Managed IT & Support
Cybersecurity
Cloud, Backup & Network
You get a written recovery plan, copies of your systems kept off site and regular restore tests, so a failed server, a ransomware hit or a flooded basement does not stop your Chicago business for days.
Get a Free IT AssessmentDisaster recovery is the plan and the tools that get your business running again after something breaks badly. A dead server, a ransomware infection, a burst pipe in a Loop high-rise or a power outage after a summer storm can all do it. The goal is simple: know how long you can be down, and make sure you are not down longer than that.
A backup alone is not a recovery plan. A backup is a copy of your data. Recovery is everything around it: which systems come back first, where they run while your office is unusable, who makes the calls, and how long each step takes. Many Chicago offices find out they have a copy but no plan on the worst morning of the year.
Our approach starts with two numbers for each system. How much data can you afford to lose, and how long can you afford to wait? A law office may need email and documents within hours. A warehouse near O’Hare may need its shipping system back in minutes. Those answers decide what you build, and what it costs.
Chicago gives businesses plenty to plan around. Severe summer storms cause outages, and winter cold snaps can burst pipes in older buildings. Heavy rain has flooded basements and server closets across the city and suburbs. Many offices keep their only server in a back room or lower level, where one water leak can end it.
Ransomware is the other big risk. Attackers target small and mid-size firms because they expect weak recovery. If you can restore clean systems quickly, you may not need to negotiate at all. A tested plan turns a crisis into an inconvenience. It also gives you something concrete to show insurers, lenders and customers who ask how you would handle an outage.
Everything below is part of one monthly plan. Pick a topic to see what is handled for you and how it works in a Chicago office.
We list your systems, rank them by how much downtime you can tolerate and set recovery targets for each. Email and phones may be first. A reporting database may be able to wait a day. That ranking drives every decision after it.
The result is a short written runbook. It names who is called, which system comes up first, where it runs and how staff keep working in the meantime. Most owners are surprised how much is decided by simply writing it down.
Recovery starts with good copies. We keep versions on site for quick restores and a separate copy off site, so a fire, flood or theft at your office does not take everything. Critical servers can also be replicated for faster failover.
Copies are kept apart from your everyday network login. That matters because ransomware looks for backups first. Separate, protected copies give you something clean to restore from when the rest is encrypted.
If your office is unusable, your servers do not have to be. We can restore key systems into a secure cloud environment and connect staff from home, a temporary space or a hotel business center.
This works well for Loop and River North offices where a building closure can lock everyone out for days. You pay for standby capacity at a low rate and only use full power during an actual event or test.
Many owners assume Microsoft keeps every copy forever. In practice, deleted items age out and mistakes or attacks can spread across mailboxes and shared files. Recovery needs its own protected copy of that data.
We back up Exchange mail, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams files on a schedule and test restores of single mailboxes and whole folders. When someone deletes a client folder, you get it back in minutes.
Untested plans fail. We run scheduled restore tests, record how long each took and compare the result to your targets. Failures are fixed before a real emergency, not during one.
Once or twice a year we walk through a full scenario with you, such as a ransomware hit on a Monday morning. You get a short report showing what worked, what slowed us down and what changed afterward.
Plenty of companies can fix a laptop. These are the three reasons clients mention most when they explain why they picked Ping Chicago.
Your technicians know how Loop high-rises handle building access, why basement server closets flood in summer storms and how long it really takes to reach Oak Brook at 4 p.m. That local knowledge turns into faster, calmer fixes.
Your network, devices and backups are watched around the clock. Most issues are caught and fixed before anyone in your office notices, and the rest are explained to you in plain English.
You get a written per-user quote after a free assessment, with every included service listed. No hourly surprises, no emergency rates and no fine print about what counts as extra.
Recovery risks change from block to block, from older basement server rooms to shared building power. We plan around the place you actually work.
Most Loop offices share a building’s internet riser, wiring closets and security desk. Managed IT here means working with property management on access and cabling, keeping remote access stable for commuters and scheduling after-hours work around building rules.
Creative agencies need fast Wi-Fi for large files and constant video calls, while medical offices near Northwestern Memorial need HIPAA-ready systems. Both get the same help desk, with security matched to the data they store.
Teams here grow fast, so new hires need laptops, accounts and access on their first day. Managed IT keeps onboarding repeatable and the network ready for the next floor or the next office.
Dental and medical practices, therapists and small firms run on a few critical systems: scheduling, imaging and billing. Managed IT keeps them patched, backed up and running before the first appointment of the day.
Point-of-sale systems, guest Wi-Fi and a handful of laptops can still take a shop offline. Managed IT separates guest and business networks and keeps payment systems updated and monitored.
Event, hospitality and professional offices near McCormick Place deal with seasonal rushes. Managed IT scales support around busy weeks and keeps shared and public spaces secure.
Logistics and distribution businesses near O’Hare run warehouses, scanners and shipping systems around the clock. Managed IT monitors those networks 24/7 and plans updates outside shift changes.
Many companies in Oak Brook, Naperville and Schaumburg run a suburban headquarters with a city branch. Managed IT connects both sites securely and supports staff at either location.
Many businesses sit somewhere between a few copies and a full plan. This shows how the common options compare when something actually goes wrong.
| Topic | Ping Chicago | Backup Software Only | No Recovery Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery time | Targets set & tested | Hours to days, unplanned | Unknown, often weeks |
| Written plan | Yes, kept current | Rarely | None |
| Ransomware readiness | Protected, separate copies | Copies may be exposed | Likely forced to pay or rebuild |
| Off-site copy | Included & monitored | Sometimes, unchecked | No |
| Restore testing | Scheduled & reported | Usually never tested | Never |
| Who does the work | Local team on call | You or a staff member | You, under pressure |
| Typical cost | Predictable monthly fee | Low upfront, hidden risk | Free until a disaster, then very high |
You stop hoping the backups work and start knowing how fast you would be back.
Critical systems come back in hours or minutes, not days.
Clean, separate copies let you restore without paying anyone.
Everyone knows who does what when systems fail.
Regular test restores show the plan actually works.
Different industries need different recovery targets, and these pages show how that looks in practice.
Patient records and imaging need fast recovery and protected copies that meet privacy expectations.
Law FirmsCase files and email must be recoverable quickly, especially before court deadlines.
Financial ServicesClient data and trading or accounting systems need tight recovery targets and clear records.
Logistics CompaniesShipping and tracking systems run around the clock and cannot wait days to return.
Our old provider took a day to answer. Now a typical ticket is closed in about 12 minutes, and password resets happen while I’m still on the phone. Our staff stopped complaining about IT within the first month, which never happened before.
We were nervous about changing providers with deadlines ahead. The whole move took three weeks, email and files kept working throughout, and every login and device was documented. Not one person missed a day of work because of it.
We used to get surprise invoices every time something broke. Now it’s one predictable monthly bill, and problems get flagged before we notice them. Planning our IT budget takes five minutes instead of an argument with the owner.
After a free assessment, you get a written quote with recovery targets, tools and a monthly price. No pressure, no surprise fees.
Backup is a saved copy of your data. Disaster recovery is the full plan for getting systems, apps and people working again. It covers priorities, where systems run, who acts and how long it takes. You need both, because a copy without a plan can still leave you down for days.
Most small businesses typically pay a monthly fee based on how much data and how many servers they protect. Cost rises as recovery targets get tighter. A simple setup may be a few hundred dollars a month. Faster failover costs more. A free assessment gives an exact quote.
It depends on the targets we set together. Files and email can often return within hours. Replicated critical servers can come up in minutes to a couple of hours. We test those times regularly, so the number we quote is one we have actually measured.
It greatly improves your odds. Separate, protected copies let you restore clean systems without paying. It does not stop the attack itself, so security tools and staff training still matter. Recovery is what limits the damage when something gets through.
Your recovery plan covers it. Systems can be restored into a cloud environment while staff work remotely. Chicago storms, burst pipes and building outages are common causes. The runbook explains who does what, so the response is organized rather than panicked.
Usually yes. Deleted mail, overwritten files and compromised accounts can still cause serious loss. Microsoft protects its service, but your data and its recovery are your responsibility. A separate protected copy of mail and files fills that gap at modest cost.
We run scheduled restore tests, often monthly or quarterly depending on the system, and report the results. Once a year we walk through a full disaster scenario with you. Any failure or slow step is fixed and tested again.
At least one copy stays on site for fast restores, and another goes to a secure off-site or cloud location in the US. Copies are encrypted and kept apart from your daily network accounts, which helps protect them from attackers and local damage.
Yes. Many clients start there. We review what you have, test whether it restores, and find gaps in coverage, speed and security. Often we keep useful tools and add the planning, testing and off-site pieces that are missing.
Most small and mid-size offices take a few weeks from assessment to first successful test. Larger or more complex environments take longer. We work in phases, protecting your most important systems first so you are covered early.
Need something slightly different? These services cover the same ground from another angle.
A free assessment shows what is protected, how long recovery would take and what it would cost to improve.