Frequently Asked Questions
What does MarkDev Solutions actually do?
We’re an IT and software partner for growing businesses. On one side, we manage and secure day-to-day IT infrastructure — networks, systems, devices, the works. On the other, we build things: websites, mobile apps, custom software, and ERP systems. Some clients use us for one, some for both.
What's the difference between "managed" and "co-managed" IT support?
With fully managed IT, we take on the whole thing — monitoring, support, security, and maintenance — for one predictable monthly fee. With co-managed IT, you already have an internal team, and we plug in alongside them to handle overflow: patching, routine maintenance, specialist projects, or anything that’s eating up time your team could spend elsewhere.
Besides IT management, what else can you help with?
With fully managed IT, we take on the whole thing — monitoring, support, security, and maintenance — for one predictable monthly fee. With co-managed IT, you already have an internal team, and we plug in alongside them to handle overflow: patching, routine maintenance, specialist projects, or anything that’s eating up time your team could spend elsewhere.
What kinds of problems do clients usually come to you with?
Most of the time it’s one of a few things: systems that are slower or less reliable than they should be, security gaps that are keeping someone up at night, IT costs that don’t seem to match the value being delivered, or a project (like a new app or platform) that needs a dev team who’ll actually communicate. We try to fix the root problem, not just patch the symptom.
How are you different?
Two things, mainly. First, we treat IT as a strategic function, not just a help desk — regular check-ins and planning sessions, not just ticket resolution. Second, we’re deliberate about how many new clients we take on at once, so onboarding gets real attention instead of being rushed.
How fast can we expect a response when something goes wrong?
It depends on severity. A major outage gets immediate priority; something like a password reset is lower urgency (and honestly, we’d rather set you up with self-service tools for that so you’re not waiting on a ticket at all). The short version: the more critical the issue, the faster we’re on it.
What industries do you typically work with?
It depends on severity. A major outage gets immediate priority; something like a password reset is lower urgency (and honestly, we’d rather set you up with self-service tools for that so you’re not waiting on a ticket at all). The short version: the more critical the issue, the faster we’re on it.
What happens after we reach out?
We set up a call, spend time understanding what you’re actually trying to solve, and then put together a proposal shaped around that — not a generic package.
More FAQs
By Service Category
Advanced AI & Automation
Do you build custom AI solutions, or just integrate existing tools?
Both, depending on what makes sense. Sometimes the right move is wiring up an existing AI model or API into your workflow; other times you need something purpose-built — an agent that handles a specific task end to end, or a model trained on your own data. We’ll tell you honestly which one fits before we start building.
What's an "AI agent," and would my business actually need one?
Think of it as software that can take a goal and carry out multi-step tasks toward it — checking data, making decisions, taking actions — without someone manually driving each step. It’s useful when a process is repetitive but requires some judgment calls (customer support triage, data reconciliation, report generation). If a task is simple and rule-based, you probably don’t need an agent — just automation.
We already collect a lot of data. Can you help us actually use it?
That’s most of what MLOps and NLP work looks like in practice — getting models into production, keeping them accurate over time, and pulling structured insight out of unstructured stuff like support tickets or documents. Bring us what you have and we’ll tell you what’s realistic.
Website & Software Development
Do you build the website and the backend, or just one side?
Both. A lot of our web projects involve custom functionality — booking systems, dashboards, integrations with other tools — which means someone has to build the API and backend logic, not just the front-end design. We handle it end to end, or plug into an existing stack if you already have one.
We have an old system that needs replacing — do you work with legacy software?
Yes, and it’s a common starting point. We usually spend time understanding what the current system does (and doesn’t) do well before proposing a rebuild, so you’re not paying to recreate the same problems in a new codebase.
Product Engineering
Can you help with hardware, or only software?
Both, when the project calls for it. IoT product work often means software, firmware, and hardware decisions are tangled together — a sensor is only useful if the firmware reads it correctly and the software does something meaningful with the data. We can take on the whole pipeline or just the piece you’re missing.
What's the difference between firmware and the app that talks to a device?
Firmware is the low-level code running directly on the device’s hardware — it’s what makes the sensor, motor, or chip do its job. The app or software layer is what a person actually interacts with, usually on a phone or dashboard, pulling data from or sending commands to that firmware. Most connected-device products need both working together.
Core IT Infrastructure
Can you manage our cloud environment even if we didn't build it?
Yes — we regularly step into environments someone else set up. We’ll usually start with an assessment to understand the current architecture and cost structure before making changes, rather than assuming a rebuild is necessary.
What happens if we have a major outage or data loss?
That’s exactly what disaster recovery and backup planning is for — having a tested plan and current backups in place before something goes wrong, so recovery is a matter of hours, not a scramble. If you don’t currently have a recovery plan, that’s usually one of the first gaps we’ll flag.
What's the difference between DevOps and just having a good IT team?
IT infrastructure keeps the lights on; DevOps is about how software gets built, tested, and shipped — automating deployments, catching issues before they hit production, and making releases less risky. They overlap, but DevOps is more focused on the software delivery pipeline specifically.
Creative & Digital Growth
Do you handle marketing and design, or just the technical side?
Both — a lot of clients come to us for development work and end up also using us for design, SEO, or content because it’s easier to have one team that understands the whole picture instead of coordinating between separate vendors.
We already rank on Google for some terms — can you help us rank for more?
Usually, yes. SEO work at that stage tends to be less about the technical basics and more about content gaps, competitive positioning, and conversion — getting the traffic you already have to actually convert is often the faster win alongside going after new keywords.
What's the difference between SEO and CRO, and do we need both?
SEO gets people to your site; CRO is about what happens once they’re there — page layout, calls to action, form friction, that sort of thing. It’s common to invest in SEO and see traffic go up while conversions stay flat, which usually means CRO was the missing half.