Guide
How to switch IT provider without losing access to your own systems
Most switches go smoothly. The ones that go badly all fail the same way: something essential turns out to be registered to the provider rather than to you. Check these first, before you say anything.
The short answerBefore giving notice to an IT provider, confirm in writing that your business - not the provider - owns your domain name, Microsoft 365 tenant, licences and administrator accounts. The single most common problem when switching is discovering the outgoing provider holds the domain or the global admin account in their own name.
Secure these BEFORE giving notice
- Your domain name - registered to your business, with you holding the login
- Your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace tenant, with a global admin account you control
- Software licences purchased in your name, not resold under theirs
- Administrator passwords for firewall, switches and servers
- A copy of your backups that you can actually restore from
- Documentation of how your network is set up
A reasonable transition looks like
- Two to four weeks of overlap between providers
- A documented handover, not a phone call
- The new provider auditing what they inherit and telling you honestly
- No gap in monitoring or backup at any point
Warning signs from a current provider
- Reluctance to confirm in writing who owns what
- Your domain or tenant registered to their company
- No documentation they are willing to hand over
- Backups only they can access
Common questions
Can our current provider hold our data hostage?
They should not, and in most cases cannot lawfully. But they can make it slow and painful if they hold the accounts, which is why ownership is worth confirming before you give notice.
How long does switching take?
Two to four weeks for most small businesses, including audit, handover and an overlap period. Rushing it is how gaps appear.
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