What does io4 do better than an independent consultant?

Continuity and depth. An excellent freelancer is still one person: an absence, a departure or a subject outside their specialty stalls the engagement. io4 brings four to six different specialists to a single contract, and the documentation outlives anyone's departure.

And compared with a large consultancy?

Response time and the actual seniority of the people doing the work. At io4, the architect who scoped your project is the one who delivers it — not a senior profile in the pitch replaced later by juniors. About 25 experts, so no management layer to fund.

Do you sell hardware or licences?

Microsoft licences, yes. Hardware, no. That absence matters: architecture recommendations are never steered by a margin on servers or network equipment that needs shifting.

How do we know if you're too big or too small for us?

The io4 360 model starts making sense at 30 to 50 Microsoft 365 users. The practical ceiling sits around 5,000 to 50,000 users depending on complexity. Below or well beyond that, io4 says so and points you elsewhere.

What happens if we want to leave?

The standard contract is 12 months renewable, with quarterly commitments available to test the relationship. The architecture documentation and the access belong to you: a successor can take over the environment without a reverse-engineering phase.

Why io4

An honest comparison. You decide.

Rather than pretend we're better at everything, we'd rather be clear about where we shine and where other models make sense. Here's how we compare.

Engagement models

io4 vs the other options.

Criterion	io4 Technologies	Solo consultant	Big firm	Hardware integrator
Engagement model	Prepaid hours or retainer + full expert team	Ad hoc, project by project	Per-project fixed fee	Hardware contract + service
Proactive follow-up	Automatic, weekly	On demand	Monthly / quarterly	Tickets only
Microsoft specialization	Solutions Partner	Variable	Multi-vendor	Multi-vendor + hardware
Responsiveness	< 30 min (business hours)	Variable	24–48 h	Depends on the contract
Access to leadership	Decision-makers reachable directly	Yes	Via account manager	Rare
Geographic coverage	Canada / France / USA	Local	International	National

You want a partner, not a vendor

Our io4 360 model is built for the long term. A bank of hours or an annual retainer, a whole team of experts, weekly follow-up. We know your environment and anticipate your needs, quarter after quarter.

You want Microsoft expertise, not diluted multi-vendor

Our experts do Microsoft only. Solutions Partner, continuous training. No compromise with other ecosystems.

You want rigor without the heaviness

A 6-step methodology proven across 500+ projects, without 12 layers of hierarchy. Fast decisions, tangible deliverables.

You want a local team, in Montreal or Lyon

Two offices: Montreal and Lyon. On-the-ground knowledge of the North American and European markets, French and English expertise on both sides of the Atlantic.

They trust us

More than 200 organizations across Québec, Canada,
the United States and France.

A selection of recent clients — from large Canadian industrial groups to Québec SMBs, and American and European clients.

500+

Projects delivered since 2018

200+

Organizations supported

Industries

Food processing

Forestry

Manufacturing

Mining / Val-d'Or

Construction

Technology

Public transit

Municipal

Public sector

Healthcare

Education

And many more: 20+ school service centres, 10+ CEGEPs, CIUSSS, public bodies, nonprofits, professional firms.

See the case studies

When io4 is NOT the right choice

We'd rather tell you upfront.

If you're looking for break & fix (repairing a broken workstation, a screen or a printer case by case) — we run a structured program, not one-off troubleshooting.
If your primary stack isn't Microsoft (committed Google Workspace, pure AWS, Salesforce CRM…) — we specialize in Microsoft only, with no compromise on other ecosystems.
If you need a team of 50+ on-site consultants for a multi-year transformation program — a big firm (Deloitte, Accenture, EY) will be a better fit.
If you want the lowest price at any cost — we don't match providers that under-invest in training and quality.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about our model.

Can't find your answer? write to us.

Continuity and depth. An excellent freelancer is still one person: an absence, a departure or a subject outside their specialty stalls the engagement. io4 brings four to six different specialists to a single contract, and the documentation outlives anyone's departure.
Response time and the actual seniority of the people doing the work. At io4, the architect who scoped your project is the one who delivers it — not a senior profile in the pitch replaced later by juniors. About 25 experts, so no management layer to fund.
Microsoft licences, yes. Hardware, no. That absence matters: architecture recommendations are never steered by a margin on servers or network equipment that needs shifting.
The io4 360 model starts making sense at 30 to 50 Microsoft 365 users. The practical ceiling sits around 5,000 to 50,000 users depending on complexity. Below or well beyond that, io4 says so and points you elsewhere.
Size your contract
The standard contract is 12 months renewable, with quarterly commitments available to test the relationship. The architecture documentation and the access belong to you: a successor can take over the environment without a reverse-engineering phase.

Let's talk about your project

30 minutes to frame what matters.

A direct conversation with one of our experts. No commitment, no pressure. You leave with a clear, reasoned perspective on your situation.

Book a meeting Discover io4 360

Or call us directly:+1 888 285 9583