Changing IT providers is scary, because your current provider often holds the keys: admin accounts, domain name, licences, backups. Done right, though, a transition happens without downtime, in one to three months. The secret: take back control of your access before you announce you are leaving.
6 signs it is time to switch
- You wait. An urgent ticket sits unanswered for hours, and nobody tells you where it stands.
- You pay for every call. Every request is billed by the hour, and overages have been piling up for years. Often, you only realize it when you start looking elsewhere. That is when your provider, sensing it is about to lose you, suddenly offers a discounted unlimited plan. Trust is broken: that plan existed all along, and years of overages will never be refunded.
- Nobody talks strategy. Your provider fixes things but never tells you what to improve or plan for next year.
- It took an incident to get action. A phishing email, a hacked account or a missing backup, and you were the one who raised the alarm.
- You do not know who has access to what. You have neither the list of admin accounts nor access to your own Microsoft 365 account.
- The 2026 basics are missing. No multi-factor authentication everywhere, computers still on Windows 10, no advanced endpoint protection.
You are not alone. In a survey published in September 2026 of 600 decision-makers at mid-sized companies, nearly two-thirds were considering changing IT providers within the year. The most cited reasons: reactive-only service (33%), no strategic guidance (30%), slow response (27%) and unpredictable invoices (26%).
Why 2026 makes this urgent
- Attackers target IT providers’ tools. The 2021 attack on Kaseya hit up to 1,500 businesses at once. Flaws in remote management tools were exploited again in 2024 and 2025. A provider that does not protect its own tools exposes you.
- Microsoft now enforces multi-factor authentication. Since February 2025, it is mandatory to access the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Windows 10 is no longer supported since October 14, 2025. Extended security updates cost US$61 per device in the first year, and the price doubles every year.
- Insurers ask more questions. Multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, tested backups: without them, cyber insurance costs more or is refused.
- The law requires a written contract with your provider. In Québec, Law 25 requires a written contract with any provider that has access to personal information: confidentiality, incident notice, no retention after the contract ends (s. 18.3). In Ontario and elsewhere in Canada, the federal law (PIPEDA) keeps you accountable for information you hand to a provider and requires contractual means to ensure comparable protection.
Before you announce you are leaving: take back your keys
This is the step most companies forget, and the one that avoids bad surprises.
- Microsoft 365: get at least two global admin accounts in your name, protected by multi-factor authentication.
- Domain name and DNS: make sure the registrar account is in your company’s name and that you can log in.
- Passwords and documentation: require a full copy, in a password vault your company owns.
- Licences: check who owns your Microsoft licences. If they go through your provider, the new provider requests the transfer and the old one approves it.
- Backups: have a restore tested before you leave. A backup that was never tested is not a backup.
- Contract: reread the notice period (often 30 to 60 days) and the data-return clause.
The steps of a transition without downtime
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inventory | Accounts, licences, firewall, backups, software, remote access, vendors | Weeks 1 and 2 |
| 2. Take back access | Admin accounts, domain, passwords, documentation | Before giving notice |
| 3. Notice | Written notice to the old provider, per the contract | Week 3 |
| 4. Parallel period | The new provider sets up while the old one is still active | Weeks 3 to 8 |
| 5. Cutover | Licence transfer, new monitoring and protection tools | Weeks 8 and 9 |
| 6. Close-out | Remove the old provider’s tools and accounts; written confirmation your data was returned or destroyed | Week 9 |
| 7. Stabilization | Fix the gaps found: multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, policies | Up to week 12 |
The most often forgotten point is step 6. The old provider’s remote management tools often stay installed on your computers, along with its admin access. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security recommends disabling any provider account that no longer manages your systems.
7 questions to ask your next provider
- What are your response times, in writing, by urgency?
- Are your prices published? What is included, and what is billed extra?
- Do your technicians use multi-factor authentication and separate accounts to access our systems?
- How do you protect and update your own remote management tools?
- Who will own our Microsoft 365 account, our licences and our documentation?
- How do we get all of that back if we ever leave?
- How do you measure client satisfaction?
Why companies switch to UpSystems
We built UpSystems Solutions Canada around the reasons companies leave their provider.
- The unlimited plan from day one. Essential $25, Active Monitoring $50, 360 Management $75 per user per month, published on our website for everyone. Unlimited support is included in 360 Management: no need to threaten to leave to get it. On the other plans, the $139.99 hourly rate is known in advance.
- A team, not one person. Level 1 to 3 technicians, with no gap during vacations.
- Measured after every ticket. A survey follows every closed request: our score is 4.6 out of 5, and our clients give us 5 stars on Google.
- Your keys stay yours. Your Microsoft 365 account, your domain and your documentation stay in your name.
- 2026 security, not 2015. Multi-factor authentication, advanced endpoint protection, 24/7 monitoring and anti-phishing training as options.
- 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Satisfied or refunded.
- More than 75 companies trust us and more than 22,000 tickets have been resolved.
Thinking of switching? Book a 30-minute call: we look at your current situation and tell you honestly whether a change is worth it. See our managed services plans.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to change IT providers?
Generally one to three months, depending on your contract’s notice period and the size of your IT environment. The parallel period avoids any downtime.
Who owns my Microsoft 365 account?
Your company, in principle. But if only your provider has admin access, you must get it back before leaving. Require at least two admin accounts in your name.
What should I get from my old provider?
Admin access, documentation, passwords, approval of the licence transfer, removal of its tools and written confirmation that your data was returned or destroyed.
Can you switch providers without downtime?
Yes, if access is taken back before notice and both providers work in parallel for a few weeks.