You support a mix of Windows laptops and Macs by managing and securing both properly, keeping them connected to your shared systems, and having support people who know each one. A mixed fleet is completely normal for a contractor, where different roles prefer different machines, and with the right support it just works rather than each type being its own headache.
Some IT providers handle Windows well and Macs poorly. Here’s how to support a genuinely mixed fleet, on site and in the office.
1. Manage and secure both
Windows and Mac machines each need protection, patching and management suited to them. We secure and maintain both, so a Mac on site is as well looked after as a Windows laptop in the office.
2. Keep them connected to your systems
Whatever the device, your staff need to reach the same email, files and hosted desktop. We make sure Macs and Windows machines both connect cleanly to your shared systems, which is where a lot of mixed-fleet friction usually lives.
3. Track and protect every device
Knowing exactly which machines are out there, and keeping each one encrypted and protected, matters when devices travel to sites. A lost laptop should be a hardware loss, not a data breach, whatever its make.
4. Support that knows both
The real difference is people who understand each platform. When an engineer has a Mac or Windows issue on site, they should reach someone who can actually help, not just someone who knows one of them.
A real example: Macs kept in the picture
We support a security and M&E contractor whose staff use a mix of Windows laptops and MacBooks. We keep every device, whatever its make, managed, tracked and connected to their shared systems, so a Mac user on site gets the same reliable support as a Windows user in the office.
For most building-services and M&E contractors, this sits within fully managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month, billed per user, with the security and on-site remote access your teams need built in.
Why security and M&E contractors choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including security, fire and M&E contractors and building-services firms with office and site-based teams. We know how these businesses run: hosted desktops for staff on site and in the office, QuickBooks and payroll, secure remote access for field engineers, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and the layered security that protects a firm handling client sites and payments, from MFA and application allowlisting to managed threat detection. We support contractors in Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Got a mix of Windows and Macs to support? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll look after all of it.