After hours IT support, planned for when you're closed
Most after-hours IT work is not an emergency. It is a change that would stop your staff working if we did it at ten on a Tuesday morning. We plan it, do it when the office is empty and have it ready for Monday. Urgent cover is available on plans that include it, and this page covers both.
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The short answer
WaTo Consulting does after-hours IT work for Adelaide businesses, mostly as planned jobs booked in advance: server and email migrations, network changes, upgrades and cutovers done in the evening or on a weekend so staff are not disrupted. Urgent after-hours help depends on your plan, so check what yours includes. Voicemail and email are checked, including on public holidays.
What after-hours IT support means here
There are two different things. The first is planned out-of-hours work: a job we agree with you in advance and carry out when your people are not working. The second is urgent help when something fails outside business hours. Whether you have the second depends on your plan, and it is written in your agreement. Planned work is available to anyone, including businesses with no plan. For the cover side, see after-hours cover.
Work that suits out-of-hours
Server and file moves
Moving files or a server to new hardware or the cloud, so everything works when staff sign in on Monday.
Email migrations
Moving mailboxes between systems, with the final switch done after hours to reduce missed mail.
Network cutovers
Swapping a firewall, switch or internet service while nobody is relying on it, with time to test and roll back.
Updates and patches
Updates that need a restart, installed when a restart will not interrupt anyone.
Office moves and fit-outs
Packing down and setting up computers, phones and networks across a weekend.
Urgent cover, where included
If your plan includes after-hours cover, there is a defined way to reach us when something fails. Your agreement sets out what that covers.
Who it suits
- Offices where every working hour counts and a day of disruption is costly.
- Businesses planning a move, migration or hardware change and wanting minimal interruption.
- Shops, clinics and venues that trade on weekends and need changes made around their opening hours.
- Clients on a plan who want to know what is and is not included after hours.
How a planned after-hours job runs
- We agree the job and the window. You tell us what has to change. We suggest an evening or weekend and confirm the date with you.
- We prepare beforehand. Backups are checked, the steps are written down and the parts that can be done in advance are done in business hours.
- We do the change. The work happens in the agreed window, with testing before we finish.
- We test it as your staff will use it. Sign-ins, shared drives, printers, email and anything specific to your business.
- We leave notes. You get a short summary of what changed and what to look out for on the first day back.
Why WaTo for after-hours work
- We plan the job so there is as little as possible left to chance on the night.
- Written steps and a tested way back, so the night is a checklist rather than improvisation.
- We say plainly what your plan does and does not include out of hours, so there are no surprises.
- Voicemail and email are checked, including on public holidays.
- Adelaide-based since 2001, and used to working around trading hours.
After hours IT support questions
Do you offer after hours IT support?
Yes, in two ways. Planned work such as migrations and upgrades is booked for an evening or weekend. Urgent after-hours help depends on your plan, so ask us what yours includes. Either way, call (08) 7123 0805.
Is someone available if something breaks at night?
It depends on your plan. Usually someone is reachable, but we do not promise a response time unless your agreement says so. Voicemail and email are checked, including on public holidays, so leave a message with what has happened and a number to ring.
Can you do a migration on a weekend?
Yes, and it is one of the most common after-hours jobs. We agree the date in advance, prepare during the week and complete the switch while your office is closed.
How much does after-hours work cost?
Pre-booked work is quoted or billed at the agreed rate. Unbooked urgent or after-hours work is $360 an hour unless your agreement sets a different rate. Booked on-site work is $180 an hour. Booking ahead is usually the cheaper way.
Do we need a managed plan to get after-hours help?
No for planned work, which anyone can book. Urgent cover is set up as part of an agreement, so a plan helps if you want a defined way to reach us when something fails.
Will you work on a public holiday?
Planned work can be arranged for public holidays. Talk to us early, especially around Christmas and New Year, as we have set breaks. Call us to confirm the dates.
What if the job runs past the agreed window?
We plan a way back before we start, so that if something goes wrong we can restore the previous state and finish another time. Your systems should be working when your staff arrive.
What is the difference between this and after-hours cover?
This page is mainly about planned out-of-hours jobs. After-hours cover is the agreement that sets out what happens when something fails outside business hours, and it is built into your plan.
Guides on this topic
- Business continuity and IT recovery planning for small business
- Cyber incident response planning for small business
- Microsoft 365 migration checklist for small business
- Break-fix vs managed IT: which model actually suits your business?
Need a change made when nobody is in?
Call (08) 7123 0805 or book a call. Tell us the job and we will suggest a date and a plan for the night.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
