How to run IT without the drama.
Plain advice from the people who run Ceifa: security, service delivery, pricing, and what to ask before you trust anyone with your IT.
IT Strategy
How to build next year's IT budget
Most IT budgets are last year plus a bit. Here is how to structure one that separates what you know from what you are guessing, and present it in terms leadership can decide on.
Clod Feijao
· 6 min read
IT Strategy
Planning a network and firewall refresh without downtime
Replacing a firewall or network does not have to mean a lost day. Here is how to tell when it is due, what to assess first and how to stage the cutover.
Helio Pereira
· 7 min read
Service Delivery
Proactive IT: what maintenance looks like week to week
Every provider says it is proactive. Here is what that work actually looks like on a weekly, monthly and quarterly rhythm, and how to tell if it is happening.
Elian Figueiredo
· 6 min read
IT Strategy
In-house IT, outsourced IT, or both?
Should you hire someone for IT, outsource it, or do both? Each option has honest trade-offs, and the right answer depends on a few questions only you can answer.
Clod Feijao
· 5 min read
Managed IT
IT documentation is an asset your business owns
Good IT documentation means you are never dependent on one person or one provider. Here is what it should contain and how to keep it useful.
Helio Pereira
· 6 min read
Managed IT
Employee onboarding and offboarding: an IT checklist
Most access problems start on day one or linger after the last day. Here is the IT checklist we use to get both right.
Elian Figueiredo
· 6 min read
Buying IT Services
Questions to ask an MSP before you sign
Your MSP will hold the keys to your systems, so ask hard questions first. These are the ones I would ask if I were on your side of the table.
Clod Feijao
· 6 min read
Managed IT
Why a standard laptop fleet costs less to support
A fleet of mixed laptops costs more than the invoices show. Here is how standard models, planned refresh cycles and zero-touch provisioning bring support costs down.
Helio Pereira
· 7 min read
Service Delivery
How to read your monthly IT report
A monthly IT report is only useful if you know what to look for. Here are the numbers that matter and the questions worth asking about them.
Elian Figueiredo
· 6 min read
Buying IT Services
How to switch IT providers without the drama
Changing IT providers feels risky, but with a plan it is mostly paperwork and patience. Here is what to check, what to demand, and how to run the first 90 days.
Clod Feijao
· 5 min read
Security
Backups you have never restored are a guess
A backup job that reports success is not proof you can recover. Here is how to set recovery targets in plain language and test them before you need them.
Helio Pereira
· 7 min read
Managed IT
Co-managed IT: how to split the work with an MSP
Co-managed IT works when everyone knows who owns what. Here is how to divide the work, share the tools and escalate without stepping on toes.
Elian Figueiredo
· 7 min read
Buying IT Services
Flat fee, block hours or break/fix: IT pricing compared
The way you pay for IT shapes how your provider behaves. Here is how the three common pricing models work, what each one rewards, and where the hidden costs sit.
Clod Feijao
· 6 min read
Security
The security baseline every client should have on day one
The controls every managed client should have from the first day, and why one standard applied to everyone protects you better than a custom setup full of exceptions.
Helio Pereira
· 8 min read
Service Delivery
What a 30-minute critical response really means
A 30-minute critical response is a promise about attention, not a stopwatch on the fix. Here is how priorities work and how to get your ticket resolved faster.
Elian Figueiredo
· 8 min read