Switching IT support provider: how the handover works

Switching IT support provider sounds like more hassle than it is. The worry is usually the same: what if something gets lost in the gap, a password nobody wrote down, or an email account that stops working? Done in the right order, a handover is mostly paperwork and checking. This guide covers when it's worth moving, what to check before you give notice, exactly what you need back from your current provider, and how the change-over runs.

The short answer

• Read your current contract first. Find the minimum term, the notice period and whether it renews automatically.
• Make sure the important things are in your business's name: your domain name, your Microsoft 365 account and your licences.
• Get every admin password back, and check each one works before the old provider leaves.
• Overlap the two providers. The new one takes over first, then the old one's access is removed.
• Finish by tidying up: remove the old provider's remote access software and accounts, and change any passwords they knew.

Signs it's time to change IT support company

Most IT companies do a decent job, and a bad week isn't a reason to move. But these are fair reasons to look around:

• The same problems keep coming back, and get patched rather than fixed.
• You can't get hold of anyone, or you're never sure when someone will pick up your request.
• Nobody knows your setup. You explain it again every time you ring.
• You're not sure what you're paying for. Invoices arrive, but you couldn't say what's included.
• You've outgrown them, or a customer now wants something they can't help with, like Cyber Essentials.

If it's cost that's prompting the move, our guide to how much IT support costs a small business explains the pricing models and what's usually extra, so you can compare quotes fairly.

Check your current contract before you give notice

Before you tell anyone, dig out the contract and look for:

1. The minimum term, and when it ends.
2. The notice period, and how notice has to be given (often in writing, sometimes to a specific address).
3. Automatic renewal. Some contracts roll on for another full term if you miss the notice window.
4. Exit fees, and whether the provider charges for its time during a handover.
5. Who owns what. Equipment, licences and backups bought through the provider may be on their account.

The NCSC's guidance on choosing a managed service provider suggests checking for a clear process for contract review, renewal and termination before you sign. If you're leaving, that's the part of your old contract to read closely. Write the key dates down: they decide your whole timeline.

What you need back from your current provider

This is the list that matters most. Ask for it in writing, and check each item works rather than taking it on trust.

If they process personal data for you (and an IT provider with access to your email and files almost always does), UK GDPR requires your contract with them to say that at the end of the service they delete it or return it to you, at your choice. Once the handover is done, ask them to confirm in writing which they've done.

Domain names and Microsoft 365 in someone else's name

This is the one that catches businesses out, usually years after the fact. A provider or web designer registers your domain, or sets up your Microsoft 365 account, and does it under their own details because it was quicker at the time.

For .uk domains, Nominet's terms say the registrar "acts on your behalf", where "you" means the registrant: the person or business recorded on the register. If that's your old IT company, you need them to cooperate to make changes. Nominet can also suspend or cancel a domain if its contact details aren't kept up to date, so it's worth checking they're current while you're there. Look up your domain's registration now, and if the registrant isn't your business, ask for it to be corrected before you give notice, while relations are good.

For Microsoft 365, make sure at least one Global Administrator account belongs to your business and that you hold its password and sign-in method. Microsoft 365 also lets an IT provider manage your account through a partner relationship. The Partner relationships page in your admin centre shows which providers have admin roles, and you can remove a provider's roles from there once the new one has taken over.

How a good handover runs

The order matters more than the speed. The new provider should be fully in before the old one is fully out. When we take over, it usually takes one to two weeks, depending on the size of your business.

The tidy-up step is the one that gets skipped. The NCSC's advice is that a provider should have only the access it needs, removed when the job is done, and that each person's actions should trace back to a named account rather than a shared one. Leftover remote access tools and old admin accounts are an open door nobody is watching, so closing them is part of the job, not an optional extra.

Your checklist for switching IT support provider

1. Find your contract's minimum term, notice period and renewal terms.
2. Check who is the registrant of your domain name, and that the contact details are current.
3. Make sure you have your own Microsoft 365 Global Administrator login, and that it works.
4. List your licences and who bills you for them.
5. Get a new provider in to survey your setup before you give notice.
6. Give notice in writing, and ask for passwords, documentation, backup details and warranty information.
7. Let the new provider check every login works before the old provider's access ends.
8. Run a test restore from your backup.
9. Remove the old provider's remote access software, accounts and Microsoft 365 partner roles.
10. Change any shared passwords they knew, and get written confirmation that your data has been deleted or returned.

How we can help

When we take over from another IT company, we audit what you've got, collect passwords and licences, and run the handover so nothing drops. It usually takes one to two weeks, depending on the size of your business. Our first visit to meet you and survey your setup is free. The audit and handover are usually part of a one-off setup charge, which we quote up front. Once you're with us, every helpdesk request is acknowledged straight away and usually worked on the same day. Managed IT support is from £16.50 +VAT per machine a month. If you'd like an honest look at your setup before you decide anything, get in touch.