How Annual Support Is Defined
Discovery turns recurring technology needs into a clearly defined annual scope
Annual agreements are built around the environment and responsibilities your organization actually needs J3 to support. The goal is to define the relationship before ongoing service begins, rather than leave either side guessing about what is covered.
Start with a Zoom meeting
We discuss your organization, recurring technology needs, current environment, priorities, pain points, and the responsibilities you may want J3 to manage.
Review the supported environment
Relevant users, devices, cloud platforms, business systems, accounts, vendors, security controls, documentation, support volume, and expected changes are reviewed before scope and pricing are prepared.
Define remote responsibilities and boundaries
J3 provides annual services remotely. If physical access or hands-on work is required, the client provides an employee, local technician, or approved third-party vendor while J3 coordinates remotely when that coordination is within scope.
Only services, systems, users, devices, applications, locations, projects, and responsibilities expressly identified as included are included. Anything outside the approved scope requires separate review and written approval before J3 assumes responsibility for it.
Custom-Scoped Pricing and Itemized Proposal
Annual service agreements do not use public fixed pricing or verbal estimates during the initial Zoom meeting. After the Zoom meeting and environment review, J3 Systems Group will prepare an itemized proposal based on the services and responsibilities requested.
No estimate during discovery
The initial Zoom meeting is used to understand the environment and determine scope. An estimated contract price is not provided during the meeting.
Itemized proposal after review
After discovery, J3 Systems Group prepares an itemized proposal showing the requested services, responsibilities, assumptions, exclusions, and associated pricing.
Agreement after approval
Once the proposal is approved, a formal annual service agreement is prepared for review and signature.
Invoice after signature
After the signed agreement is received, the applicable invoice and secure payment link are sent by email. Services begin according to the effective date and payment terms stated in the agreement.
What the Annual Agreement Defines
The signed agreement and its schedules are intended to make the service relationship specific enough that both parties know exactly what is covered.
| Area | What is documented |
|---|---|
| Covered services | The recurring services J3 is responsible for providing. |
| Supported users | The employees, contractors, or other users covered by the agreement. |
| Supported devices | The computers, mobile devices, servers, network devices, and other endpoints covered. |
| Supported locations | The offices, branches, or remote locations included in scope. |
| Supported systems | The Microsoft, Google, cloud, network, security, backup, and business systems J3 is expected to administer. |
| Service hours | Normal support hours, time zone, holidays, and any approved after-hours arrangements. |
| Response targets | How requests are prioritized and what response expectations apply. Response targets do not automatically guarantee resolution times. |
| Client responsibilities | Access, approvals, licensing, physical assistance, accurate inventory information, and other obligations required from the client. |
| Exclusions | Services and responsibilities that are specifically outside the agreement. |
| Pricing and payment | Contract pricing, billing schedule, payment terms, applicable fees, and suspension rights for nonpayment. |
| Change process | How additional users, devices, systems, projects, or support requirements are reviewed and added. |
| Termination and transition | Notice, final billing, documentation handoff, remote-tool removal, administrative-access removal, and transition responsibilities. |
Included Services, Exclusions, and Project Work
Routine support and project work are treated differently. Routine support means the recurring administration, troubleshooting, maintenance, documentation, and user assistance expressly included in the annual agreement.
Examples of separately scoped project work
- Large migrations or tenant-to-tenant migrations
- New-office or new-location deployments
- Major network redesigns
- Mass device replacement or large rollout projects
- Major security remediation initiatives
- Custom software development or application development
- Large automation projects
- Forensic investigations or specialist incident response
Common exclusions unless expressly included
- On-site services
- Physical cabling, electrical work, equipment mounting, or physical repair
- Hardware, shipping, warranties, licenses, and third-party subscriptions
- Third-party labor and vendor fees
- Legal, accounting, regulatory, or compliance certification advice
- Penetration testing, digital forensics, or data-recovery specialist work
- Support for unsupported, end-of-life, insecure, or improperly licensed systems
Additional Services During the Contract Term
The annual agreement covers only the services, users, devices, systems, applications, locations, and responsibilities expressly identified in the agreement and its incorporated schedules.
If additional services, projects, systems, users, devices, locations, applications, support requirements, or other material changes are requested or become necessary during the contract term, those items are not automatically included in the existing agreement.
Scope changes require review
Additional services will require a separate scope review and negotiation. J3 Systems Group LLC may, at its discretion, require a written amendment, revised service schedule, updated contract price, separate project quote, separate scope of work, advance payment, revised payment terms, or other revised terms before the additional work begins.
No additional service is considered included unless J3 Systems Group LLC expressly approves it in writing. J3 Systems Group LLC reserves the right to determine whether requested additional work can reasonably be incorporated into the existing agreement or must be handled under a separate quote, project agreement, or amended contract.
Client Responsibilities
An annual agreement depends on both parties fulfilling clearly defined responsibilities. Client responsibilities may include:
Access and authorization
- Provide required administrative access and permissions
- Designate authorized contacts and decision-makers
- Provide timely approvals for changes
- Maintain valid licenses and subscriptions
Environment changes
- Notify J3 of new hires, terminations, devices, applications, locations, and vendors
- Disclose material technology changes before expecting support
- Maintain accurate user and device information
Physical assistance
- Provide onsite personnel when physical access is required
- Coordinate local vendors when hands-on work is necessary
- Maintain power, connectivity, and facility access
Security cooperation
- Follow agreed security requirements
- Use supported systems and valid software
- Complete required MFA, device, and access actions
- Document any decision to decline recommended security controls
Support Boundaries and Responsibilities
The formal agreement will define operational boundaries in greater detail. Important areas typically include:
Third-party services
J3 may coordinate with approved vendors but is not responsible for third-party outages, delays, pricing, errors, failed repairs, policy changes, or service quality.
Connectivity and utilities
Remote support depends on working internet, power, equipment, and physical access. J3 is not responsible for delays caused by conditions outside its control.
Security limitations
No security program can guarantee prevention of every breach, phishing event, ransomware incident, malware infection, outage, or loss. Security controls reduce risk but do not eliminate it.
Unsupported technology
J3 may decline to support technology that is end-of-life, unsupported, materially insecure, improperly licensed, or unsuitable for reasonable business use until remediation occurs.
Backups and recovery
The agreement will state exactly which backup systems, monitoring, retention, restore assistance, and recovery responsibilities are included. Anything not assigned to J3 remains outside J3's responsibility.
Client-caused delays
J3 is not responsible for delays caused by missing approvals, unavailable client personnel, incomplete information, missing access, vendor delays, physical-access restrictions, or unpaid invoices.
Built to prevent assumptions
The purpose of the annual agreement is to document exactly what J3 Systems Group is responsible for, what the client is responsible for, and how changes are handled during the contract term.
Simple Annual Agreement Process
From your request to ongoing service
Tell J3 what you need managed
Start with the recurring technology work your organization needs help owning, organizing, administering, or coordinating.
Meet by Zoom and complete discovery
J3 reviews the requested responsibilities and the users, devices, systems, applications, vendors, security controls, workload, and other environment details needed to define the annual scope.
Review the itemized proposal and agreement
J3 prepares an itemized proposal after discovery. No contract price is estimated during the initial Zoom meeting. After the proposed scope is approved, the annual service agreement and applicable schedules are provided for review and signature.
Complete payment requirements and begin service
After the signed agreement is received, J3 sends the applicable invoice and secure payment link by email. Onboarding and contracted services begin according to the effective date, payment terms, prerequisites, and implementation plan stated in the agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are annual service agreements remote only?
Yes. J3 Systems Group LLC provides annual IT services remotely. On-site visits are not included.
Will I receive a price estimate during the meeting?
No. The initial Zoom meeting is used for discovery and scope development. After the meeting and environment review, J3 Systems Group prepares an itemized proposal based on what you requested.
What happens during the initial Zoom meeting?
The initial Zoom meeting is used to discuss the environment, needs, goals, and recommended plan of action before scope and pricing are prepared.
What happens if we add employees or devices during the year?
Material changes to users, devices, systems, applications, locations, support volume, or complexity may require a scope review and adjustment to the agreement or pricing.
What if we need a service that is not in the contract?
Additional services require review and may require negotiation, a written amendment, revised pricing, a separate project quote, or a separate statement of work at J3 Systems Group LLC's discretion.
Does the annual agreement include project work?
Only if the specific project is expressly identified as included. Larger migrations, deployments, redesigns, remediation initiatives, new locations, and similar project work may require a separate scope and quote.
Who handles physical problems if J3 is remote only?
The client is responsible for providing an employee, local technician, or approved third-party vendor when physical access or hands-on work is required. J3 can coordinate remotely when that coordination is within scope.
Does this webpage replace the signed contract?
No. This page explains the general annual-service process. The signed service agreement, incorporated schedules, amendments, and approved statements of work control the actual contractual relationship and scope.