Changing IT provider is a normal business decision. The risk is not the change itself, but a handover where passwords, licences or backups stay with the old company. Here is what to collect before you give notice.
1. Make sure you own the essentials
Your domain name, your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace tenant and your software licences should be registered to your company. Check who the registered owner is at your domain registrar and in your Microsoft 365 admin centre. If it is the provider, ask them to transfer it before anything else.
2. Admin accounts and passwords
Ask for a full list of admin accounts: Microsoft 365, server, firewall and router, Wi-Fi, NAS, backup software, website hosting and DNS. Once you have them, change every password and remove the old provider’s accounts. Shared logins nobody can name are a security risk.
3. Documentation of your network
A good provider keeps a record of your setup: which devices and servers you have, IP addresses, VPN connections between offices, shared drives and who has access to what. Ask for it in writing. If it does not exist, that tells you something too.
4. Licences and subscriptions
Get a list of every licence and subscription: what it is, how many seats, the renewal date and who is billed. Antivirus, email security and backup are often bought through the provider; make sure they can be moved or replaced without a gap in protection.
5. Backups — and proof they work
Find out where your backups are kept, how often they run and when the last successful one was. Before the switch, restore a few files as a test. A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a backup.
6. Read the contract
Check the notice period, any exit fees, and what the provider must do when the contract ends: return your data, hand over documentation, delete copies. If the contract says nothing, agree it in writing before you give notice.
7. Put the handover in writing
Everything agreed on a call should be confirmed by email. A short handover document listing what was handed over, and when, protects both sides.
We can do this for you
When we take over IT support, we run this checklist with your current provider, so you do not have to chase passwords and paperwork yourself.
Tell us about your setup and we will send a written proposal.