You support engineers who use Linux, Windows and Mac by managing and securing each platform properly, keeping cross-platform tools and access working together, and having support people who actually know all three. A mixed-operating-system environment is completely normal in software development, and with the right support it just works, rather than each platform being a separate headache.
Generic IT support often handles Windows well and the rest poorly. Here’s how to support a genuinely mixed team.
1. Manage and secure each platform
Windows, Mac and Linux machines each need protection, patching and management suited to them. We secure and maintain all three, so a Mac or Linux machine is as well looked after as a Windows one.
2. Keep cross-platform access working
Engineers often work across systems, such as Windows machines reaching Linux servers, or shared drives used by everyone. We keep that cross-platform access and tooling working smoothly, which is where a lot of mixed-environment friction usually lives.
3. Consistent identity and security
Whatever the operating system, access should be controlled through central identity with MFA. Consistent security across platforms means no machine is the weak link, regardless of what it runs.
4. Support that knows all three
The real difference is people who understand each platform. When your engineer has a Linux or Mac issue, they should reach someone who can actually help, not just someone who knows Windows.
A real example: Windows and Linux working together
We supported a software company serving financial trading firms whose engineers worked across Windows and Linux, including reaching Linux systems from Windows machines. When a cross-system access issue came up, we worked through it thoroughly, and the engineer called it “diligent, efficient and thorough.”
For a software, technology or financial trading firm, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with your headcount, your security needs and how much uptime the business depends on.
Why technology and trading firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including software and technology companies and firms that serve financial markets. We know the systems these teams depend on: secure VPN and remote access, source control and build pipelines, virtual dev and test environments, Microsoft 365 and Teams, and the security that banks and regulators expect, from multi-factor authentication and endpoint protection to application allowlisting and email security. We work with technology and trading firms in London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. 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 mixed Windows, Mac and Linux team? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll support all of it.