IT AMC pricing models: per device, per user or fixed fee.

Two IT maintenance contracts (AMC) for the same office can look very different on paper because they are priced in different ways. Before comparing totals, compare the model.

Per device

The price is counted by the number of computers, servers, network devices or cameras covered.

• Good for: sites with a clear list of equipment, shared computers and few staff changes.
• Watch for: what counts as a device (is a printer one? a phone? an access point?), how new devices are added, and what happens to the price when you retire some.

Per user

The price is counted by the number of people supported, whatever devices they use.

• Good for: knowledge workers with several devices each, and growing teams.
• Watch for: whether the price covers shared equipment, servers and network gear, and whether part-time and contract staff are counted.

Fixed monthly fee for a defined scope

One price covers a written list of services and equipment, with agreed visit frequency and response targets.

• Good for: predictable budgeting, and for sites with a stable estate.
• Watch for: the exact scope, what is excluded, and how change is handled when the estate grows.

Hours or time-based

A block of support hours is bought in advance, or work is billed by the hour or day.

• Good for: occasional help and project work.
• Watch for: unused hours that expire, and slow response when the block runs out.

Hybrid

Most real contracts mix models, for example a fixed fee for monitoring and preventive visits, plus a per-user charge for the service desk, plus hours for projects. A hybrid is fine as long as the sheet says which part pays for what.

What the price should always make clear

1. Scope: which sites, devices, software and users.
2. Services: service desk, remote support, onsite visits, preventive maintenance, monitoring, patching, backups, reporting.
3. Response and resolution targets in the SLA, and how they are measured. The SOP explains how each type of request is handled; see SLA versus SOP.
4. Parts and consumables: who pays for replacement parts, and under what conditions.
5. Exclusions: what is outside the contract, for example damage, software licences, third-party faults or work outside agreed hours.
6. Change: how prices adjust when you add or remove users, devices or sites.
7. Exit: notice period, handover of documents and passwords.

A fair way to compare

Ask each bidder for a quote on the same equipment list and the same user count, with the same service hours and the same response targets. Compare the cost per year including the items they exclude. Our article on what a good AMC actually covers is a good checklist, and AMC versus break-fix helps decide whether you need a contract at all.

There is no single best model. The right one is the one where the scope is written down, the response targets can be measured, and the price still makes sense when the business changes.