Sixty seconds of triage before you call
Systems are down and people are waiting. Do these three things first, then call the number on this page to describe the situation and get emergency response scoped.
Emergency IT Support for Kansas City Businesses
- What is down: internet, email, a server, one application, everything
- Who is affected: one person, one office, every location
- What changed in the last day: an update, a new device, a password reset, a storm, a contractor
- Any sign of a security event: locked files, a ransom note, logins you do not recognise, clients getting emails you did not send
In short
If systems are down, spend sixty seconds on triage before you call: what is down, who is affected, what changed in the last day, and any sign of a security event. Do not power-cycle servers or storage. If files are locked or a ransom note appears, unplug that machine from the network, leave it on and do not pay. Then call the number on this page. Emergency work is scoped and quoted on the call, for clients and non-clients alike, and is diagnosed remotely first, with a technician on-site when hardware needs hands. This page covers the common emergencies (network, server, Microsoft 365, ransomware, a hacked mailbox, an IT person who just quit), after-hours questions and Kansas City on-site coverage.
Before you touch anything
Do not power-cycle servers or storage. A clean shutdown is recoverable; an interrupted one may not be. If files are locked or a ransom note is on screen, unplug that machine from the network, leave it powered on, and do not pay anything. Write down the exact error text and the time it started. Then call (816) 631-1643; it reaches the Kansas City team of the site's partner provider, ThrottleNet, which scopes emergency work on the call.
How emergency response is engaged
Emergency work is a scoped, quoted engagement like any other, for clients and non-clients alike. This is the sequence; nothing on this page promises a technician before the quote is accepted.
Intake
A technician takes the facts above and confirms a way to reach you that does not depend on the system that is down.
Scope and quote
The provider scopes the emergency work and quotes it on the call. Existing clients are covered by their agreement; for everyone else, work starts once the quote is accepted. Company-wide outages and suspected security events are scoped first.
Remote or on-site
Most outages are diagnosed remotely. When hands are needed on hardware, a technician is dispatched; ask where on-site staff are based.
After the incident
A plain description of the cause, the fix and what would have prevented it. Whether that leads to a managed agreement is a separate conversation, and the How to Choose a Provider page is written so you can have it on your terms.
Emergencies this page covers
Network or internet down
Usually the firewall, the circuit or a switch. Have the internet provider's account number ready; the technician will call them so you do not have to.
Server crashed
Do not restart it repeatedly. Note what was on screen, whether backups ran last night, and who last changed anything. Recovery order depends on those three facts.
Microsoft 365 or email down
First question: is it Microsoft, or is it you? The technician checks the service status before touching your tenant. If mail is flowing but strange, it may be a compromise, not an outage.
Files locked or a ransom note
Isolate the machine, do not pay, do not wipe. Evidence matters for insurance and for recovery. A dedicated ransomware response page is planned; until then, the call is the page.
A hacked mailbox emailing your clients
That is business email compromise, and it has its own first-hour sequence. Go to Hacked Email Response or say "hacked email" on the call.
Our IT person just quit
Change the administrative passwords they held, confirm backups are running, and get a written inventory of what they managed. Co-managed or fully managed cover is scoped in a consultation; the Managed Service Provider page explains the difference.
Have a question about your business IT? Talk it through with the Kansas City team.
After hours, weekends and holidays
Ask, on the first call, how after-hours emergencies are handled for a business that is not yet under an agreement, and what the response commitment is at 2 a.m. versus 2 p.m. A provider that cannot answer that in one sentence does not have an after-hours plan.
Kansas City on-site coverage
Published coverage from the site's partner provider runs across both sides of the state line: Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa and Leawood in Kansas; Liberty, Lee's Summit, Independence, Blue Springs and the Northland in Missouri. The Service Areas page lists the metro's business districts one by one. Coverage by staff, not by search label, is the thing to confirm before you need it.
Need emergency IT response in Kansas City?
Call and describe what is down. Emergency work is scoped and quoted on the call. Not an emergency? Request a consultation instead.
Emergency IT support FAQ
How fast will someone actually respond?
Response is when a technician engages; resolution is when the problem is fixed. Ask for both figures, how a severity-one outage is handled, and what the commitment is outside business hours; the IT Support page shows the format.
Do we need a contract before anyone will help?
No standing agreement is required to call. The partner provider scopes and quotes emergency work for businesses that are not clients, and the quote comes before the work; existing clients use their support line and are covered by their agreement. Whether a managed plan makes sense afterwards is a separate conversation.
Will they come on-site or fix it remotely?
Remotely first, because it is faster. On-site when hardware, cabling or a physical device is the problem.
What does an emergency visit cost?
It depends on the problem, the hour and whether you are under an agreement, and it is quoted on the call. This site publishes no prices. The Managed IT Cost Guide page explains how providers bill so the quote makes sense when you hear it.
What should we tell the technician?
What is down, who is affected, what changed in the last day, any sign of a security event, and a phone number that will still work if your phone system is part of the outage.