Three Tiers for Three Operating Models
EPC Group provides managed Microsoft support through three distinct tiers. Each tier is staffed by senior Microsoft architects who have named accountability.
Choose the tier that fits your operating model:
- Most enterprises begin with Standard Coverage.
- Many then move to Extended Coverage.
- As critical Microsoft Cloud operations grow, they transition to 24x7x365 Enterprise.
Standard Business Hours
- P1 incident response within 4 hours
- P2 within 8 hours
- P3 within 1 business day
- Senior architect named in SOW
- Quarterly governance scorecard
Extended Coverage
- P1 incident response within 1 hour
- P2 within 4 hours
- P3 within 8 hours
- Senior architect named in SOW
- Microsoft security incident response
- Quarterly governance scorecard
24x7x365 Enterprise
- P1 incident response within 30 minutes
- P2 within 2 hours
- P3 within 4 hours
- Named senior architect on-call rotation
- Regulatory incident reporting (HIPAA / FINRA / FedRAMP / CMMC)
- Monthly executive briefing
What Every Tier Includes
Industry-Specific Overlays
47-control framework support, ePHI incident reporting under 24/72-hour breach notification, HHS Cybersecurity Performance Goals reporting.
38-control framework support, Communication Compliance reviewer escalation, SEC 17a-4 books-and-records retention attestation.
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 control mapping, continuous monitoring program support, GCC + GCC High deployment.
NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 control mapping, ITAR + EAR overlay support, DIBCAC assessment preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does EPC Group offer 24/7 support?
Yes. EPC Group offers three managed Microsoft support tiers: Standard Business Hours (US/CA business hours, P1 within 4 hours), Extended Coverage (16x7, P1 within 1 hour), and 24x7x365 Enterprise (round-the-clock, P1 within 30 minutes with named senior architect on-call rotation). All tiers staffed by senior Microsoft architects with named accountability. No automated ticket triage to junior consultants.
What is the difference between EPC Group support and Microsoft Premier Support?
Microsoft Premier Support provides product-level escalation and break/fix from Microsoft engineers. EPC Group managed support provides senior-architect-led advisory, configuration changes, governance maintenance, deployment automation, and proactive optimization. The two are complementary — enterprises typically engage both. EPC Group is often the first call for advisory questions and Microsoft Premier the first call for product engineering escalation.
How is EPC Group different from a boutique consultancy with 9-5 hours?
EPC Group operates a North American consulting bench with US/CA-based senior architects and an on-call rotation for 24x7 tier engagements. The senior-architect bench standard applies across all tiers — the named senior architect on your engagement is the same senior architect responding to escalations regardless of hour. Most boutique consulting firms cannot maintain 24x7 coverage; EPC Group has operated managed support tiers for enterprise clients since the firm's founding in 1997.
What is included in Standard Business Hours support?
Standard Business Hours support covers monitoring, advisory, configuration changes, governance maintenance, and reactive incident response during US/CA business hours (8am-7pm Central Time, Monday-Friday excluding US federal holidays). P1 incident response within 4 hours. P2 within 8 hours. P3 within 1 business day. Pricing typically $8K-$30K per month depending on tenant size and workload count.
What is included in Extended Coverage (16x7)?
16x7 coverage extends Standard Business Hours to 16 hours per day (6am-10pm Central Time, 7 days per week including holidays). P1 incident response within 1 hour. P2 within 4 hours. P3 within 8 hours. Pricing typically $20K-$60K per month. Used for enterprises with heavy mobile workforce, multi-time-zone US/CA operations, or scheduled batch workload coverage requirements.
What is included in 24x7x365 Enterprise?
24x7x365 Enterprise provides round-the-clock coverage with named senior architect on-call rotation. P1 incident response within 30 minutes. P2 within 2 hours. P3 within 4 hours. Quarterly on-call rotation review with client. Pricing typically $40K-$150K per month depending on tenant size, workload count, and regulatory scope. Used for Fortune 500 enterprises, federal agencies, healthcare systems with critical Microsoft Cloud operations, and financial services firms with continuous regulatory operations.
What workloads does EPC Group managed support cover?
All major Microsoft enterprise workloads: Microsoft 365 (Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Loop), Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Microsoft Agent 365, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365. Custom workload coverage available for proprietary integrations.
Does support include security incident response?
Yes. Microsoft security incident response (Defender XDR alerts, Sentinel incidents, Communication Compliance reviewer escalations, Insider Risk Management cases) is included in all support tiers. Cybersecurity incident response with FedRAMP / HIPAA / FINRA / CMMC regulatory reporting support is included in Extended Coverage and 24x7x365 Enterprise tiers.
What about regulated industries?
Managed Microsoft support tiers are available with industry-specific overlays: HIPAA healthcare (47-control framework support), FINRA financial services (38-control framework support), federal FedRAMP / DoD IL5 (NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 controls), CMMC defense industrial base (NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 controls). Industry-specific overlays add documentation, attestation cadence, and regulatory reporting support.
Why EPC Group?
Microsoft consulting since 1997. Microsoft Solutions Partner with core current designations under the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program — including Modern Work, Security, and Infrastructure (Azure) which cover managed support scope. Consecutive G2 Leader designations. 200+ verified third-party reviews. Engagement Operating Model published delivery standard.
Related Resources
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