For Adelaide businesses with 10 to 80 staff

Fractional IT Manager Adelaide

Most businesses with 10 to 80 staff have outgrown “whoever is good with computers” but can't justify a full-time IT manager. Essetech gives you an experienced IT manager for a set number of days each month. We plan your IT, manage your vendors, keep Microsoft 365 secure and report to your leadership team.

Book a Free Initial Chat 0404 311 791

Who a fractional IT manager suits

This service is built for Adelaide businesses with roughly 10 to 80 staff and no IT manager. Usually someone in the business has ended up owning IT on top of their real job: the office manager, the finance lead or one of the owners.

They approve invoices from the IT provider without knowing whether the price is right, and nobody has a plan for the next two years.

It's a good fit if:

You pay an IT provider or several vendors and aren't sure what you're getting for the money.
A client, insurer or auditor has asked about your cyber security and you couldn't answer with confidence.
You have a project coming up, such as an office move, a Microsoft 365 migration or an AI rollout, and nobody to run it.
Your board or owners want regular, plain reporting on IT risk and spend.

What a month includes

Days on site

You get a set number of days at your office each month. Staff can raise problems face to face, and we can see how people actually work. Between visits we're available by phone and email for questions and decisions.

Vendor management

We deal with your IT provider, internet and phone carriers, software vendors and printer leases for you. That means reviewing contracts and renewals, checking that support tickets are handled properly, and pushing back on quotes that don't make sense. We're a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner and a CSP reseller through Leader Systems, so we can also review your Microsoft licensing and buy it directly if that saves you money.

Microsoft 365 and security

We review your Microsoft 365 setup, multi-factor authentication, admin accounts, backups and device management against the Essential Eight. You get a list of gaps ranked by risk, and we fix them or get your provider to fix them. Each month we check that what was fixed stays fixed.

IT strategy and planning

We write a 12 to 24 month IT plan that covers hardware replacement, software, security work, AI adoption and budget. It's tied to what the business is trying to do, so spending decisions have a reason behind them.

Board and management reporting

You get a written report in plain English covering security status, open risks, project progress and IT spend. We can present it at board or management meetings and answer questions in the room.

Fractional IT manager pricing

A fixed monthly fee for a set number of days. All prices exclude GST.

Part-time

2 days per month

$2,200

per month + GST

Extended

4 days per month

$4,400

per month + GST

Additional days

On top of either package

$1,200

per day + GST

For hourly support, managed IT and AI project prices, see our full IT and AI pricing for Adelaide.

How a fractional IT manager differs from an MSP

A managed service provider (MSP) runs your helpdesk, monitors devices and fixes things when they break, usually for a monthly fee per user. That work still needs doing, and most of our clients keep their MSP.

An MSP has no reason to tell you its own contract is too expensive, or that a project it quoted for isn't needed. A fractional IT manager works for you. We set the priorities, check the MSP's work against the agreement and make the calls an in-house IT manager would make.

	Managed service provider	Fractional IT manager
Main job	Support, monitoring and fixes	Planning, oversight and decisions
Works for	Its own contract with you	Your business
Typical pricing	Per user per month	Set days per month
Reports to your board	Rarely	Yes

If you don't have an MSP, Essetech also provides managed IT and IT support. We'll tell you plainly whether you need one, the other or both. For a longer comparison, read fractional IT manager or managed service provider, or see all our pricing.

Fractional IT Manager Adelaide: FAQs

Common questions about part-time IT management for Adelaide businesses.

A fractional IT manager is an experienced IT manager you book for a set number of days each month. They do the work an in-house IT manager would do, such as planning, managing vendors, overseeing security and reporting to management, without the cost of a full-time salary.

Yes. Most businesses keep their existing provider for helpdesk and day-to-day support. We manage that provider on your behalf: we check their work against what you pay for, raise issues, and make sure projects are delivered.

It depends on your size and how much change is planned. A stable business with 10 to 20 staff usually fits the 2-day package. A business with 50 or more staff, or one in the middle of a migration or security project, usually needs more. We agree a starting number in the first meeting and review it after three months.

2 days a month is $2,200 + GST and 4 days a month is $4,400 + GST. Additional days are $1,200 + GST each. We agree the starting number of days with you in the first meeting, and if your needs change, we adjust it.

Yes. We write a plain-English IT report covering security status, risks, projects and spend, and can present it at board or management meetings in person.

We work across the Adelaide metro area. Our base is in Brooklyn Park, SA 5032, so on-site days anywhere in the metro area are included in the day rate.

Talk to us about your IT

Start with a free conversation about where your IT is now and what's worrying you. If a fractional IT manager isn't the right fit, we'll say so and suggest what is.

Call 0404 311 791 or email jonathon@essetech.com.au.

Book a Free Initial Chat Call 0404 311 791