At Gemini Technical Services, we believe the best IT problem is the one your team never sees. That is why we recommend proactive support — our Tier 2 — to most of the businesses we work with.
IT support comes in two stances. Reactive support waits for something to break, then fixes it. Proactive support watches, patches, secures and plans so things don't break in the first place. Our three tiers are built around that difference: Tier 1 is reactive maintenance, while Tiers 2 and 3 are proactive.
Our three tiers
Each tier includes everything in the one before it.
| Tier 1 — Basic | Tier 2 — Complete (recommended) | Tier 3 — Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Starting at $75 per user/month | Starting at $125 per user/month, plus a backup & disaster recovery plan | Custom quote |
| Stance | Maintenance: patching, updates and system checks | Active: 24/7 human threat response | Active + strategy: protection, compliance and near-zero downtime |
| Support | Standard workstation support, business hours | Unlimited remote support and guided onboarding | Priority management and a dedicated technician |
| Patching | Routine patching and updates | Automated workstation and server patching | Everything in Tier 2 |
| Security | Endpoint detection & response (EDR) | Managed EDR + MDR, SIEM, identity threat detection & response (ITDR) | Everything in Tier 2, plus vulnerability scanning, security awareness training and phishing simulation |
| Monitoring | Business hours | 24/7 human Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring, isolation and escalation | 24/7 SOC with guaranteed executive escalation |
| If something gets in from outside | Cleanup billed by the hour | Cleanup included, no increase in cost | Cleanup included, no increase in cost |
| Backup | Onsite backup required to become a client | Backup & disaster recovery plan (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum) | Backup & disaster recovery plan required |
| Planning | — | — | Strategic virtual CIO, vCISO, compliance consulting and policy management |
| Best for | Budget-conscious teams and remote offices whose critical data already lives in the cloud | Most small and medium-sized businesses | Regulated organizations: healthcare, finance, DoD contractors and others |
Why Tier 2 is our most recommended
Tier 2 is where IT stops waiting for the phone to ring. It gives most businesses the protection and planning they need without paying for executive-level services they won't use yet.
Problems are caught early. A 24/7 human Security Operations Center watches your systems around the clock, and real analysts isolate threats and escalate after hours.
Security is real, not just antivirus. Managed detection and response, SIEM and identity threat detection work together against the attacks that hit small businesses most: phishing, stolen logins and ransomware.
Backups are built in. Tier 2 pairs with a backup & disaster recovery plan, so if something does go wrong, your data comes back.
Cleanup doesn't cost you more. Because we're actively watching, if something from outside gets in, cleaning it up is included — no increase in cost.
It's right-sized. You get a full team's expertise — technician, administrator, security specialist, strategist — for the hours you actually need, at a fraction of one full-time salary.
Why active beats reactive
Reactive IT looks cheaper on the monthly invoice and costs more everywhere else.
| Reactive (break-fix / Tier 1) | Active (Tier 2 and 3) | |
|---|---|---|
| When we engage | After your team is already down | Before anyone notices a problem |
| Downtime | Hours or days while it's diagnosed and fixed | Often none; issues fixed in the background |
| Security | Discovered after the breach | Threats detected and blocked as they happen |
| Budget | Unpredictable repair bills and emergency purchases | Flat monthly fee, with outside-incident cleanup included |
| Your provider's incentive | Paid more when things break | Paid the same — so we work to keep things running |
That last row matters most. In a reactive model, your IT provider earns more when you have problems. In an active model, our interests match yours: the smoother your systems run, the better we've done our job.
Which tier fits you
Tier 1 fits budget-conscious teams and remote offices whose critical data already lives in the cloud. Keep in mind that cleanup from an outside incident is billed by the hour.
Tier 2 fits most small and medium-sized businesses — especially if downtime costs you money or you hold any data you'd hate to lose.
Tier 3 fits regulated organizations — healthcare, finance, DoD contractors and others held to strict standards — that need compliance consulting and strategic IT leadership.
Not sure? We'll start with an assessment of your environment and recommend the tier that matches your risk — not the most expensive one. Contact Gemini Technical Services at geminitechnical.com to schedule yours.
Sources
This article describes Gemini's own service model. The tier contents and the comparison between reactive and active support draw on the same industry research as our article on fractional IT, mainly these sources.