E-N Computers

19/10/2026

The price tag on a retail store laptop is only part of the cost.

Buying your own computers sounds simple. Pick a model, pay at the register, carry it back to the office.

Then the real work starts. Someone has to handle:
▪️ Research on which models fit your business
▪️ Ordering and tracking delivery
▪️ Setup and configuration
▪️ Support when something goes wrong
▪️ Replacement when the computer gets old

When you buy it yourself, all five land on you. That usually means a time-consuming headache for someone whose real job is something else.

Here is how it works when we handle it:
▪️ Your account manager builds a quote in one to three weeks
▪️ We place the order within five to ten business days after you approve
▪️ We erase the drive and do a fresh Windows install, so there is no bloatware slowing things down
▪️ Most computers are ready in two business days once they reach us

We also set a replacement schedule with you during quarterly reviews, so new hardware never shows up as a surprise.

Our advice is to skip the retail store and let us handle procurement. You get a good deal on the hardware and a lot less frustration.

Buying new computers on a regular schedule protects your business. Here's what you can expect from us when buying new computers.

15/10/2026

The price tag on a retail store laptop is only part of the cost.

Buying your own computers sounds simple. Pick a model, pay at the register, carry it back to the office.

Then the real work starts. Someone has to handle:

▪️ Research on which models fit your business

▪️ Ordering and tracking delivery

▪️ Setup and configuration

▪️ Support when something goes wrong

▪️ Replacement when the computer gets old

When you buy it yourself, all five land on you. That usually means a time-consuming headache for someone whose real job is something else.

Here is how it works when we handle it:

▪️ Your account manager builds a quote in one to three weeks

▪️ We place the order within five to ten business days after you approve

▪️ We erase the drive and do a fresh Windows install, so there is no bloatware slowing things down

▪️ Most computers are ready in two business days once they reach us

We also set a replacement schedule with you during quarterly reviews, so new hardware never shows up as a surprise.

Our advice is to skip the retail store and let us handle procurement. You get a good deal on the hardware and a lot less frustration.

Who handles computer purchases at your company right now?

Read our full guide on what to expect when buying new business computers: https://www.encomputers.com/2026/09/what-expect-buying-new-computers/

Buying new computers on a regular schedule protects your business. Here's what you can expect from us when buying new computers.

13/10/2026

You asked about response times, pricing, and security tools. Did you ask who owns the MSP?

Most articles on choosing an IT provider stop at the checklist. Our president, Ian MacRae, hears something different in his conversations with prospects:

"I find that usually the buyers are so focused on the technology, to the point where they're missing that this is also a relationship."

A few questions tell you more about fit than any feature list:

→ Who owns the MSP, and does the owner plan to sell or retire?

→ Will you have a dedicated account manager, or does one person do everything?

→ Does the quote list ten separate tools, or build on licensing you keep if you leave?

→ Can they show you real, hands-on audit prep experience?

Response time promises deserve the same scrutiny. Ian compares it to calling Comcast. You always reach someone, but nobody owns your problem. A fast SLA means little if a different person answers every time.

For defense contractors, that last question matters most. Audit evidence has to reflect your systems as they are today, with nothing older than 90 days. At E-N Computers, audit prep takes about 40 hours of focused work.

Our full article walks through each question, plus what to expect on pricing and ballpark estimates.

What's one question you wish you had asked your MSP before signing?

Read the full article: https://www.encomputers.com/2026/09/questions-to-ask-msp-before-signing/

MSPs get asked technical questions all the time, but questions about their business and operations will reveal whether they're a good fit.

09/10/2026

Please note that our office will be closed October 12th in observance of Columbus Day.



We will respond to electronic service requests and emails when we return Tuesday, October 13th.



If you need immediate assistance, please call 866-692-9082 and leave a message with our dispatcher. We will have our on-call technician call you back.



From our team here at E-N Computers, we hope you have a wonderful holiday. Stay well and stay safe.

06/10/2026

🎉 Celebrating 1 Year at E-N Computers! 🎉
This week, we're proud to recognize Larry Errickson and Giovani Gonzales on their 1-year work anniversary with E-N Computers!

Over the past year, Larry and Giovani have made valuable contributions to our team through their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients. Their hard work and willingness to go the extra mile help make E-N Computers stronger every day.

Please join us in thanking them for their contributions and congratulating them on this milestone. We appreciate everything they've accomplished during their first year and look forward to seeing their continued success in the years ahead.

👏 Congratulations, Larry and Giovani, and thank you for being part of the E-N Computers family!

05/10/2026

Your compliance file has policies. It might not have your IT provider.
If your IT provider can reach your email, your files, or your client records, the SEC counts them as a covered service provider under Reg S-P. That means you have to prove you're managing them, not just working with them.

Three things need to be in your file:
1. A written security program from your provider, not a verbal promise.
2. A written commitment to notify you within 72 hours if something goes wrong.
3. Your own records showing you reviewed the relationship, at least once a year.

Ask your provider these questions before your next exam. Do they have a written security program? Will they put that 72-hour window in writing? Can they hand you a signed security attestation? Have they run a tabletop exercise with you?
One more thing to check. If your broker-dealer manages your email, no IT provider, including us, can fully monitor or protect it. That's not a knock on your provider. It's a gap in who controls what.

"This is stuff you should be doing anyway," said Ian MacRae, president of E-N Computers.

If you can't answer those four questions today, that's worth fixing before your next exam. We work with RIAs across Virginia and the DC metro area, and we build this documentation in from day one.

Five red flags that your setup needs work: https://www.encomputers.com/2026/06/reg-sp-it-provider-evaluation/

When's the last time you reviewed your IT provider's security program?

Reg S-P treats your MSP as a covered vendor. Here's what you need from them — and four questions to ask before your next SEC exam.

02/10/2026

Happy work anniversary to Terry Underwood!
Here are a few words from our Service Manager, Regina Reynolds:

"Terry has been an exceptional asset to our team and consistently exemplifies a spirit of service, professionalism, and teamwork. Terry is always willing to go above and beyond to support both colleagues and clients, regardless of the task or challenge."

"We regularly receive positive feedback from clients regarding Terry’s dedication, responsiveness, and the outstanding support provided as their onsite technician. Terry’s commitment to maintaining organization, enhancing documentation, and continuously improving processes has made a meaningful impact on our team’s success."

"We are sincerely grateful for Terry’s ongoing contributions and look forward to celebrating this well-deserved milestone."

28/09/2026

One small business was paying $15,000 a month just for email. They didn't know it until we looked.

Subscriptions pile up fast. Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft 365 running side by side, each with its own bill.

We see the same blind spot with a nonprofit in Lexington, VA. Their old IT vendor charged $1,365 a month. Our managed plan came in about $1,000 higher. On paper, a hard sell.

But once they switched, we retired their old phone system for VoIP and cut their internet bill nearly in half. Net result: over $700 saved every month. That's $8,500 a year, even with the "more expensive" plan.

The sticker price on an IT bill rarely tells the whole story.

An in-house IT team can run over $400 per employee, per month, once you add salaries, tools, and training. A fully managed plan often lands closer to $125. Break/fix support looks cheap by the hour, until a single hour of downtime costs $300,000.

If you don't know what your IT costs you each month, you're not alone. Most business owners don't, until they run the numbers.

What would you guess your company pays per employee for IT? Drop your guess in the comments.

Full cost breakdown: https://www.encomputers.com/2024/05/how-much-does-it-support-cost/

22/09/2026

"GCC High" sounds expensive before anyone sees an actual number.
Most companies switch from a monthly Microsoft bill to one big annual payment when they move over. That single check feels like a huge jump, even when the real cost difference is smaller than people expect.

The license itself is the easy part. The real work is enrolling every device and locking down every setting the right way. For a typical 25-person company, that project can run 200 to 240 hours.

Once that work is done, you're not just checking a government box.
That protection matters more than people realize.

"You come out the other side with a solution that's protecting the whole business." — Ian MacRae

Fraud attempts targeting wire transfers hit law firms, manufacturers, and plenty of other industries. The right setup can stop that kind of mistake before it costs you real money.

And no, you don't have to cover 240 hours of setup work in one lump sum. Some companies spread the cost across their contract term. Others tap grant money through their state's manufacturing extension program.

Want the real numbers behind GCC High pricing, and how to pay for the setup without draining your budget? Make an appointment to talk it over.
https://www.encomputers.com/complimentary-cmmc-consulting/

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/jTbCqM23X2Q

What's held your company back from making the switch?

21/09/2026

We have an opening for an L3 Systems Engineer at our Waynesboro office.

You’ll manage servers, networks, and security, lead projects, and provide escalation support for clients across Virginia. This role combines technical leadership, hands-on engineering, and customer interaction.

See details and apply here: https://encomputers.bamboohr.com/careers/33