Managed IT For PE-Backed And Mid-Market Companies
Standardized, exit-ready IT across the portfolio. We onboard new acquisitions on a documented integration playbook, run security and compliance the way carriers and diligence teams expect to see it, and produce the reporting sponsors and operating partners actually use. Sea Pine Equity-backed ourselves, so we work this side of the table.
PE-Backed Companies Live On Two Clocks
There’s the operational clock — the day-to-day of running an IT environment well. And there’s the sponsor clock — board updates, diligence cycles, integration milestones, exit prep. Most MSPs run only on the first.
Hi-Tek runs on both. We’re a Sea Pine Equity-backed platform ourselves, with active M&A integration discipline applied to our own business. The same playbook is what we offer to portfolio companies.
When an add-on closes, the question is never “can the IT environment hold?” — the question is “how fast can it absorb the new entity without disrupting the operating company?”. We have a written answer to that.
What’s On Your Mind
Add-on closed last week. The new entity has its own IT, its own MSP, and its own Microsoft 365 tenant.
The sponsor wants a 30-60-90 IT integration plan in writing for the next board meeting.
Diligence on the next deal is starting and your SOC 2 evidence package isn’t current.
The operating company CEO is asking why three IT vendors are billing for overlapping services post-acquisition.
Cyber insurance carrier is asking whether the platform’s IT controls extend to all portfolio entities yet.
Exit prep is on the horizon and IT is in the QofE scope. Nobody owns the answer.
How Hi-Tek Runs PE-Backed IT
Helpdesk Across The Portfolio
A named pod of senior helpdesk supports operators, finance, and admin staff across each portco. Same model at every portfolio company so users have the same experience and operating partners have one accountable IT partner. Executive support tier for portco CEOs, CFOs, and operating partners.
Standardized Environment Across The Platform
One operational standard across the portfolio: servers (Azure or hybrid), endpoints, network, Microsoft 365, identity, backup. Hardware lifecycle and refresh planning at the platform level. Each new acquisition joins the standard rather than running its own snowflake.
Security And Compliance The Way Diligence Expects
EDR, 24/7 monitoring, MFA, conditional access, PAM, email security, DNS filtering. Documentation aligned to SOC 2, NIST CSF, FTC Safeguards Rule, and the cyber insurance posture sponsors and lenders ask for. Designed for diligence on day one and exit on day 1,825.
Integration Playbook For New Acquisitions
Documented IT diligence checklist, post-close integration runbook, and migration plan for the platforms each portco runs (ERP, CRM, document management, finance, HR). Microsoft 365 tenant consolidation, identity migration, security stack alignment delivered on a predictable timeline.
AI Governance Across The Portfolio
Written AI policy at the platform level, deployed consistently across portcos. Microsoft 365 Copilot governance, the Hi-Tek Managed Secure AI Platform, and surrounding infrastructure for whatever third-party AI tools each portco needs. Sponsors increasingly ask about AI exposure at diligence.
Diligence-ready on demand. Cyber insurance, SOC 2, and IT documentation are maintained continuously.
Acquisitions integrated on a playbook. Each new portco joins the standard inside 60 to 90 days.
One operational standard across the portfolio. Same security, identity, and helpdesk experience at every portco.
Reporting sponsors actually read. Monthly portfolio-level IT reporting in the format sponsors and lenders expect.
The Detail Behind Each Capability
Portfolio Support Model
A named pod of senior helpdesk per portco, with shared escalation paths across the platform. Dedicated TAM coordinates work; vCIO sits with the operating partner and CFO for quarterly reviews. Standard SLAs: sub-30-minute first response on critical tickets. Executive support tier for portco CEOs, CFOs, and operating partners.
Platform IT Environment
One operational standard across the portfolio: servers (Azure or hybrid), endpoints, network, Microsoft 365, identity (Microsoft Entra ID), backup. Hardware lifecycle and refresh planning at the platform level.
Security And Compliance Stack
EDR on every endpoint. 24/7 SOC. MFA, conditional access, PAM. Email security with anti-impersonation. DNS filtering. Documentation aligned to SOC 2, NIST CSF, FTC Safeguards Rule, NY DFS Part 500 where applicable. Cyber insurance carrier-aligned. Annual penetration testing.
M&A IT Diligence
Pre-close: technical diligence checklist covering target’s IT environment, security posture, M365 tenant state, identity and access, AI exposure, and integration risk. Findings packaged for the deal team’s diligence book.
Post-Close Integration Runbook
Documented runbook covering tenant consolidation, identity migration, security stack alignment, network integration, ERP/CRM cutover where applicable, and the user transition. Multi-portco rollups follow a sequenced timeline.
Microsoft 365 Tenant Consolidation Across Portcos
Mailbox migration, OneDrive and SharePoint consolidation, Teams unification, license rationalization, identity governance across the consolidated tenant.
AI Governance Across The Portfolio
Written AI policy at the platform level, deployed consistently across portcos with portco-specific addendums where industry warrants. Microsoft 365 Copilot governance in each portco’s tenant. Hi-Tek Managed Secure AI Platform where Copilot doesn’t fit.
Reporting Cadence To Sponsors
Monthly portfolio-level IT report: spend, posture, incident summary, integration progress, exit-readiness scoring. Quarterly board-prep package. Annual cyber insurance carrier prep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an MSP do for a PE-backed company?
A capable MSP for a PE-backed mid-market company handles helpdesk and IT operations across portcos, standardizes the environment to a platform standard, runs security and compliance the way diligence teams expect, integrates new acquisitions on a documented playbook, governs AI use across the portfolio, supports cyber insurance carrier coordination, and produces sponsor-grade reporting on hold-period IT spend, posture, and integration progress.
How does Hi-Tek handle IT diligence on a new acquisition?
Pre-close, we run a technical diligence checklist covering the target’s IT environment, security posture, Microsoft 365 tenant state, identity and access, AI exposure, and integration risk. Findings get packaged for the deal team’s diligence book.
Can you integrate a new portco onto our standard?
Yes. The post-close integration runbook covers tenant consolidation, identity migration, security stack alignment, network integration, ERP/CRM cutover where applicable, and user transition. Standard portco integration completes inside 60 to 90 days.
Do you produce reporting in our sponsor’s format?
Yes. We work with the sponsor’s reporting standards, common operating-partner formats, and lender reporting templates where applicable. Monthly hold-period reporting plus quarterly board-prep packages.
What about carve-outs from larger sellers?
We stand up the new entity’s IT environment from scratch on the platform standard, migrate the carve-out scope cleanly, exit the TSA on a documented timeline, and bring the new platform up to the security and compliance posture the sponsor expects.
How does Hi-Tek handle Microsoft 365 tenant consolidation across portcos?
Mailbox migration, OneDrive and SharePoint consolidation, Teams unification, license rationalization, identity governance across the consolidated tenant. Common path: 3-4 portcos consolidated into one tenant with administrative separation where portfolio structure requires.
What about exit readiness?
For operationally improving portcos preparing for exit, we tighten the security stack, complete the cyber insurance carrier and SOC 2 documentation, and produce the IT exhibits buyers will ask for in the diligence package.
Can you do co-managed at the portco level?
Yes. Portcos with internal IT can engage Hi-Tek in a co-managed structure. Hi-Tek covers the layers internal IT cannot economically maintain alone (24/7 SOC, AI policy work, cyber insurance carrier coordination, multi-site network architecture, M&A integration). Internal IT keeps the daily user support and operations leadership relationships.
What does Hi-Tek’s own PE backing actually mean for clients?
Hi-Tek is Sea Pine Equity-backed. We sit through our own quarterly board reviews, our own annual diligence cycles, and our own integration work as Sea Pine adds to the platform. The discipline shows up in our reporting cadence, documentation depth, and operational readiness.
What’s the onboarding process for a portco?
Standard 30-to-60-day onboarding per portco. Named project owner, weekly written status updates, sponsor-facing reporting from week one. Multi-portco rollups follow a documented sequenced timeline.
Ready When You Are.
A 30-minute conversation about the platform, the next acquisition, the next diligence cycle, and any pressing security, AI, or carrier posture questions.
Founder-led since 1982. Sea Pine Equity-backed. Headquartered in Syosset, NY.