The New Standard: 5 Things You Should Demand from Your IT Partner

If you look at your current IT support contract, what are you actually paying for?

For many businesses across the UK, the answer is vague. You pay a monthly fee, and in return, you hope that someone picks up the phone when your server crashes.

At HDP IT Services, we believe “hope” is not a strategy.

We founded this company to bring Enterprise-Level Standards—the kind I delivered for organizations like the NHS and the Bank of England—to growing businesses. We believe that professional, proactive IT support shouldn’t be reserved for the Fortune 500.

If you are evaluating your current provider, or looking for a new partner, here are the five non-negotiables we deliver as standard.

1. Guaranteed Speed (<30 Minutes)

In the modern workplace, downtime is expensive. Every minute your team spends waiting for a callback is a minute they aren’t working.

  • The Industry Standard: “We’ll get back to you within 4 to 8 hours.”
  • The HDP Standard: We guarantee a first response in under 30 minutes on all our plans. We put our speed in writing because we know your time is money.

2. Security by Default (Not an Upsell)

Many providers treat security as an optional extra. They will set up your laptop, but charge you extra to secure it properly.

  • The HDP Standard: We believe security is foundational. We configure your devices and software to align with Cyber Essentials technical controls from day one. We include Endpoint Antivirus and 24/7 Monitoring in every single plan we offer. We don’t leave your doors unlocked.

3. One Point of Contact (Vendor Liaison)

How much time have you wasted acting as the messenger between your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and your software vendor?

  • The HDP Standard: We stop the “blame game.” As part of our Gold Plan, we provide Vendor Liaison. You call us; we handle the technical conversation with BT, Virgin, Sage, or Microsoft. We own the problem until it is fixed, so you can get on with running your business.

4. No Surprise Invoices

The “Break-Fix” model thrives on unpredictability. Something breaks, they fix it, and you get a bill you didn’t budget for.

  • The HDP Standard: We offer Fixed-Fee Managed Plans. You pay a simple cost per user, per month. On our Gold Plan, we also act as your vCIO, building a 1-3 year technology roadmap so you can predict hardware upgrades years in advance.

5. Proactive, Not Reactive

A traditional helpdesk waits for the phone to ring.

  • The HDP Standard: We monitor your systems 24/7. We identify failing hard drives, missing security patches, and network bottlenecks often before they disrupt your staff. Our goal is to fix the issue before you even know it existed.

Ready to Upgrade?

We are currently onboarding new partners across the UK who are ready to move away from reactive chaos and towards a stable, strategic partnership.

You don’t need a bank’s budget to have a bank’s stability. You just need the right partner.

Book your Free IT & Cybersecurity Health Check today. We will review your current setup against these five standards and show you exactly where we can improve your efficiency.