plan b IT services

plan b IT services: backup, disaster recovery and IT support in Lancaster

plan b IT services is a Lancaster-based provider of IT support, backup systems and disaster recovery for small businesses. The company was founded by Dave Kitson in 2006 under the name aktconsultancy services and later rebranded as plan b, shifting its focus towards backup and disaster recovery because, in its own words, downtime is the killer causing lost revenue and lost confidence.

The firm describes a deliberately selective customer base, which it maintains steadily and in some cases has served for years. Its stated business ethic is cost-effective solutions, transparency, trust and value, and it presents low account contention to engineers as the key to combining a high-class service with an affordable cost.

Core services: backup, IT support and cloud storage

The service catalogue is built around fully managed backup systems. plan b supplies a complete backup system for servers and computers, monitors it and ensures a full backup plan is in place. The company states that, on average, it completes over 40 backups per day.

IT support covers troubleshooting and resolution of issues from printers to servers. The engineers are presented as having many years of experience, and the company offers regular system management for reliable operation from £50 per hour. Systems maintenance is also available: each month the existing systems are checked and a report is provided advising on degrading hardware or improvements to make IT work better, with prices starting from £50 per month, equivalent to one hour of labour charges.

Cloud file storage is offered with unlimited space for £9.99 per month, accessible through a web interface or a client installed on servers, laptops, Apple devices and handheld Android and Apple devices, synchronising files with a designated folder. The company also provides 24/7 support at a flat rate, without charging higher amounts for out-of-hours work, on the argument that most jobs need to be done while staff are not working.

Hosting, email and subscription services

plan b has invested in its hosting services to a level where it can host complex .NET applications, PHP, MySQL and SQL databases, and it notes that hosting WordPress websites is a common business requirement. It describes its hosting as a business-class service with 24/7 support, and websites it supplies use CDN technology managed by the company through Cloudflare. Email services are offered in the form of IMAP, POP and Exchange.

Monthly subscription-based services cover email, hosting, Office 365, antivirus and other IT needs. The company also mentions procurement among its core services.

Bespoke systems, security checks and client sectors

plan b states that it uses its own bespoke systems, including backup and penetration testing. These systems constantly check for any CVE and report directly to the team to investigate and mitigate. The company reports that it has been recognised for a no-fuss, easy-to-understand technical approach and fast resolution times.

Its client base spans sole traders to a school with over 1,200 students and staff, and it supports businesses from Kendal to Preston and Fleetwood, primarily Lancaster, while offering consultancy services remotely to larger businesses. The company says it looks after some of the most well-known businesses in Lancaster and has written systems in use in over a dozen well-known businesses in Lancaster and Morecambe, covering accounting, warehousing, customer management, logistics and visitor systems. Some of these systems helped track visitors in residential homes during the 2020 covid-19 pandemic. It has also worked alongside third-party providers to offer telecoms support and rollout support for their applications.

Origins and operating approach

Dave Kitson, a long-time Lancaster resident, started aktconsultancy services in late 2006 as a small local consultancy for small and medium-sized businesses, advising on network improvements, development ideas and general IT strategy. The consultancy helped local small companies make sense of their IT, maximise its potential and connect with other IT companies to provide services. After its founder became heavily involved in the management and direction of another local IT company, aktconsultancy was laid dormant; it continued to serve loyal customers but received no growth. The change in approach is reflected in the new name plan b.

The company presents communication, trust and honesty as the key to its success and describes close working relationships with customers, who can call on the team at any time of day or night. It also states that it treats all customers with the same level of care and respect, whether a sole trader or a large school.

Customer feedback

The site includes a Trustpilot section with feedback from clients including Unique Homecare, Meters UK Ltd, Think Pink Skips, Money 4 Mobiles, KYB (Kick your butt), Askam Civil Engineering, GTS Whitelund Metals, Printex Solutions, Neurodropin and Vuflex Ltd. The testimonials highlight availability, timely responses, a proactive approach, cost control and support outside standard hours. These are individual customer statements rather than an independent assessment of the company.