We get asked a lot of the same questions by businesses looking to move their IT to a proper managed provider. Here are the ones that come up most often, with straight answers.
Why would you use Trichromic?
If you value IT in your business and want a provider who actually cares about keeping things running smoothly, we’re a good fit. We’re passionate about what we do, genuinely pro-active, and we insist on getting to the root of chronic problems rather than patching the same issue month after month.
Why would you NOT use Trichromic?
If IT is just a cost you want to minimise — or you’d rather only hear from your IT provider when something’s broken — we’re probably not for you. We work best with businesses who see reliable, secure IT as an investment in their own productivity and reputation.
What makes Trichromic different?
Two things. First, our pro-active approach — we’re not content to just fix what’s in front of us, we want to stop issues recurring. Second, we run our own infrastructure and apply the same security standards we recommend to our clients, including the principles behind Cyber Essentials.
How long has Trichromic been in business?
Since 2006. Trichromic LLP is owned by Alex Bailey and Lloyd Reid, who still run the business day to day.
Will I deal with the owners, or only with support staff?
Both. Alex and Lloyd aren’t behind the scenes — they work closely with clients every day and have strong working relationships with all of them. We only take on clients we expect to build a long-term relationship with; if that’s not working out for either side, we’d rather part ways amicably than persist.
What happens if we’re not happy with the service?
Alex or Lloyd will get involved directly — we stay close enough to client relationships that concerns don’t get buried. If the fit genuinely isn’t right for either side, we’ll help you move on cleanly: we never hold a client’s data or business hostage. Honestly, on the rare occasions this has come up, it’s usually been about price. We’re neither the cheapest nor the most expensive — we sit in the middle, because we insist on doing things properly.
Which partners and accreditations do you hold?
We’re partners or accredited dealers with Microsoft, 3CX, Hornetsecurity, Zyxel and Sage, among others, and we’re a member of CompTIA.
Where we work
Which areas do you support?
We provide managed IT support to businesses in Essex and Greater London north of the Thames. Most of our work is delivered remotely from our UK operations, with on-site visits when hardware needs replacing or installing.
Do you support remote and hybrid workers?
Yes — the majority of our clients now have remote or hybrid staff, and we’re set up to support users wherever they happen to be working.
Can you support a business with multiple offices?
Absolutely, as long as the business values what we do. Multiple sites are no problem.
Do you visit on site, or is everything remote?
Most work is remote. We come on site when there’s a good reason to — typically for hardware installation, replacement or decommissioning.
What we do
What are your main services?
Our core offerings are fully managed servers and PCs, our private-cloud CloudDESKTOP service, 3CX phone systems (on site or hosted in our private cloud), and fully managed Microsoft 365.
What’s the difference between managed IT and break/fix support?
Managed IT means we continuously monitor, update and look after your systems to prevent problems. Break/fix means you only call when something’s already gone wrong. Managed is more reliable and more predictable — but we do offer break/fix where it genuinely makes sense.
What is CloudDESKTOP?
It’s our private-cloud hosted desktop service. Your users log in to a fully managed Windows environment that we host on our own hardware in UK datacentres. Backup and disaster recovery are included.
Do you host in Azure or AWS?
No — our private-cloud services including CloudDESKTOP run on our own hardware in UK datacentres. That gives us full control over performance, security and cost, and means we’re not dependent on a third-party hyperscaler for the systems our clients rely on.
Do you manage Microsoft 365?
Yes, we’re a Microsoft CSP partner and provide fully managed Microsoft 365 — including licensing, configuration, security and day-to-day support.
Do you supply hardware and software?
Yes. We supply and install nearly all the hardware and software our clients need, from PCs and servers to firewalls, phone systems and NAS.
Can you install a new phone system?
Yes — we’re a 3CX partner and install 3CX phone systems both on site and in our private cloud, with handsets to match.
Do you create bespoke software?
We can, and we do when a client genuinely needs it, but we try to avoid it. Off-the-shelf software is almost always the better long-term choice.
Do you offer backup and disaster recovery?
Yes. Backup is included with our fully managed server services and with CloudDESKTOP, and we can advise on and implement disaster recovery to match your requirements.
Can you handle new starters and leavers for our business?
Yes — setting up accounts, permissions and access for new team members, and cleanly disabling accounts when someone leaves, is part of what we do day to day. We also review every user account on your systems each month: if someone hasn’t signed in for a while, we’ll ask whether they’ve left the business. It’s a simple check that catches accounts which might otherwise be forgotten.
Do you support Macs?
Only in a limited way — typically for users who need RDP access into a Windows environment such as CloudDESKTOP. If you’re an all-Mac business, we’re probably not the right fit.
Do you support smartphones and tablets?
We help users configure their smartphones for Microsoft 365 access. We don’t currently provide full mobile device management (MDM).
Who we work with
What size of business do you support?
There’s no hard minimum, but most of our clients have five or more users. Our service really starts to pay for itself once a business has enough users to feel the impact of IT problems.
Do you specialise in any industries?
We work particularly well with solicitors, accountants, IFAs and other professional services firms. We also support service companies and any SME who values well-run IT.
Do you support regulated businesses?
Yes. We regularly support businesses regulated by the SRA, FCA and similar bodies, and we understand the compliance expectations that come with that.
What do I need to have in place to become a client?
Mainly, a business that’s primarily Windows-based and a genuine commitment to good IT. The technical side we can almost always sort out.
Security and compliance
How do you keep our data secure?
We apply the security standards set out in Cyber Essentials, enforce multi-factor authentication wherever it can be turned on, and run our own monitoring and support infrastructure on hardware we own in UK datacentres. We also strongly recommend cyber awareness training for all staff.
Where is our backup data stored?
In our own UK datacentres, on hardware we own. All backups are encrypted.
Is my business GDPR compliant just by using Trichromic?
Not automatically — every UK business needs to meet its own obligations under the Data Protection Act and UK GDPR. What we do is make sure the technical side of compliance is properly handled.
Who is the data controller and who is the data processor?
In almost all cases, our clients are the data controllers and Trichromic is the data processor, providing services which process and secure data on their behalf.
Can you help us get Cyber Essentials certified?
Yes — we regularly help clients achieve Cyber Essentials certification, and the security standards we apply day to day are already aligned with it.
What happens if we get hit by ransomware?
It’s rare among our managed clients because we apply strict security controls. When we have dealt with it — usually for break/fix clients who chose not to follow our recommendations — our approach is to find the root cause first, make sure it’s been properly dealt with, and only then restore from clean backups. Restoring before the source is contained just invites reinfection.
Do you provide phishing simulations and awareness training?
Yes — simulated phishing attacks combined with cyber awareness training are available as an optional managed service. We highly recommend it; people are usually the weakest link in any security setup.
Do you audit our systems regularly?
Yes — we regularly review user accounts and devices to make sure access is appropriate, accounts are tidy and devices meet our security standards.
Pricing and getting started
How is the service priced?
Managed services are charged at a fixed monthly fee based on what’s included — typically per server, per user and per device. Our pricing is transparent and consistent: every client on the same service pays the same rate. It makes for predictable budgeting and is one reason our clients are comfortable recommending us to people they know.
How does billing work?
We invoice monthly.
Do prices go up each year?
Usually, yes. Our own costs — Microsoft licensing, infrastructure, salaries — tend to rise most years, and our pricing reflects that. We give plenty of notice before any changes take effect.
Is there a minimum contract?
Yes — our standard term is 12 months. Quantities within the contract (users, devices, services) can change at any time; the 12 months applies to the agreement itself.
What notice do I need to give if I want to leave?
Very little — we just ask that you let us know before your current contract expires.
What happens to our data if we change provider?
We make sure your data is accessible to your new provider so they can copy or migrate it cleanly. We don’t believe in holding clients’ data hostage.
Who owns the hardware?
Any hardware we supply and install at your offices is owned by you. CloudDESKTOP and other private-cloud services are hosted on hardware we own in our UK datacentres.
Do managed clients get better rates on project work?
Yes. Clients on a managed server service or CloudDESKTOP get reduced rates on project work.
How do I switch from my current provider?
We start with a free assessment to understand your setup and what you need. From there, we’ll plan the migration in a way that causes as little disruption as possible — usually by completing the work over a weekend.
How long does onboarding take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the business. A small office can be onboarded quickly; larger or more complex environments take longer. We’ll give you a realistic timeline after the initial assessment.
Will there be disruption when we move to Trichromic?
We always keep disruption to the minimum possible, typically by migrating over weekends so your team comes in Monday morning to a working setup.
Do you offer a free assessment?
Yes — no obligation, just a straightforward conversation about your current setup and how we can help.
Can I speak to some of your existing clients?
Yes — we’re more than happy to put prospective clients in touch with existing ones, and we’ve done so many times before. Just ask.
Support
How do I raise a support request?
Call our help desk on 020 3327 0310 and choose option 1. We ask clients to always contact the help desk rather than emailing individual engineers or ringing people’s mobiles — that way nothing gets missed, duplicated or stuck on someone’s voicemail. It makes for a much faster, more reliable service for everyone.
Who will I speak to?
Our first-line support team handles the majority of requests directly. If something needs more specialist attention it’s escalated to second line, and from there to one of the partners if required — for example, for complex issues or hardware quotations.
What are your support hours?
Our official hours are 9:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday. In practice, the partners often work evenings and weekends when something needs to get done.
How quickly will you respond?
We don’t tie ourselves to rigid response times — we prioritise by urgency. Anything genuinely urgent gets dealt with straight away, including late into the evening if needed.
Do you offer out-of-hours support?
For urgent issues, yes — we’re happy to deal with problems up to midnight most days. We’re less available very early in the morning.
Got a question we haven’t answered here? Contact us for a chat — we’ll give you a straight answer. Call us on 020 3327 0310.