Remote IT support in Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Charlotte, NC area
IT support for remote and hybrid teams
Your team works from the office, home, the road and the job site. We set up secure remote access, company laptops and work-from-home setups, watch every device around the clock and fix most problems remotely, so wherever people work, they can get work done safely.
Prefer the phone? Call 774-222-5500.
- Soteria Award winner: Most Trusted MSP in North America
- Microsoft Partner
- Certified Trust Level 2 IT provider
The short version
Fairoaks IT supports remote and hybrid teams at small and midsize businesses across Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Charlotte, NC area from offices in Franklin, MA and Belmont, NC. We set up secure remote access through VPNs, remote desktop, hosted desktops and cloud apps, provide and configure company laptops and work-from-home setups, monitor and update every device around the clock wherever it is, and solve most problems remotely, with an average time to start on a support issue under 12 minutes. Phone and tablet management is available as an add-on. Fairoaks IT won the Soteria Award for Most Trusted MSP in North America and is owned and run by Tom Crossley and his son, Adam Crossley.
Sound familiar?
What we hear most from businesses with people working outside the office.
The VPN is slow, so people email files to themselves.
Now client files live in personal inboxes and on home computers.
Employees use personal computers for work.
With no updates, no protection and family members sharing the same login.
A laptop goes missing.
Nobody knows what was on it, or whether anyone can get in.
New hires wait days for a working laptop.
Their first week is spent waiting instead of working.
Remote workers can’t get help.
They don’t know who to call, so small problems turn into lost days.
Nobody knows which devices can reach company email.
Old phones, former employees’ tablets and personal laptops all still connected.
None of these are really remote work problems. They’re setup problems. With the right access, devices and support, remote work is as secure and productive as the office.
What we take care of for remote and hybrid teams
Secure remote access
VPN, remote desktop, hosted desktops or cloud apps, matched to how your team works and protected with multi-factor authentication.
Company laptops and work-from-home setups
Laptops configured, secured and ready to work, plus guidance for home offices.
24/7 remote monitoring
Every company device monitored and updated around the clock, whether it’s in the office or at someone’s kitchen table.
Remote support
Most problems solved remotely while you’re on the phone, with an average time to start under 12 minutes.
Phone and tablet management
Company email and apps on phones and tablets managed centrally, so lost devices can be locked or wiped. Available as an add-on.
Security for remote work
Endpoint protection, encryption, email filtering and staff training that travel with every device.
Remote support works best as part of managed IT, with the monitoring, security and planning around it. Managed IT services
Remote-ready, done right
Remote work is safe when access, devices and support are set up on purpose. Here’s what that looks like:
- Multi-factor authentication on every login, from every location
- Secure remote access matched to your software: VPN, remote desktop, hosted desktops or cloud apps
- Company laptops that are encrypted, protected and can be locked or wiped if lost
- Every device monitored and updated around the clock, wherever it is
- Phone and tablet management for company email and apps, available as an add-on
- Remote support that starts in under 12 minutes on average
- Same-day removal of access when someone leaves, including remote staff
Remote doesn’t mean on your own
Remote employees get the same help desk as the office: call, email or use our portal, and a real person starts on the issue. When something needs hands on it near one of our offices, we send a technician.
Remote work tools we support
We set up, secure and support the tools remote and hybrid teams rely on.
In our clients’ own words
“Fairoaks IT has remained supportive to our changing business needs and has continued to provide unique support options that fit our current needs… The breadth of knowledge of Fairoaks IT’s team has allowed Sontiq to remain agile and support our ever expanding remote workforce. Fairoaks IT has delivered EVERY TIME.”
Chris KnocheVice President, IT and Cybersecurity Operations, Sontiq“We have hundreds of clients that use RDS on our servers, and Fairoaks IT makes sure it just plain works.”
Mark KilduffOwner, Remote Quality Bookkeeping“Whenever I call, someone always answers the phone live.”
Larry ZaharoffAttorney, Zaharoff LawHow working with us starts
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Discovery call
A straightforward conversation about your business and what isn’t working. No pitch and no pressure. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you.
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Assessment
We review how your team works remotely today: remote access, laptops and personal devices, Microsoft 365, backups and security. You get a plain-English report. No scare tactics, just facts.
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Plan and proposal
A recommendation built around your business and budget, with monthly support and one-time projects clearly separated and every cost explained up front.
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Onboarding, then ownership
A named point of contact and weekly check-ins until onboarding is done, scheduled around your busy times. From there, we take responsibility.
What you can count on
Help in minutes, not hours
Our average time to start on a support issue is under 12 minutes, with live support during business hours and after-hours support available.
No surprises
Before you sign, you’ll know exactly what’s included, what isn’t and how every cost works. It’s all in writing, and we’ll walk you through every page.
Accountable at the top
Fairoaks IT is owned and run by Tom and Adam Crossley. If something isn’t right, the people who own the company are the people who answer for it.
From our Client Bill of Rights
- Answers to your questions in plain English.
- All costs explained up front, with no hidden fees or surprise invoices.
- A single point of contact for every technology issue, including help with your other vendors.
- Your request acknowledged within an hour, appointments kept and clear communication throughout.
Remote IT questions, answered
Straight answers to the 20 questions owners and managers of remote and hybrid teams ask us most.
Remote work basics
What’s the safest way for employees to work from home?
Company-managed devices, multi-factor authentication on every login, and secure access to company systems, so work data never lives on personal computers or personal cloud accounts. Add endpoint protection, encryption and security updates that reach every device wherever it is, plus training so remote staff can spot phishing. That covers most of the risk.
VPN, remote desktop or cloud apps: which should we use?
It depends on your software. If your team mostly uses Microsoft 365 or other cloud apps, secure cloud access with multi-factor authentication may be all you need. Software that only runs on an office server is better reached through remote desktop or a hosted desktop than a slow VPN. Many businesses use a mix, and we design it around the applications your team actually uses.
Can employees use their personal computers for work?
We don’t recommend it. Personal computers often miss updates, lack business-grade protection and are shared with family members, and company data left on them is hard to remove when someone leaves. Company laptops cost more up front but cost far less than a breach. If personal devices must be used, a hosted desktop keeps company data off the device itself.
How do you support remote employees?
The same way we support the office. Remote employees call, email or use our client portal, a real person starts on the issue in under 12 minutes on average, and most problems are solved remotely while they’re on the phone. Live support runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, with after-hours support available.
What happens if a laptop is lost or stolen?
With the right setup, very little. An encrypted laptop protects the data on it, multi-factor authentication stops anyone from using saved passwords, and a managed device can be locked or wiped remotely. Report it right away so we can cut off access, and you’ll be back to work on a replacement quickly.
Devices, setup and monitoring
How do you set up laptops for new remote hires?
We configure each laptop with your applications, security tools, encryption and multi-factor authentication before it reaches the employee, so they can sign in and work on day one. Accounts, email and access to shared files are ready at the same time. New employee setup is part of our fully managed plan.
Do you manage phones and tablets?
Yes, as an add-on. Phone and tablet management lets us push company email and apps to devices, enforce passcodes and encryption, keep company data separate from personal data, and lock or wipe a device that’s lost or belongs to someone who left.
How do you keep remote devices updated and secure?
Every company device we manage reports in to our monitoring system around the clock, wherever it is, so security updates, endpoint protection and health checks happen at the kitchen table just like in the office. If a device stops checking in, misses updates or shows a security alert, we see it.
What about home Wi-Fi and routers?
Home networks are outside your control, which is why company devices should protect themselves with encryption, endpoint protection and multi-factor authentication, wherever they connect. We also give remote staff simple guidance: change default router passwords, keep router software updated and keep work devices off guest or shared family networks when possible.
Can you support multiple offices, job sites and traveling staff?
Yes. Multiple locations and people on the road get the same standards: secure access, managed devices and the same support team. We connect offices securely to shared systems and help keep job sites and remote locations online.
Security for remote teams
What security do remote workers need?
Multi-factor authentication on every account, encrypted laptops, endpoint protection on every device, email filtering, security updates that reach devices wherever they are, and backups of the files they work on. Security updates, endpoint protection and 24/7 monitoring come standard with our plans. Most of our plans add staff training and phishing simulations, and our advanced security option adds a 24/7 security operations center.
How do we stop phishing aimed at remote staff?
Remote employees can’t lean over and ask a coworker whether an email looks right, so training matters even more. Combine email filtering, multi-factor authentication and regular phishing simulations, and give everyone one simple rule: verify any unusual request, especially involving money or passwords, by phone using a number you already have.
How do we offboard a remote employee?
Remove access from every system the same day, including email, remote access, cloud apps and shared accounts, and remotely lock or wipe managed devices if they aren’t returned right away. Arrange to get company laptops and equipment back, and move the person’s files to the right people.
Do compliance rules apply to remote work?
Yes. Rules like HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule and Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00 apply wherever the work happens. Encrypting laptops, requiring multi-factor authentication and keeping sensitive data off personal devices go a long way toward meeting them. We help businesses with the technical side of those requirements.
Is remote access monitored for threats?
Monitoring watches company devices around the clock, and our advanced security option adds endpoint, network and cloud detection and response, watched by a 24/7 security operations center that investigates suspicious sign-ins and activity and responds when something is wrong.
Cost and getting started
What does remote IT support cost?
It depends on how many people and devices you support, the remote access setup your software needs, whether you add phone and tablet management, and how much is included in the monthly fee versus billed as used. Laptops and licenses are billed separately. Our IT Buyer’s Guide explains typical industry pricing and the contract terms to watch for.
Is remote support included in managed IT?
Yes. Remote support and around-the-clock monitoring are part of our managed services. On our fully managed plan, help desk support is unlimited during business hours; on lighter plans, help desk time is billed as you use it. Every cost is explained up front, so there are no hidden fees or surprise invoices.
How long are managed IT contracts, and what if it isn’t working?
Many managed IT agreements run for multiple years, which locks in your rate and gives your provider reason to invest in your environment. What matters is what happens if things aren’t working, so ask every provider two questions: what happens if you don’t deliver, and how are price increases handled? Get both answers in writing. At Fairoaks IT, ours are spelled out in our agreement, and we’ll walk you through every page before you sign.
What happens during a free IT assessment?
We review how your team works remotely today, including remote access, laptops and personal devices, Microsoft 365, backups and security, with our proprietary 27-point assessment. You get a plain-English summary of what’s working, what’s at risk and what to fix first. No scare tactics, just facts. It starts with a discovery call.
Who provides remote IT support in Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Charlotte, NC area?
Fairoaks IT provides remote IT support for businesses throughout Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the Charlotte, NC metro area, from offices in Franklin, MA and Belmont, NC. We’ve been independent and owner-led since 1991, we won the Soteria Award for Most Trusted MSP in North America, and our average time to start on a support issue is under 12 minutes.
Managed IT in Massachusetts and Rhode Island | Managed IT in the Charlotte, NC area
Meet the owners
Fairoaks IT is independently owned by Tom Crossley and his son, Adam. The people who own the company are the people responsible for your IT.

Tom Crossley
Tom founded Fairoaks IT in 1991. Before IT, he worked for GE as a consultant and manager throughout the US, the Caribbean and Asia, then co-founded a property management company in Massachusetts. He’s the author of YOU Are The #1 Target, The Business Owner’s Essential Guide To I.T. And All Things Digital and If You’re Not Flying, You’re Falling, one of which made Amazon’s Best Seller List.

Adam Crossley
Adam is CEO of Fairoaks IT. Before IT, he worked at Sikorsky on the Navy Seahawk program and as an internal consultant and manager for United Technologies throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Adam’s books include The Compliance Formula: Successful Strategies of CMMC Compliant Companies, Cyberattack: How to Defend Your Business and Protect Your Bottom Line, and Cybersecurity: The Silent Battlefield, and he has been featured in MSP Success Magazine.
Remote and onsite support from two offices
Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Served from our office at 1000 Franklin Village Dr, Suite 303, Franklin, MA 02038. Businesses across Greater Boston, MetroWest, Worcester County, the South Shore and Rhode Island.
Charlotte, NC metro
Served from our office at 32 North Main Street, Suite 206, Belmont, NC 28012. Businesses across Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, Monroe, Rock Hill and Fort Mill.
Contact us today to schedule your discovery call
What happens next:
- We’ll reach out to set up a time that works around your schedule.
- A short conversation about your business and what isn’t working.
- If it makes sense for both of us, we’ll plan an assessment.
Prefer the phone? Call 774-222-5500.
Schedule your discovery call
Book a time at fairoaksit.com/discoverycall or call 774-222-5500.

