Computer Support Franklin Fairoaks It

08/31/2026

⚠️ Microsoft 365 Service Advisory

Microsoft has reported a service degradation affecting multiple Microsoft 365 services, including:

• SharePoint Online & OneDrive for Business
• Exchange Online
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Purview
• Microsoft Defender XDR
• Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Organizations may experience issues such as authentication failures, connectivity problems, degraded Teams functionality, SharePoint/OneDrive access challenges, and admin portal access issues.

Microsoft has indicated that the issue is related to a core authentication configuration and engineering teams are actively working on mitigation and recovery efforts.

If your organization is experiencing Microsoft 365 service interruptions today, this may be related to the ongoing Microsoft incident. We recommend monitoring the Microsoft 365 Service Health Dashboard for updates and communicating potential impacts to end users.

We'll continue to monitor developments and share updates as they become available.

08/31/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲'𝐬 𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞?

A construction company's IT disaster recovery plan should answer at least five questions: what systems are critical, what data must be protected, how quickly systems need to be restored, who is responsible for recovery, and how the plan will be tested.

For a general contractor, disaster recovery isn't just about backing up an office server. The plan may need to account for project files, drawings, construction applications, Microsoft 365, remote employees, and multiple active jobsites.

A practical framework is:

Identify → Protect → Recover → Communicate → Test
The goal isn't simply to say, “We have backups.”

The goal is to know:

If an important system becomes unavailable tomorrow morning, how will the company continue operating and how will it recover?
1. Identify the Systems and Information the Business Can't Operate Without
Before choosing backup technology, identify what actually matters to the business.

Ask department leaders:

“What technology would create a serious operational problem if you couldn't use it tomorrow?”
For a general contractor, that list might include:

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/what-should-a-construction-companys-it-disaster-recovery-plan-include

08/29/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬?

Construction companies should give remote superintendents access based on what they need to do—not simply provide a VPN connection to everything in the office. A practical approach is to identify the applications and files each employee needs, use cloud platforms where appropriate, secure user identities and devices, provide reliable jobsite connectivity, and document how remote access works.

For a general contractor, that can mean providing access to systems such as Procore, Bluebeam, Autodesk products, SharePoint, Teams, Sage/Timberline, estimating applications, and company files without forcing every workflow through an aging office server.

Use this five-step framework:

Identify → Connect → Secure → Access → Support
The objective is simple:

Give the right employee secure access to the right information from the jobsite without turning the superintendent into an IT technician.
1. Identify What the Superintendent Actually Needs
Don't start by asking:

“How do we give the superintendent remote access to the office?”
Start with:

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/how-should-construction-companies-give-remote-superintendents-secure-access-to-office-systems

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 5 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐓 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬?

The biggest IT problems for construction companies aren't always dramatic server failures or cyberattacks. More often, they're recurring problems that make employees wait, retry, troubleshoot, hunt for information, or create workarounds.

For general contractors, five technology problems deserve particular attention: unreliable jobsite connectivity, difficulty accessing current drawings and large files, inconsistent jobsite technology, problems with construction applications, and slow IT support.

A useful framework is:
Connect → Access → Standardize → Support → Improve

The objective isn't simply to keep computers running. It's to reduce the amount of time construction employees spend dealing with technology instead of managing projects.

1. Unreliable Jobsite Internet and Wi-Fi
2. Difficulty Getting the Right Drawings and Files Into the Field
3. Every Jobsite Has a Different Technology Setup
4. Construction Applications Become an IT Finger-Pointing Exercise
5. Slow IT Support Turns Small Problems Into Lost Time

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/what-are-the-biggest-it-problems-that-slow-down-construction-projects

08/24/2026

What Should a Construction Company Do When Internet Service Isn't Available at a New Jobsite?

When conventional internet service isn't readily available at a new construction site, a general contractor should evaluate alternatives based on three factors: required throughput, reliability, and cost. Depending on the location, the best solution might be cellular/wireless service, Starlink, an arrangement with a neighboring property, or another temporary connection.

Fairoaks IT has even mounted Comcast or Verizon equipment on temporary jobsite telephone poles, worked with neighboring businesses to access connectivity, and deployed solar-powered wireless modems when site conditions required it.

The important lesson is:
Don't start with a favorite technology. Start with the requirements of the jobsite.

Use this five-step framework:

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/what-should-a-construction-company-do-when-internet-service-isnt-available-at-a-new-jobsite

08/22/2026

How Fast Should an IT Provider Respond to a Construction Company's Support Request?

A construction company should expect its IT provider to measure and report both response time and resolution time—because they're not the same thing. At Fairoaks IT, our average ticket response time is 12 minutes, while our average problem resolution time is 1.9 hours.

For a general contractor, those numbers matter. An IT problem can prevent a superintendent from accessing current drawings, stop a project manager from reaching a construction application, interfere with daily reports and jobsite photos, or disconnect a temporary trailer from the office.

When evaluating IT support, don't accept “we respond quickly” as the answer.

Use this five-part framework:

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/how-fast-should-an-it-provider-respond-to-a-construction-companys-support-request

08/19/2026

What IT Equipment and Services Does a General Contractor Need When Opening a New Jobsite?

When a general contractor opens a new jobsite, the technology plan should cover at least five areas:
1. internet connectivity
2. networking equipment
3. power protection
4. secure access to company systems
5. ongoing IT support
For a temporary jobsite trailer, Fairoaks IT typically uses a portable technology rack containing a business-grade firewall, network switch, and mini battery backup. That standardized equipment is then connected to the most appropriate internet service available at the site.

The key is to plan technology before employees arrive and need it.

A useful framework is:

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/18/what-it-equipment-and-services-does-a-general-contractor-need-when-opening-a-new-jobsite

08/17/2026

How Much Should a Construction Company Budget for Managed IT Services?

A construction company with 10–100 employees should generally expect to budget approximately $150–$250 per user per month for comprehensive managed IT services from Fairoaks IT, depending on the company's technology complexity and compliance requirements.

That means a 40-user construction company might use $6,000–$10,000 per month as an initial planning range before accounting for items or projects outside the managed-services agreement.

But multiplying employees by a monthly price isn't enough to evaluate an IT proposal.

Read more here: https://www.fairoaksit.com/2026/08/12/how-much-should-a-construction-company-budget-for-managed-it-services