Support Readiness

Minimum requirements for reliable managed IT support.

A stable, secure technology baseline lets our team resolve issues faster and reduce avoidable downtime. These standards apply to PCs and servers covered by a TechSource managed services agreement.

IT technician reviewing business computers and infrastructure

The Baseline

Supported, secure, and sized for the job.

These are minimum standards, not universal purchasing specifications. Workloads such as CAD, media production, databases, virtualization, and line-of-business applications may require more capacity. TechSource will confirm final specifications during onboarding or project planning.

Endpoints

PCs & Laptops

Business-class equipment that can run a currently supported operating system and our security tools.

Operating system Windows 11 Pro on a Microsoft-supported release. Home editions must be upgraded to Pro.

Processor A Windows 11-supported Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5, or better processor.

Memory 16 GB RAM minimum;

Storage 256 GB or larger solid-state drive, with at least 20% free space available.

Security hardware TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and hardware compatible with full-disk encryption.

Lifecycle Normally four to five years old or newer, supported by the manufacturer, and free of known hardware faults.

Warranty An active manufacturer warranty is strongly recommended; next-business-day onsite coverage is preferred.

Infrastructure

Physical & Virtual Servers

Server-grade hardware and supported software sized for the actual workload, growth, and recovery objectives.

Platform Business server hardware from a recognized manufacturer, with remote management capability such as iDRAC or iLO.

Operating system A vendor-supported Windows Server or Linux release with valid licensing and security updates.

Processor & memory Server-grade CPU and at least 32 GB ECC RAM. Virtual hosts and application servers will be sized above this baseline.

Storage Enterprise drives with hardware RAID; RAID 1 minimum for the operating system and workload-appropriate redundant storage for data.

Support coverage Active manufacturer warranty with next-business-day onsite service or better; same-day coverage may be required for critical workloads.

Capacity Enough CPU, memory, and storage headroom for normal peaks, updates, backups, and expected growth.

Protection

Security & Management

Every covered system must allow the controls needed to monitor, protect, patch, and recover it.

TechSource-approved remote monitoring, management, and endpoint security agents installed and operational.
Automatic security updates enabled for operating systems, browsers, and supported third-party applications.
Multi-factor authentication for administrative, cloud, email, and remote-access accounts.
Full-disk encryption on laptops and other devices that store sensitive business information.
Separate named user and administrator accounts; shared administrator credentials are not permitted.
Testable backups for business-critical data and systems, with retention and recovery targets agreed in writing.
Licensed, vendor-supported business applications. End-of-life or unlicensed software must be removed or remediated.

Connectivity

Network & Site Readiness

The surrounding network must be manageable and dependable enough to support the covered PCs and servers.

A business-grade firewall with a current security subscription, supported firmware, and secure remote administration.
Managed switches and business-grade wireless access points; unsupported consumer networking devices may require replacement.
Stable business internet service with adequate bandwidth. A secondary connection is recommended where downtime is costly.
UPS protection for firewalls, switches, access points, and other critical network equipment.
Documented administrative access, ISP details, network addressing, licensing, and vendor support information.
Secure remote access through an approved VPN or zero-trust solution; direct exposure of Remote Desktop to the internet is not allowed.

Onboarding

Exceptions & Remediation

We understand that not every environment will meet every standard on day one.

TechSource will identify gaps during discovery and provide a prioritized remediation plan. An exception may be approved when a business or technical constraint prevents immediate compliance, provided the risk, compensating controls, responsible party, and target resolution date are documented.

Unsupported, end-of-life, or unreliable systems may receive best-effort assistance only and can be excluded from service-level commitments until remediated. Requirements may also be raised where compliance obligations, software vendors, workload demands, or business continuity needs call for stronger controls.

Planning an onboarding?