We’re a business focussed cybersecurity consultancy.

First we talk. Send us an email at info@abovestudio1.com and tell us what you need to accomplish. We don’t need a lot of detail— just tell us about what’s going on, what you think you might need, and how you think we can help. We love email and we’ll get back to you faster than you might expect.

Next, we’ll find out more. We want to know about your business, what your current technology looks like, the challenges you face, and what ideas might be exciting you. We want to be your trusted advisor about most technology matters, so it’s important that we start talking before you invest money and time in a system. We want to make sure that your investments pay off and that everything “plays well with others”.

So once we’ve talked, and we like each other and the ideas, it often makes sense for us to spend some time analyzing and writing up what’s called a Specification (which will include an Estimate). For simple things like Mac Server installations, or iOS device MDM implementations, the Specification can be short and sweet— more of a one-page Scope Outline. For more complex projects like Network Hardening, or Accounting System implementations, the Specification may be more detailed so that every I is dotted and every T is crossed. Sometimes, it makes sense for us to be paid for this “analysis phase” so we’re not working “for free”— when we begin a project phase, that money gets put toward the rest of the project because that’s the right thing to do.

What is “Managed Services”? Good question. It takes time and expertise to do our work properly. We invest heavily in education and re-education so we deeply understand the newest and best technology. Because we see our role with most businesses as a long-term advisory one with many ongoing responsibilities, we may want to sign you up under a small monthly retainer. Our retainer (what we call an Above Care™ membership) for one Mac, one iOS device, and one person costs $30 dollars a month (less in bulk). There are tangible things you get with that— cloud based backup, health and wellness monitoring, proper documentation of your system, some support, and a discount on our consulting rates. Importantly, the intangible benefit is that we’re on your bench. That is Managed Services.

We’re deeply committed to our Code of Ethics. You can read about it, but the important thing is that we put integrity before profit. We won’t take your money if there’s no quantifiable benefit to you.

What do you get for your dollars? It depends. It may be the expertise of our Consulting Accountant, the talent of a Web Designer, the knowledge and experience of a Business or Technical Consultant, or the simple peace of mind of our Managed Services. Other times, it might mean we’re massaging data, crawling around in a dusty wiring closet, hacking a bunch of Unix commands to make things more secure, or even wading through a box of your expense receipts. We do the “heavy lifting”, freeing you up to grow your business. We love that we can be a deeply engaged part of your business team and can have a real impact on your bottom line.