Advice with nothing to resell.
Fixed-scope consulting for the decisions that outlast the invoice — migrations, security posture, budgets and vendor choices. Findings arrive in writing, and they are yours either way.
A recommendation is only worth what it costs the person making it.
Consultants who resell what they recommend are salespeople with better worksheets — the conclusion was written before the assessment started. Our engagements end with a document, not a purchase order: risks ranked, options costed, and a recommendation we can defend line by line. A fair number conclude “keep what you have and fix these three things,” which is exactly why the advice is worth paying for.
Six shapes of advice.
Every engagement is fixed-scope and ends in writing. If what you need is not on this list, ask — and if it is outside what we can do well, you will be told so on the first call.
| Engagement | What you get | Typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| 01Environment assessment | What you getThe written state of your IT: risks ranked by consequence, quick wins separated from projects, honest costs | Typical shapeOne to two weeks |
| 02Security review | What you getGaps measured against a CIS-style baseline, an exception list with owners and dates, and what to fix first | Typical shapeOne to two weeks |
| 03Migration planning | What you getTarget design, sequence, rollback position and a real budget — whether or not we run the migration | Typical shapeTwo to four weeks |
| 04Budget & lifecycle plan | What you getHardware refresh, renewals and licensing for the fiscal year, delivered in time for your budgeting | Typical shapeOne week |
| 05Vendor selection | What you getRequirements written down, a shortlist, and the questions vendors prefer not to be asked | Typical shapeOne to two weeks |
| 06Second opinion | What you getSomeone else’s proposal, red-lined honestly — including when the verdict is “sign it” | Typical shapeDays |
The second opinion is the most underused item on this list. It costs a fraction of the proposal it examines, and it has paid for itself every single time someone has bought it. Two decisions we get asked to second-opinion most often are written up: Proxmox versus VMware after Broadcom and when outsourcing IT beats hiring. The engineer giving it is named on the about page.
The ones people actually ask.
If yours isn’t here, ask it directly — you’ll get an answer from an engineer, not a form letter.
We can, but the report is written so any competent shop could execute it — sequence, specifications and rollback included. If we quote for the implementation, the report still stands alone; you are never buying advice that only works if you buy us.
We resell almost nothing, and the partnerships we do hold — Sophos and Microsoft — are disclosed on every page of this site, so the bias is visible rather than hidden. Where a competitor product fits better, that is what goes in the report.
A fixed number, quoted after a short scoping call — never open-ended day rates. Small engagements like a second opinion are priced in days; a full migration plan is a different conversation, and both numbers arrive before you commit.
Yes, honestly. Sometimes the verdict is “this is fair, sign it” — the value is knowing that from someone with no stake in the answer.
No. Consulting stands alone, and most engagements end there. If ongoing operations come up, it is because the findings pointed that way and you asked — the report is never a funnel.
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Engagements across the National Capital Region — Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orléans, Stittsville, Manotick and Gatineau. Remote discovery anywhere in Canada; on-site assessment days are the NCR.
The findings are yours either way.
Twenty minutes to scope it, a fixed price to do it, and a document you keep whoever implements. Start with the question that is keeping you up.