Approved Systems provides high‑level IT consulting and specialist support for clients who need strategic guidance, project oversight or subject‑matter expertise beyond standard helpdesk services. Our consultants are seasoned professionals with deep experience in cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, networking and systems architecture.
Because consulting engagements take senior engineers away from other clients and projects, access to professional consulting is provided through structured agreements:
Monthly Retainer
We reserve a set number of consulting hours each month exclusively for your organisation. This ensures availability and allows our consultants to schedule their commitments across active projects. Retainers start from 1 hour per week and scale to large enterprise engagements. Unused hours cannot be carried over.
| Hours per week | Monthly fee (ex GST) | Max hours/month | Rate for additional hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | 4 | $150 per hour |
| 2 | $2,000 | 8 | $150 per hour |
| 4 | $3,500 | 16 | $150 per hour |
| 8 | $3,000 | 32 | $150 per hour |
| 15 | $2,250 | 60 | $150 per hour |
| 20 | $6,500 | 80 | $150 per hour |
| 40 | $12,500 | 160 | $150 per hour |
Ad‑hoc consulting
If you occasionally need access to a consultant without a retainer, we offer booked sessions subject to availability. Rates vary depending on notice and time of day and are outside our normal first‑level helpdesk services.
| Time of day | Min hours | ≤48 hrs notice | ≤24 hrs notice | ≤8 hrs notice | ≤1 hr notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon – Fri (9 am – 5 pm) | 1 | $150/hr | $200/hr | $225/hr | $500/hr |
| Mon – Fri (other times) | 1 | $225/hr | $250/hr | $300/hr | $750/hr |
| Saturdays | 1 | $225/hr | $250/hr | $300/hr | $750/hr |
| Sundays & public holidays | 1 | $300/hr | $350/hr | $400/hr | $1,000/hr |
Why structured consulting?
Our senior consultants, including our director Neil Symons, are frequently engaged in multi‑week projects for enterprise clients. Diverting a consultant for ad‑hoc tasks means rescheduling those commitments and potentially working overtime. A retainer or scheduled ad‑hoc session ensures fairness, avoids disruption to other clients and reflects the true cost of specialist expertise.
Professional consulting is therefore not a substitute for normal IT support. If you need routine assistance with devices, applications or services, please use our General Support page. Our service desk resolves most issues quickly and efficiently, allowing senior engineers to focus on complex projects, architecture and proactive improvements.
Discuss your requirements
If you believe your organisation could benefit from expert consulting or project oversight, please contact us or request a consultation. We will help you determine whether a retainer or ad‑hoc arrangement is appropriate and ensure your needs are met promptly and professionally.