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Managed IT services for Erie businesses
Erie companies hire Ford to run IT so they don't have to hire for it. A help desk staffed by Ford employees, a managed and monitored network, cloud and Microsoft 365, tested backups and hardware, sized for a small or mid-size business. Ask our team for a quote.
Why Erie businesses call
- Tickets to the current provider take days, and the fix is usually a callback.
- The in-house IT person left and nobody has the passwords.
- You're opening a second location or moving offices.
- Microsoft 365 got set up years ago and nobody owns it.
- You want problems caught before staff notice them, not after.
If any of those sound familiar, start with the free assessment. It's the same first step for every client.
Erie office
4525 W Ridge RdErie, PA 16506
(800) 633-3673
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
After hours, monitored systems still page our on-call team. Existing clients can also open a ticket any time through the help desk request page.
What's included
Managed IT is the core of what Ford does for Erie businesses. A single agreement covers the help desk, IT sized for small and mid-size companies, network management, monitoring and maintenance, cloud and Microsoft 365, backups, outsourced or co-managed IT and a security baseline. Companies that need 24/7 threat response, phishing training or compliance support add managed cybersecurity under the same agreement.
An in-house help desk that picks up the phone
Somebody's email stopped syncing, the printer says offline, the new hire can't log in. Those calls go to a person who works for Ford, not a call center. Most get fixed remotely on the first call. Anything that needs hands on a machine gets a technician dispatched.
IT sized for small and mid-size businesses
A ten-person office and a 150-person company need the same things from IT, just not the same amount of them. Packages are priced per user, so a small Erie business gets the help desk, monitoring and backups without paying for enterprise extras, and a growing one adds what it needs when it needs it.
Network management and support
Slow Wi-Fi, a switch that reboots itself, a firewall nobody has logged into since it was installed. We take over the whole network in your Erie office, monitor it around the clock, plan replacements before something fails, and handle the design work when you move or open a second location.
24/7 monitoring and proactive maintenance
Every server and workstation in your Erie office runs an agent that tells us when a drive is filling up, a backup failed, a patch didn't take or a machine keeps rebooting. We fix it, usually before your staff notice. Updates go out on a schedule you approve, outside your busy hours.
Cloud services and Microsoft 365
Not everything belongs in the cloud, and we'll say so. Email and files almost always do. The old accounting server sometimes doesn't. We sort out which is which, migrate what should move, and manage the Microsoft 365 licensing and security settings that come with it.
Backup and disaster recovery
Servers, workstations and virtual machines get backed up, and we test the restores because an untested backup is a hope, not a plan. A written recovery plan says who does what if the office is offline on a Monday morning. Ransomware is survivable when the backup is clean and separate from the network.
Outsourced and co-managed IT
Fully outsourced means we are your IT department. Co-managed means your IT person keeps the parts they're good at and we take the help desk, monitoring, security or projects off their plate. Erie businesses run both. The agreement is written around what you actually need, and it changes when your business does.
The security baseline
Every managed IT client gets a baseline of security, patching, EDR, two-factor and backups. Companies that need monitoring around the clock, phishing training, dark web monitoring, penetration testing or compliance support add the security package. The Erie cybersecurity page linked below explains it.
Who this is for
Companies with roughly 10 to 250 employees that need IT handled and don't want to build a department to do it. It fits Erie's manufacturers and plastics shops, medical practices, insurance agencies, law and accounting firms, and nonprofits.
It works fully outsourced or alongside your own IT person. Companies that also need monitoring around the clock, phishing training and compliance support add the Erie cybersecurity services, usually under the same agreement.
How it works
Talk
A 20-minute call about what you run, what's frustrating, and what you'd like IT to stop being.
Assess
We inventory your Erie environment, document what's there, and write up what should change first, whether or not you hire us.
Decide
We propose a package, a flat monthly price per user, and a start date. No surprise line items later.
Onboard
Monitoring agents go on every machine, the help desk gets your account, backups start, and your staff gets the number to call.
Review
Quarterly business reviews go over what we fixed, what changed, and what to budget for next.
Packages
Proactive Managed IT with On-Site Support
Help desk, monitoring, patching, EDR, two-factor and training, plus scheduled on-site visits and a technology consultant who knows your setup.
Enhanced Remote Managed IT
The same help desk, monitoring and security baseline, delivered remotely for offices that rarely need someone in the building.
Proactive Network Infrastructure Management
Switches, firewalls, Wi-Fi and cabling monitored and maintained, with design and upgrades when you move or grow.
Essential Network Security and Support
Firewall, monitoring and baseline protection for offices that have an IT person and need the security layer covered.
Prices are per user per month and depend on how much of the work you hand over. The free assessment sets the number, and the number stays flat.
What clients say
"When you call, they answer the phone and you don't have a waiting time. They are an awesome company and have been doing business with them since 2006 in Uniontown, PA."
"Repaired within 1 day of calling to report the issue. Martin was professional and pleasant. He explained the repair and tests completed to make sure the problem was solved."
Questions Erie businesses ask an IT company
How much do managed IT services cost in Erie?
It's a flat monthly fee per user that depends on headcount and how much of the work you want us to take on. Fully outsourced costs more than co-managed with your own IT person. The assessment is free and it produces a fixed quote. Call (800) 633-3673 or use the form below.
Do you have an office in Erie?
Yes. 4525 W Ridge Rd, Erie, PA 16506, in Millcreek, open Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.
Who answers when our Erie office calls?
A Ford employee, with your account open. Not an outsourced agent halfway around the world. Most tickets get fixed on that first call, and the ones that need a visit get a technician scheduled.
Do we have to replace our IT person?
No. Plenty of clients keep their IT person and hand us the help desk, the monitoring or the security layer so that person can do the work only they can do. If they leave, we cover the gap until you decide whether to hire again.
Can you replace an IT person who is leaving?
Yes, and it's one of the most common reasons an Erie company calls. We document what they knew, take over the help desk and monitoring, and keep the parts of their setup that work. If you'd rather hire again, we can cover the gap until you do.
Do you serve businesses outside Erie?
Yes. All of Erie County and most of Crawford and Warren Counties. Millcreek, Harborcreek, Fairview, North East, Edinboro and Meadville are regular stops.
Need monitoring around the clock and phishing training too?
24/7 threat response, security assessments, dark web monitoring, penetration testing and compliance support are on our Erie cybersecurity services page. Most clients run both under one agreement.
Areas we serve around Erie
- Erie and Downtown
- Millcreek and Summit
- Harborcreek and Wesleyville
- Fairview and Girard
- North East
- Edinboro and Waterford
- Corry and Union City
- Lake City and Albion
- Meadville and Conneaut Lake
- Erie County
- Crawford County
- Warren County
Get a free IT assessment
Tell us a little about your company and we'll set up a 20-minute call. If you'd rather talk now, the phone gets answered by a Ford employee, not a call center.
(800) 633-3673Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Existing clients with an urgent issue should use the help desk request form.
What happens next
- A 20-minute call about what you run and what worries you.
- A free inventory and scan of your environment.
- A written report of what's exposed and a fixed monthly quote.
No obligation. The report is yours whether or not you hire us.