OST provides flat-rate managed IT services for small businesses and nonprofits across Rhode Island. We act as your outsourced IT department, handling support, security, and day-to-day technology so you can focus on running your business. Based in Newport and serving the whole state since 2010, we hold a 5.0-star Google rating across 28 reviews.
IT Support Without the Cost of an IT Department
Most small businesses do not need full-time technical staff, but they do need technology that works. Our managed IT services give you a complete IT team for a predictable monthly fee: a help desk to call when something breaks, monitoring that catches problems early, and proactive maintenance that keeps issues from happening in the first place.
We support businesses in Newport, Providence, Warwick, Cranston, and across Rhode Island.
Who Managed IT Is For
Managed IT fits organizations that depend on technology every day but cannot justify, or do not want to manage, an internal IT hire. Typical OST clients are Rhode Island professional-service firms, nonprofits, contractors, and manufacturers with 5 to 75 employees, often with a mix of office and remote staff, Microsoft 365, one or two line-of-business applications, and growing security and insurance requirements.
If "our IT guy handles everything" describes your current setup, read When "our IT guy handles everything" stops working.
What Our Managed IT Plans Include
Every plan is built around a flat monthly rate, so your IT costs stay predictable and your support is unlimited.
Help desk support, remote and on-site
Your staff call or email one place and reach a technician, not a queue. Most issues are resolved remotely within minutes. When a problem needs hands on hardware, we dispatch to your office anywhere in Rhode Island. The help desk is available 24/7.
24/7 monitoring and proactive maintenance
Every server, workstation, and network device is monitored around the clock for failures, capacity problems, and security events. Patches and updates are applied on a schedule, outside your working hours, so the fix arrives before the problem does. Read What 24/7 monitoring actually means.
Managed cybersecurity and threat protection
Endpoint detection and response, email security, multi-factor authentication, and managed threat detection are part of every plan, not an upsell. See cybersecurity services for the full stack.
Microsoft 365, email, and cloud management
We license, configure, secure, and support Microsoft 365, including Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, and manage your other cloud services. Licensing is reviewed so you pay for what you use.
Data backup and disaster recovery
Servers, workstations, and Microsoft 365 data are backed up off site and restores are tested, not assumed. See backup and recovery.
Network, Wi-Fi, server, and workstation management
Firewalls, switches, Wi-Fi, servers, and PCs are documented, standardized, and kept current. Hardware is replaced on a plan rather than after a failure.
IT planning and budgeting
You get a written technology roadmap and an annual budget so replacements, upgrades, and security investments are planned, not reactive. Read What should a small business budget for IT each year?
What Managed IT Costs
Plans are flat-rate and based on headcount and complexity. The price stays the same in a busy month and a quiet one, and support is always unlimited.
Our guide What should managed IT cost for a small RI business? explains the ranges and what drives them, and the online estimator gives you a number in a few minutes.
Managed IT vs Break/Fix vs "Our IT Guy"
Break/fix bills by the hour when something is already broken. The incentive is backwards: the provider earns more when you have more problems, and nobody is watching between calls.
A part-time IT person knows your office but is one person, with one set of skills, who takes vacations and eventually leaves with the passwords.
Managed IT puts a team, tooling, and a fixed fee behind a single goal: fewer problems. Monitoring, patching, and security run continuously, and when you do need help, it is already paid for. Read Signs it's time to switch IT providers.
How Onboarding Works
Switching providers is easier than most owners expect.
1
Discovery. A short conversation about what is working, what is not, and what your business needs from technology.
2
Assessment. We inventory and document your environment: devices, network, Microsoft 365, backups, security, and vendors.
3
Stabilize. Monitoring and security tools are deployed, backups are verified, and known problems are fixed first.
4
Cutover. Your team gets the help desk contact details and a short orientation. Your previous provider is offboarded cleanly, with every password and account under your control.
5
Plan. Within the first quarter you receive a written roadmap and budget.
Security Built Into Every Plan
Security is not a separate product we upsell; it is part of every managed IT plan. We protect your business with managed threat detection, endpoint protection, email security, multi-factor authentication, and tested backups, so a single incident does not put your operations or your data at risk.
Phishing remains the most common way in; read Why phishing still works and what actually stops it.
Compliance and Cyber Insurance Requirements
Insurers, clients, and regulators increasingly require documented controls: multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection, tested backups, and security awareness training. We implement those controls and produce the documentation you need for questionnaires and renewals.
For accounting firms that includes an IRS-compliant Written Information Security Plan (WISP); see IT support for Rhode Island CPA firms. Read Cyber insurance: what it actually covers and doesn't.
Industries We Support
Plans are tailored to your industry's software and obligations: accounting and CPA firms, law firms, construction companies, manufacturers, nonprofits, and general business.
Where We Work
We are headquartered at 513 Broadway in Newport and support organizations statewide, with dedicated pages for Newport and Providence.
Most support is remote; on-site visits are scheduled anywhere in Rhode Island when needed.
Predictable Pricing, One Accountable IT Partner
With OST you get a single partner accountable for all of it: no finger-pointing between vendors, no surprise invoices. Our flat-rate model keeps your monthly cost the same whether it is a quiet month or a busy one, and support is always unlimited.
Why Rhode Island Businesses Choose OST
OST has supported Rhode Island businesses since 2010 and holds a 5.0 client rating. You get responsive support, senior-level expertise, and a long-term technology partner that understands small business, not a call center reading from a script. Read Local IT company vs national provider: what actually matters.
"They take the time to talk with us, understand our concerns, and provide timely solutions."
Robert Berczuk, Owner, The Jamestown Press
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a managed IT services plan?
Help desk support (remote and on-site), 24/7 monitoring and maintenance, managed cybersecurity, Microsoft 365 and cloud management, backup and disaster recovery, network and hardware management, and IT planning, all for one flat monthly rate.
How is managed IT priced?
A flat monthly rate based on headcount and complexity, with unlimited support. See the cost guide or use the online estimator.
Do you require a long-term contract?
Managed IT plans are annual agreements. The flat monthly rate is fixed for the term, and support is unlimited throughout.
Can you work alongside our existing IT person or vendor?
Yes. Some clients keep an internal contact for day-to-day questions while we handle monitoring, security, backup, and escalations.
Do you support Microsoft 365?
Yes. We license, configure, secure, back up, and support Microsoft 365 as part of every plan.
What happens if we need on-site help?
Most issues are fixed remotely within minutes. When on-site work is needed, a Rhode Island-based technician is dispatched to your office.
How long does it take to switch to OST?
Most transitions complete within a few weeks with no downtime for your staff.
Give Your Business IT Support It Can Rely On
Call 401-773-7766 or use our online estimator for a fast quote.
