We start by sitting down with you to get a detailed understanding of your IT needs and do an honest inventory before proposing terms. We explain, in plain language, exactly why we recommend or do not recommend a particular service. 
 
We design agreements to be fair and transparent. Termination terms are spelled out in each agreement, and we don’t bury exit clauses or make it hard to leave. Our focus is on building long-term partnerships, and many of our client relationships span 15+ years. That kind of retention comes from delivering value, not from locking people in. 
 
Vendor coordination is part of the plan. We manage relationships with your ISPs, SaaS providers, hardware vendors, and other technology partners so your infrastructure works as one system instead of a collection of disconnected tools. 
 
Our hardware procurement service includes vendor management: consolidating vendors, negotiating better terms, building long-term partnerships, and making sure new hardware works with what you already have. We handle the complexity so your team does not have to. 
 
We deploy an enterprise-grade stack: SentinelOne for endpoint protection with Guardz MDR for 24/7 monitoring, Zorus for DNS filtering, managed firewall with intrusion prevention, Check Point for AI-native email security, and Cyberhoot for security awareness training. 
 
Our managed cloud runs on Dell 14th-generation servers with solid-state drives, connected to a 10 Gbps internet backbone, monitored at 30-second intervals. We partner with Microsoft for properly licensed server software. Every tool is selected for effectiveness and right-sized for each client. We do not oversell. 
 
We handle operating system updates, application patching across 135+ titles, driver updates, and feature rollouts on a schedule designed to minimize disruption to your staff. Every patch cycle is monitored, verified, and followed up on. If something fails, we catch it and resolve it before your team notices. 
 
Patch management is included in our standard managed services, not an add-on. We watch for vulnerabilities continuously and apply updates before they become exploitable. 
Yes. Our per-user pricing model is built to scale in both directions. As your team expands, your services expand with it. If it contracts, your costs adjust. Whether you need to add users, integrate new software, or expand your network, we make it straightforward. 
 
Our managed cloud infrastructure is built for growth, with data center facilities that support increasing power and space requirements. We have partnered with DC-area organizations through office moves, technology transitions, workforce changes, and growth spurts for over 23 years. 
 
We have clients who have been with us for 15+ years. That is not a talking point; it is something we can back up with references. Clients consistently highlight our responsiveness, technical knowledge, and the fact that our team feels like an extension of theirs. 
 
We are happy to connect you with current clients. Our retention speaks for itself. We earn continued business by delivering measurable value, not by making it hard to leave. 
 
ETTE’s help desk support runs Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Outside those hours, our Guardz Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service monitors for critical security threats 24/7. The Security Operations Center investigates alerts and escalates real incidents around the clock, so a breach at 2 AM still gets caught and contained. 
 
For after-hours IT support needs beyond security monitoring, we can structure additional terms within your service agreement. We are upfront about what is included in standard coverage and what carries extra cost, so there are never surprises. 
 
 
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