SureTel
Resources · Managed IT
How to Change IT Providers
Treat the change as a planned handover of ownership, access and support — not a switch-off.
In short
Changing providers, in short
Changing IT providers works best as a planned handover rather than a switch-off. Confirm who owns your domain, Microsoft 365 tenant, network equipment, backup and business applications; collect admin access and documentation; agree responsibilities and support cover during the overlap; and sequence each agent, security and backup change as agreed, following the vendors' supported procedures, so protection is verified without an unplanned gap. Inherited problems are scoped separately.
- Start with ownership: domain, Microsoft 365, network, backup and applications.
- Discuss notice, equipment, licences and data exports with the relevant parties.
- Run an overlap with clear responsibility, communication, escalation and rollback.
- Remove old access only once the new setup is verified and the change is authorised.
Ownership
Ownership records to gather first
These records prove what the business owns and who can change it. Gather them before giving notice.
Domain and DNS
Which registrar holds your domain, whose name and account it is in, and who can change DNS records for email and websites.
Microsoft 365 tenant
Who holds the global admin accounts, which partner manages licences, and which accounts are shared or service accounts.
Network equipment
Firewalls, routers, switches and Wi-Fi: who owns them, where admin credentials are kept and whether any are leased.
Backup
What is backed up today, where the copies are stored, who pays for the service and how to restore from it.
Business applications
Accounting, line-of-business and practice software, the vendor contact for each, and who holds admin access.
Devices and licences
An inventory of laptops, desktops and software licences, including which are owned, leased or tied to the old provider.
Commercial items
Notice, equipment, licences and exports
Each of these is discussed with the relevant party. Your existing agreements set the terms, so read them first.
- Notice and exit terms
- Check the notice period and exit clauses in your current agreement, and plan the overlap around them.
- Equipment
- Confirm which equipment belongs to the business and which belongs to, or is leased through, the current provider.
- Licences
- Discuss how Microsoft and other licences move to a new licensing partner without interrupting service.
- Data exports
- Agree how ticket history, documentation, backup data and configuration exports will be provided.
- Documentation
- Ask for network diagrams, password vault exports and setup notes in a form the new provider can use.
- Advice
- Where an agreement is unclear, take your own legal advice. An IT provider can plan the technical handover but should not interpret your contract for you.
Plan
A planned handover, stage by stage
Every handover differs, but most follow these stages. Each stage should have a named owner.
| Stage | What happens | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Review users, devices, systems and ownership records. | New provider with the business |
| Access and documentation | Collect admin access, passwords and documentation. | Business, with the current provider |
| Overlap | Both providers' responsibilities are agreed for a set period. | Business, current and new provider |
| Deploy and verify | Sequence agent, security and backup changes as agreed, following each vendor's supported procedure, and verify replacement protection. | New provider |
| Communication | Tell staff what changes, when, and how to get help. | Business, supported by the new provider |
| Rollback plan | Agree how to reverse a step that causes problems. | New provider, approved by the business |
| Remove old access | Old accounts and agents are removed once authorised. | Business authorises; providers carry out |
| Remediation | Inherited problems are documented and scoped separately. | New provider quotes; business decides |
No fixed migration time can be promised in advance; the plan sets target dates once discovery is complete.
Verify
Before old access is removed
- New monitoring and support agents report from every managed device.
- Each security change has followed the agreed, compatibility-checked sequence, and replacement protection is verified with no unplanned gap.
- Backups under the new arrangement have run and a test restore has been agreed.
- Admin accounts for domain, Microsoft 365 and network are in the business's control.
- Documentation has been received and checked.
- Staff know how to log requests with the new provider.
- The business has authorised removal of the old provider's access.
- Old accounts, agents and remote-access tools are listed for removal.
During the change
Responsibility, communication and escalation
Most handover problems come from unclear ownership during the overlap. Agree these before starting.
One coordinator
A named person in the business approves changes and is the contact for both providers.
Clear responsibility
For each system, write down which provider is responsible on which date, so nothing falls between the two.
Staff communication
Short, timely messages: what is changing, what staff need to do, and where to log problems.
Escalation
A defined route for urgent issues during the overlap, including who to call if the problem is unclear.
Rollback
An agreed way to reverse or pause a significant step, such as returning to the previous protection arrangement through the vendor's supported procedure, if the change causes problems.
Separate remediation
Technical debt found along the way is listed and quoted separately, so the handover itself stays on track.
Keep reading
Related guides and services
How to compare managed IT quotes
Choose the right provider before planning the handover.
Microsoft 365 management vs backup
What to check about your tenant and backup during a change.
What is a managed service provider?
What a managed service normally covers.
Managed IT services
How SureTel onboards and supports managed users.
Managed backup
Separately purchased backup under a defined scope.
IT Health & Risk Assessment
A free, qualified review to plan your handover priorities.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to change IT providers?
It depends on the number of users, devices and sites, how well the current setup is documented and how quickly access is handed over. A planned handover usually runs as an overlap rather than a single switch-over day. Treat any timeline as a plan, not a guarantee.
Do we need to tell our current provider?
Yes, at the right time. Your existing agreement sets out notice and exit terms, so read it and discuss the handover with the current provider. Take legal advice if the terms are unclear.
What if the old provider holds our admin passwords?
Ask for admin access to be handed over or transferred as part of the exit. Accounts such as your domain registrar, Microsoft 365 global admin and firewall should be in the business's name, with access the business controls.
Will staff lose access to email or files during the change?
A planned handover aims to keep staff working throughout. Support responsibilities overlap, while each agent, security and backup change is checked for compatibility and sequenced according to the vendors' supported procedures. Some changes need short planned windows that are communicated to staff in advance.
What happens to problems found during the handover?
Inherited issues — unsupported devices, missing backups, messy permissions — are documented and scoped separately as remediation, so you can decide what to fix and when.
Can SureTel help us plan a change of provider?
Yes. A free, qualified IT Health & Risk Assessment reviews your current setup and ownership records and gives you priorities for the handover. SureTel's onboarding then follows a documented plan; any remediation is quoted separately.
Plan your change of IT provider
Request a free, qualified IT Health & Risk Assessment: normally 2–4 hours, remote-first, ending in a readout of findings and priorities. SureTel reviews your request and contacts you to arrange a time. It is not free remediation, penetration testing or unrestricted scanning.