Business owner's guide
How to choose an IT company for your business in Cairo
If your company has no IT department, you have three options: hire an in-house IT employee, call a technician or freelancer when something breaks, or contract a managed IT company to act as your IT department. This guide compares them honestly and lists what to ask any IT company before you sign.
Quick comparison: in-house IT, freelancer, or managed IT company?
| In-house IT employee | Technician / freelancer on call | Managed IT company (like CNS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Salary + insurance + leave + training | Cheap in quiet months, unpredictable in a crisis | Fixed monthly fee, written in the contract |
| If someone is absent or leaves | Work stops and knowledge leaves with them | May not answer or be available | A whole team, no single point of failure |
| Range of expertise | Usually one person, one skill set | Depends on the person | Networks, servers, security, Microsoft 365, support |
| Documentation and reporting | Depends on the employee | Rarely | Tracked tickets + a monthly report |
| Prevention before failure | If they have time | Comes after things break | Device and network monitoring + scheduled visits |
| Who is accountable? | Your employee | No clear accountability | A company, under contract |
When is each option the right one?
In-house IT employee
When your company is large and needs someone on site all day, every day. Even then, a managed IT company can back them up during leave and major incidents.
Technician or freelancer
When you have only a few devices, problems are very rare, and documentation or monitoring do not matter to you.
Managed IT company
When your staff rely on computers, internet and email every day and you want a fixed cost and clear accountability, without hiring, training and managing an employee.
10 questions to ask any IT company before you sign
- What exactly is included in the monthly price, and what is charged separately?
- When is remote support available? How many on-site visits per month, and how long is each visit?
- How do I open a support request? Is there a ticketing system I can follow?
- Will I receive a monthly report of everything that was done?
- Who holds my passwords and accounts, and will they be handed over if we part ways?
- Do you cover my area of Cairo? Can you support my other branch?
- Is there an assessment before I sign? Is it free?
- How long is the contract, and what are the cancellation terms?
- Are security and backup included, or add-ons?
- Can I speak to current clients?
CNS's answers to these questions
Clear monthly packages (indicative; final offer after the assessment):
- Remote3,500 EGP / month
- Essential5,000 EGP / month
- Standard6,000 EGP / month
- Business8,000 EGP / month
- Plus12,000 EGP / month
- Remote support 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus on-site visits by package (up to 4 hours per visit).
- A portal to open tickets and follow them until solved, and a monthly report.
- All devices and accounts documented and kept with you, not in one person’s head.
- We cover Cairo: Nasr City, Heliopolis, New Cairo, Maadi, the New Capital, Obour and El Shorouk, and can support branches in other governorates by agreement.
- The first assessment of your needs is free.
- Cybersecurity and backup are optional add-ons priced separately.
See packages & pricing · Compare an IT employee’s cost with CNS
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a managed IT company and a repair technician?
A technician comes to fix a problem when it happens. A managed IT company is responsible for your IT all month under a contract: remote support, scheduled visits, monitoring, documentation and a monthly report.
How much does an IT company cost for a small business in Cairo?
At CNS, packages start at EGP 3,500 per month for remote support and EGP 5,000 with one on-site visit a month; the final price is set after a free assessment.
I already have an IT employee. Do I still need an IT company?
Possibly. Many companies use CNS to back up their IT person: during leave, and for bigger work such as networks, servers and security.
Do you work with individuals or homes?
No, CNS works with businesses only.