A business with five computers does not necessarily need an IT maintenance contract. It depends on how those computers are used, how old they are, and what a breakdown would mean for day-to-day operations.
If employees can easily switch to another computer and access their documents, a hardware failure may be relatively easy to handle. But if a workstation contains essential software or data that is difficult to recover, losing it can quickly become a problem.
Before taking out a maintenance contract, it is therefore worth considering what would happen if one of the five computers became unusable for several days.
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How much can five days of computer downtime cost?
An employee uses a laptop every day when its battery fails. The supplier says it will take five working days to receive a replacement battery and carry out the repair.
If the laptop still works when plugged in and the battery is safe to use, the employee may be able to keep working. If the employee needs to travel regularly or the laptop will no longer start, the situation is more complicated.
| Situation | Time lost over 5 days | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| No breakdown during the year | 0 h | €0 |
| The breakdown costs 1 hour per day | 5 h | €150 |
| The breakdown costs 3 hours per day | 15 h | €450 |
| The employee cannot work for 5 days | 35 h | €1,050 |
But if the business has a spare computer, the data is available elsewhere and the necessary software can be accessed, the employee can get back to work much sooner.
So the cost of a breakdown is not determined by the repair time itself, but by its impact on the business.
What problems can preventive maintenance identify?
Some components show signs of wear before they fail. A battery may gradually lose capacity, a computer may start overheating, or an SSD may show signs of errors.
A preventive maintenance visit can help identify these issues and plan the work needed before they disrupt operations.
| Item inspected | Issue to look for | Potential impact |
|---|---|---|
| SSD and hard drive | Wear indicators or read errors | Storage failure and loss of access to data |
| Battery | Significant loss of capacity | Difficulty working while travelling |
| Cooling system | Unusually high temperatures | Slowdowns and unexpected shutdowns |
| Available storage | Drive almost full | Problems saving files or installing updates |
| Operating system and software | Outdated versions or persistent errors | Compatibility issues and unpatched security vulnerabilities |
| Backups | Failed or missing backups | Risk of being unable to recover documents after a breakdown |
This can make it possible to order a part in advance and schedule its replacement while the computer is not needed. Preventive maintenance cannot predict every failure, however: some components can stop working without any warning signs.
One-off repairs or an IT support contract?
For five recent computers whose data can be accessed from several workstations, one-off repairs may be enough to deal with hardware problems. This still assumes that backups, updates and security protections are managed properly.
By contrast, a business with ageing computers and no spare equipment may benefit from having them checked regularly.
There are also preventive maintenance packages that let you review equipment without signing up for ongoing managed IT services. For five computers, that comes to €450 for an annual visit to inspect and maintain the equipment. Repairs are billed separately.
For businesses that need regular support, equipment monitoring or server administration, a more comprehensive managed IT contract may be a better fit.
Can your business keep operating when a computer breaks down?
That is ultimately the main question to ask before choosing an IT maintenance service.
A business that mainly uses online applications, shared documents and interchangeable computers may be able to cope when one workstation is temporarily out of action.
The situation is different for a business whose computers rely on a local server, or where each employee uses specialist software that cannot easily be installed on another computer.
A small business does not necessarily need a maintenance contract for five computers. The right choice depends on whether it can keep working when a device fails and how much it wants to spend to reduce that risk.
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