Choosing the Right Outside IT Support: Block of Hours vs. All-in Seat Price

Considering Outside IT Support for Your Company

For many businesses, IT systems are both the backbone of operations and a recurring source of frustration. Organizations invest heavily in platforms, infrastructure, and upgrades—only to encounter unexpected disruptions, ballooning costs, and employees struggling with technology that doesn’t deliver on its promises. Even with help desk support, the reality often feels far from seamless. This frustration leads many companies to consider a local partner for IT support. The idea is simple: bring in an external team to help stabilize systems, respond to issues, and keep technology aligned with business goals. But when businesses explore this option, they will encounter different models.  In this article we will explore two of those models.

• Block of Hours (BOH) Support Plans – You purchase a set number of support hours, and the provider steps in when an incident occurs and something breaks.
• All-in Seat Price (AISP) Managed Services – You pay a fixed monthly fee per employee or device, covering a comprehensive, proactive approach to IT management.

Both models serve important purposes, but they deliver very different experiences, costs, and long-term value. In the paragraphs that follow we will cover both approaches, highlight lessons learned from real-world delivery, and help you decide which model fits your business best.

The Block of Hours Model

The Block of Hours (BOH) model is often the first option businesses consider when looking for outside IT help. At first glance, it feels practical and cost-efficient: you pay for a set number of hours and call in support when needed. How It Works

• You purchase a block of support hours from an IT vendor.
• When a problem arises—server outage, software glitch, hardware failure—you call your vendor.
• The vendor applies the necessary hours to resolve the immediate issue.

Why Businesses Choose BOH

• Simplicity – Hours are easy to track, and the transactional nature feels straightforward.
• Cost Control – Businesses believe they are only paying for what they use.
• Flexibility – Smaller organizations may see it as a way to get IT support without committing to a full managed services agreement.

The Concealed Challenges of BOH

While attractive on the surface, this model has limitations:

• Reactive Focus – The vendor’s only incentive is to fix what’s broken, not to uncover root causes or prevent future issues.
• No Strategic Planning – There’s no framework for long-term improvement, planning, or technology alignment.
• Tool Stack Responsibility – The business remains responsible for acquiring and managing critical IT tools: server administration software, endpoint management, backup systems, and cybersecurity solutions.
• Misaligned Priorities – Business leaders may not know which issues to prioritize with limited hours. What feels urgent to them may not be what the IT environment needs most.
• Disruption-Centered Relationship – The only time the vendor shows up is during a crisis. There’s no proactive evaluation, no planning sessions, and no roadmap for the future.

In essence, the BOH model is like paying for an emergency mechanic every time your car breaks down—without ever scheduling preventative maintenance or inspections.

The All-in Seat Price (AISP) Model

The All-in Seat Price (AISP) model is a managed services approach where businesses pay a fixed monthly fee per employee (or device). Unlike BOH, this model is delivered under (4) quadrants of specialization, incident response, proactive management, embedded toolsets, and strategic planning. How It Works

• Businesses pay a predictable monthly fee based on the number of seats (users or devices).
• Administrative tool stack is included under the program for endpoints + servers
• Service delivery is divided into (3) key areas:
  • Incident Response – Help desk and problem resolution.
  • Proactive Activities – Monitoring, onsite visits, patching, endpoint management, and cybersecurity.
  • Strategic Planning – Long-term IT strategy tailored to business goals.

Why Businesses Choose AISP

• Predictable Costs – A flat fee eliminates surprise invoices.
• Proactive Care – Issues are prevented before they disrupt operations.
• Embedded Tools – The vendor provides & manages the software stack necessary to keep IT systems and hardware healthy.
• Greater Alignment & Shared Goals – Both vendor and client benefit from minimizing disruptions and maximizing technology effectiveness.

Benefits Beyond Break-Fix With AISP, IT providers aren’t just problem-solvers—they’re strategic partners. This model fosters:

• Continuous Improvement – Regular assessments, site visits and updates ensure systems evolve with the business.
• Employee Productivity – Fewer disruptions so employees can focus on their work.
• Data-Driven IT – Metrics such as ticket response times, backup success rates, patch compliance, and employee satisfaction scores provide visibility into IT performance.

Where BOH treats symptoms, AISP addresses causes and drives towards resilience.

Lessons Learned from Experience

When Morefield first began providing contracted IT support more than 15 years ago, our program was built on the Block of Hours model. We offered (4) tiers of support, each allocating a number of monthly hours to clients. Monthly statements detailed the services provided that included incident response, equipment deployment, and other needs. Sometimes hours weren’t consumed by end of month and would roll over into the next month.  But over time, patterns emerged:

• Clients were stuck deciding between which issues deserved their limited hours.
• Root causes of problems were rarely addressed, leading to repeat incidents.
• Businesses lacked insight into IT performance and long-term strategic planning.

We realized that while hourly plans were affordable, the approach did not deliver real transformation for clients. So, we reimagined our delivery model, transitioning to an All-in Seat Price approach. Yes, AISP plans are more expensive —but the outcomes are dramatically better. Instead of patching a problem, we help organizations make the smart technology decision to apply a permanent resolution. Instead of waiting for the panic call and disruption, our tiered services model prevents the disruption. The value lies not in the cost per hour, but in the productivity, resilience, and strategic advantage businesses gain.

Measuring the True Value of IT

Before choosing a support model, businesses should ask themselves:

• How many endpoints are being managed?
• How many help desk tickets are created daily?
• How reliable are backup routines?
• How fast is response and resolution time?
• Are devices patched and secured regularly?
• What percentage of devices are vulnerable to ransomware?
• How satisfied are employees with internal IT support?

If gathering this data feels difficult—or if you don’t know the answers—you may not have the visibility needed to evaluate your environment. In such cases, the proactive, data-driven nature of AISP becomes particularly valuable.

Morefield’s Perspective

At Morefield, we know there are businesses within Central Pennsylvania who would benefit from rethinking their approach to IT support. Many companies underestimate the true costs of IT—both visible expenses and hidden inefficiencies. They also struggle to recognize what “good” IT looks like.  When you invite Morefield to sit down and talk about your organization, our commitment to you, will be:

• Redefine IT Support – Show your business how modern IT should be delivered.
• Reveal True Costs – Help leaders understand both apparent and hidden technology expenses.
• Empower Smarter Decisions – Equip organizations to make technology investments strategically, not reactively.
• Deliver Lasting Value – Provide IT that not only works but enables growth, productivity, and security.

Which Program is Right for You?

Choosing between Block of Hours and All-in Seat Price isn’t just about cost—it’s about alignment with your business goals.

• If your needs are minimal, predictable, and you only want support when something breaks, Block of Hours may feel sufficient.
• But if you want to reduce disruption, empower employees, and align technology with strategy, the All-in Seat Price model delivers greater long-term value.

Your technology, that you rely on to operate your business, should not be a recurring frustration—it should be a driver of your businesses success. At Morefield, we help businesses make the smart technology decisions and move beyond reactive fixes and toward proactive, strategic IT support that works today and scales for tomorrow.