SureTel
Industries · Accounting
Managed IT for Accounting and Bookkeeping Practices
Dependable laptops, controlled document access and tidy staff accounts, especially when deadlines are close.
In short
How SureTel supports accounting practices
SureTel provides Managed IT for Gauteng accounting and bookkeeping practices: remote helpdesk, patching, monitoring and SentinelOne endpoint protection for each managed user's primary device, with documented staff onboarding and offboarding. It starts from R500 per user per month excl. VAT on a 12-month agreement. Microsoft 365 management, backup and accounting-software support are separately scoped.
- Reliable devices and email access through filing season
- Staff onboarding and offboarding documented, not left to memory
- Optional Microsoft 365 management for accounts and sharing
- Coordination with your accounting-software vendors
- Free qualified IT Health & Risk Assessment to start
Managed IT · Accounting
Managed IT for accounting and bookkeeping practices
Accounting practices depend on staff reaching client documents and email when deadlines are close, on laptops that are patched and protected, and on an agreed process for staff joining and leaving. Microsoft 365 account and sharing administration is a separate module you can choose.
What the base service covers
- Remote helpdesk for ordinary user issues, within fair use and agreed scope
- Monitoring, inventory and patching for one primary laptop or desktop per managed user
- Software vulnerability management and SentinelOne endpoint protection (EDR)
- Vendor coordination, documentation and a monthly service summary
From R500 per managed user per month excl. VAT on a 12-month agreement. The normal minimum for the base service is R7,500 per month; smaller agreements need management approval. Microsoft 365 management, licences, backup, servers, networks, onsite work and projects are separate. See Managed IT pricing.
Support hours and onsite visits
- Remote-first support Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00, excluding South African public holidays
- Critical (P1) issues: initial response within 60 minutes during contracted support hours — a response target, not a guaranteed fix time
- Onsite visits when needed: R450 per hour (minimum one hour) plus R4.95/km return travel, with no extra charge for travel time
- No guaranteed onsite arrival time, and no after-hours or 24/7 cover in the base service
Managed IT is delivered remote-first across Gauteng from SureTel's Krugersdorp base; onsite visits are arranged and quoted when needed. Voice and connectivity can serve wider areas, but that does not extend onsite IT support beyond Gauteng.
Everyday problems
Where accounting-practice IT causes friction
- A laptop fails the week a return is due
- Monitoring and patching catch recurring problems earlier, and the helpdesk works on it remotely during support hours.
- Client documents live in personal folders
- Sharing and access can be tidied through Microsoft 365 management; any file migration is quoted as a project.
- A clerk leaves and still has access to mail
- An authorised leaver process is agreed at onboarding and carried out within contracted service hours, with Microsoft 365 account changes handled by the management module where chosen.
- Suspicious payment-change emails
- Sign-in and mail-security controls are set within the licences you hold; advanced security services are quoted separately.
- Software vendor says it's your PC, IT says it's the software
- SureTel checks the device side and works with the vendor directly instead of passing you back and forth.
- Nobody owns the Microsoft 365 admin account
- Admin ownership and access are confirmed and documented before managed service starts.
Scope
What's in the base and what's scoped separately
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Named users' primary laptops or desktops | In the base service |
| Remote helpdesk, patching, monitoring and EDR | In the base service |
| Microsoft 365 management (Basic, Advanced or Complete) | Separate module; licences billed separately |
| Backup of mail and documents | Separate module, restore testing to the schedule purchased |
| Servers, firewall, LAN and Wi-Fi | Scoped separately |
| Accounting software (Sage, Xero, Pastel and others) | Vendor's responsibility; SureTel coordinates |
| Migrations and clean-up projects | Quoted as projects |
| Onsite visits | R450/hour (min. one hour) plus R4.95/km return; no travel-time charge |
Separately scoped items are quoted after the assessment. See Managed IT pricing for the base price and how modules are added.
Who it suits
A good fit if…
- Accounting, bookkeeping and tax practices with roughly 15–50 users in Gauteng
- Practices that rely on Microsoft 365 for mail and documents
- Partners who want one accountable provider instead of ad-hoc help
- Firms that want internet and phones from the same team
Typical requirements
Common IT situations for accounting and bookkeeping practices
These are typical setups we scope during an assessment, not customer stories.
Busy filing season
More pressure on laptops, email and file access in the weeks before submission deadlines. Planned patching and early attention to recurring device problems reduce interruptions; support hours stay business hours.
Client files spread across email and personal folders
Documents saved on individual laptops and in mailboxes. Tidying sharing and access in Microsoft 365 is scoped through the management module, and any migration is quoted as a project.
A partner or staff member leaves
Access to client documents and mail needs to be closed and handed over in an orderly way. An authorised leaver process is agreed at onboarding and carried out within contracted service hours; Microsoft 365 account changes form part of the management module where chosen.
Where SureTel's role ends: SureTel supports the managed devices your accounting software runs on and coordinates with the software vendor when an issue involves their product. Specialist administration of the accounting application and any integrations are agreed separately.
Related: Managed IT · Managed IT pricing · Microsoft 365 management · Managed backup · IT Health & Risk Assessment. Backup is a separate module, and how often restores are tested depends on the schedule purchased.
Also from SureTel
Related services for accounting practices
Microsoft 365 management
Accounts, licences, sharing and security settings looked after.
Finance industry overview
Voice and connectivity for broader financial-services businesses.
Cloud PBX
A hosted phone system for client calls across office and home.
FAQs
Managed IT questions from accounting and bookkeeping practices
Do you support Sage, Xero or Pastel?
SureTel supports the managed devices your accounting software runs on and coordinates with the software vendor when a problem involves their product. Specialist administration of the accounting application and any integrations are agreed separately.
Can you help during filing deadlines?
Planned patching and early attention to recurring device issues reduce interruptions before busy periods. Support remains Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00, excluding South African public holidays; there is no 24/7 cover in the base.
Is Microsoft 365 management included?
No. Microsoft 365 management is a separate module at Basic, Advanced or Complete level, and Microsoft licences are billed separately. It covers accounts, sharing and licence-entitled security settings.
Are client documents backed up?
Backup is not included in the Managed IT base. SureTel's Managed Backup is a separately purchased module, and if you already use another backup service, the assessment reviews what it protects, which workloads and accounts it covers, how long data is kept and how restores are tested. Backup is not a full disaster recovery plan.
Does SureTel make our practice compliant?
No. SureTel applies agreed technical controls, such as endpoint protection and account security, but does not certify POPIA or professional-body compliance. Those obligations stay with the practice.
How much does Managed IT cost?
From R500 per managed user per month excl. VAT on a 12-month agreement, with a normal minimum of R7,500 per month for the base. Smaller agreements need management approval. Modules, onsite work and projects are additional.
Put your practice's IT on a dependable footing
Start with a free, qualified IT Health & Risk Assessment. SureTel reviews your request and contacts you to arrange a time.