SAS ITThe Three Models of IT Support for Dubai Businesses
Model 1: Break-Fix — You call when something breaks. Pay per hour or visit. Best for 1 to 3 user businesses.
Model 2: IT Support AMC — Fixed monthly fee covering helpdesk, preventive maintenance, defined SLA. Best for 5 to 50 user SMEs.
Model 3: Fully Managed IT — Complete ownership of your infrastructure. 24/7 monitoring, proactive management. Best for 20+ users who want IT off their plate.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Break-Fix | IT Support AMC | Managed IT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response time SLA | None | 4 hours | 30 min remote / 4hr on-site |
| Proactive monitoring | No | Partial | Yes 24/7 |
| Preventive maintenance | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cybersecurity management | No | Basic | Full |
| Monthly cost predictability | No | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated account manager | No | No | Yes |
Cost Comparison for a 20-User Dubai Business
| Model | Annual Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Break-fix (realistic) | 20,000 to 35,000 |
| IT Support AMC | 18,000 to 36,000 |
| Managed IT Services | 36,000 to 60,000 |
Which Model Is Right for You?
- Break-Fix: Fewer than 5 users, minimal IT dependency
- IT Support AMC: 5 to 30 users, want predictable costs
- Managed IT: 20+ users, cannot afford downtime, have cybersecurity concerns
If you only need the front-line desk, see our IT helpdesk outsourcing service.
Managed IT vs IT Support: Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between break-fix, IT support AMC, and managed IT? Break-fix is pay-per-incident with no SLA, best under 5 users. IT Support AMC is a fixed monthly fee with a defined SLA, suited to 5 to 50 users. Managed IT is full 24/7 ownership of your infrastructure, suited to 20+ users who want IT off their plate entirely.
Is managed IT worth the extra cost over an AMC? For a 20-user Dubai business, managed IT runs roughly AED 36,000 to 60,000 a year versus AED 18,000 to 36,000 for an AMC — the extra cost buys 24/7 proactive monitoring and full cybersecurity management, which matters most once downtime has a real revenue cost.
At what size should a business move off break-fix? Once you're relying on IT daily and can't tolerate unplanned downtime — typically past 5 users — a fixed-SLA AMC becomes cheaper than accumulating break-fix call-outs.
Not sure which fits your business? Talk to us | +971-526716178 — free consultation.
Related: Managed IT Services Dubai | IT Support Dubai | IT AMC Dubai
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About the Author
Reviewed by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS IT Services, with 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and security — alongside the same engineers who design, install, and support the work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We specialize in Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 vendor product lines we regularly install, configure, and support across networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — hands-on experience that informs the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
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