Managed IT services since 1994: simple to deal with, transparent on pricing.
We fix it with proactive support that prevents problems and provides fast, friendly help. We secure it with cybersecurity, backup, and recovery built into every plan.
Managed IT services, answered directly
By Joe Engelking, CEO. Updated October 2026.
What is managed IT services?
Managed IT services means an outside team runs your day-to-day technology for a flat monthly fee. That covers monitoring your computers and network around the clock, fixing problems, keeping software patched, running backups, and answering your staff’s help requests. You get one accountable team instead of calling a different vendor each time something breaks.
How much does managed IT cost?
The price depends on how many people and devices you have, what you need to protect, and any compliance requirements, so we do not publish a one-size price. We quote a flat, predictable monthly plan after a short discovery call, and you get the quote the same day. There are no surprise line items.
What is the difference between managed IT and break-fix support?
Break-fix means you pay an hourly rate after something fails. Managed IT means you pay a flat monthly fee and the provider works to stop failures before they happen, through monitoring, patching, and tested backups. Break-fix can look cheaper until an outage or breach hits, because the provider earns more when your systems break.
Is managed IT worth it for a small business?
For most small businesses, yes, once you have more than a handful of computers or handle client data. A single outage or breach can cost more in lost work than months of prevention, and one internal person cannot cover vacations, sick days, and security at once. Very small offices with simple needs may manage with occasional help.
| Managed IT (LME) | Break-fix | One in-house IT person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Flat monthly fee | Hourly rate per incident | Salary, benefits, and tools |
| When problems get fixed | Monitoring catches many before you notice | After something breaks | During that one person’s working hours |
| Security and backups | Monitoring and tested backups are part of the plan | Usually a separate project | Depends on one person’s time |
| When someone is out | The team covers | Depends on availability | No coverage |
| Contract | One-year agreement, 90-day opt-out at LME | Pay as you go | Employment commitment |
What a half-finished Office 365 migration looks like
Prairie Contractors in Frankfort, Illinois hired an outside technician to set up Office 365 and move the company to the cloud. He failed midstream. Nothing had been migrated, and the team lost access to all of their old email.
That is when they called us. We stepped in, ran the full migration the right way, and set up Office 365 properly from the start. Then we put our managed IT approach in place:
- RMM automations that keep every computer monitored and patched
- Backups
- Security
- Help desk support for their staff
A cloud move is only finished when the old data is moved, the new setup is secured, and someone is accountable for it afterward.
Joe Engelking, CEO
What is the difference between IT services and IT consulting?
IT services are the ongoing work of running your technology: help desk, monitoring, patching, security, and backups. IT consulting is advice and project work, such as planning a migration, choosing systems, or reviewing your security. Most small businesses need both, and a managed provider can deliver both so the advice comes from people who already know your environment.
Stop fires before they start.
Proactive IT Support
We monitor your business for issues and threats around the clock, so small problems get resolved before they cost you time.
Backups & Protection
24×7 human protection and business recovery, so a bad day never turns into a bad month.
Competitive Pricing
Optimized IT that evolves with your business, so you get every cent of value out of your technology.
A top-rated managed IT services company at an SMB-friendly price.
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Real businesses, real relationships.
“When Joe assigned Ivan as our lead, we felt like we finally had IT solved. Ivan has been with us 24×7 and the team behind him makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.”
“They deliver on a wide breadth of IT services and ensure everything works correctly. With the personal touch of a small team, LME communicates efficiently and is instantly responsive by email or phone.”
Common questions about managed IT
Network and infrastructure buildout, systems monitoring, performance optimization, backup and disaster recovery, user training, and 24/7 support, all under one predictable plan.
Once we understand your goals on a discovery call, our team builds a tailored plan and pricing structure and delivers your quote the same day.
We focus on small and mid-sized businesses across legal, accounting, business services, non-profit, manufacturing, and financial services, primarily in Chicagoland.
It is a one-year agreement with a 90-day opt-out. You stay because it's working, not because you're locked into a contract.
Get every cent of value out of your tech.
Managed IT Services, Explained
Straight answers on what managed IT actually includes, how it works by industry, and what to look for in a provider.
"Every problem in this guide started as a 'quick fix' someone tried on their own, or a promise from a past provider that never quite got kept. The businesses that get the most out of managed IT are the ones that stop treating it as a grab-bag of tickets and start treating it as one system someone is actually accountable for. That is the difference I have seen matter most, and LME has been doing this since 1994."
— Joe Engelking, CEO
What Is Actually Included in Managed IT
- What Does "24/7 IT Support" Actually Mean?
- What Does 24/7 IT Monitoring Actually Catch?
- What IT Performance Optimization Actually Fixes
- What Does Network & Infrastructure Buildout Mean?
- CRM, Email & Cloud Tool Support: What Is Actually Included
- The Benefits of Proactive IT Support
- What Is an IT Services Continuity Plan?
- Why Employee IT Training Matters More Than a Better Firewall