Welcome to Iron Gate Technology.

Senior Engineers.
Real Accountability.

Iron Gate provides managed IT services for Western Pennsylvania businesses and nonprofits with 10 to 200 users. Your team works directly with senior engineers who know your name, know your environment, and stay accountable until the issue is resolved.

5.0

Google rating

40 reviews

2012

Locally owned since

No private equity

Support tiers

Between you and a senior engineer

Start with the owner.

Your first conversation is with me, Carl Kunzmann, the founder, not a sales rep. Tell me what's not working. If Iron Gate is the right fit, I'll explain exactly how we'd solve it. If we're not, I'll tell you that too.

Schedule a Conversation

Prefer the phone? Call me directly at (412) 265-6313

Rather have me reach out? Send your contact information.

No sales presentation. No pressure. Plan on 20 to 30 minutes, and you'll leave with a clear recommendation, whether or not we work together.

Serving Pittsburgh Since 2003 · Iron Gate Since 2012

Locally Owned, No Private Equity

Senior Engineers on Every Ticket

60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

Why We Exist

We Built Iron Gate to Work the Other Way

Most IT companies run on call centers, tiered support, and ticket queues. Your problem gets passed from one person to the next, and nobody really owns the outcome. Too many organizations have learned to live with it.

We built Iron Gate differently. When our clients call, they reach a senior engineer who knows their environment, has the authority to make the call, and owns the result.

We stay small on purpose. Small keeps us senior. Small keeps us responsive. Small keeps us accountable to every client by name.

You are not a ticket number here, and you never will be. Our clients keep us for years, some for more than twenty, because we treat the relationship as the product. The technology is just how we take care of it.

Experience from Both Sides of the Desk

Before joining Iron Gate, our senior engineers led and supported technology from inside the organizations where they worked. Collectively, their backgrounds include roles as CTO, CIO, IT director, software development leader, business systems analyst, and managed services specialist.

They have already faced many of the decisions you are making. How to explain and defend a technology budget. When to invest ahead of growth and when to wait. What to do at seven on a Monday morning when something critical has failed and thirty people cannot work.

We have been the people who had to answer for those decisions afterward, so we consider what a recommendation will mean for your employees, your operations, and your budget before we focus on the technical specifications.

If This Sounds Familiar

Why Businesses Leave Their IT Provider

If you have worked with an IT company before, you have probably lived through a few of these.

×Tickets bouncing between technicians who do not know your setup

×Slow responses unless your systems are completely down

×Constant staff turnover, so you re-explain everything every time

×The same issues coming back because nothing gets fully fixed

×Junior technicians learning your environment while you wait

×No one clearly accountable for the outcome

Iron Gate was built to avoid every one of these. If your current provider is not meeting expectations, this is a different model.

The Difference, at a Glance

Traditional tiered support model	Iron Gate
Initial triage before escalation	Direct access to a senior engineer
Issues may move between technicians	One engineer owns the issue through resolution
Large or distributed support teams	Local, intentionally small senior team
Technician familiarity may vary	Engineers work from documented client environments
Ownership separated from delivery	Founder led and independently owned

What's Included

The IT and Security Your Business Depends On, Managed as One Relationship

Your core managed services are priced per user and delivered by one Pittsburgh team, on the enterprise-grade security and management platforms trusted across our industry, chosen deliberately for your environment. Infrastructure, backup platforms, Microsoft licensing, and other third-party services are itemized separately when they apply. Everything in your proposal is defined in writing and managed as one relationship.

24/7 Monitoring & Alerting

Automated monitoring runs around the clock, so problems are caught before your staff notices them. Engineer response follows the coverage commitments in your agreement.

Direct Help Desk Support

Pittsburgh-based senior engineers who answer, take ownership, and see the issue through to done. Call the main line, press 1, and a person answers, not a phone tree.

Patch Management & Updates

Operating systems and applications kept current, on a schedule that does not disrupt your workday.

Managed Endpoint Security

Enterprise-grade detection and response on every device, managed and watched by people who act on what they see.

Backup & Business Continuity

We design, manage, monitor, and test your backup and recovery plan. Any required appliance, storage, and licensing is itemized separately in your proposal.

Strategic IT Planning

Budgeting, roadmaps, and regular reviews, so IT decisions are made ahead of need instead of in a crisis.

Microsoft 365 Management & Security

Most of our clients run on Microsoft 365, and we manage it end to end: licensing guidance, identity and access protection, device management, email security, and day-to-day administration, handled by the same engineers who support your team. Management is part of your core service; Microsoft licensing is itemized separately.

Have an internal IT team? We offer co-managed IT as well. Your team keeps what they own, and we bring the bench behind them: senior escalation, enterprise tools, project depth, and coverage when they are out. Done right, co-managed runs on clear lines and disciplined documentation, and we will be candid about whether it is the right model for you. How co-managed works with us →

The Difference You Notice

What Good IT Actually Feels Like

✓Your staff stops complaining about the same recurring problems

✓New employees get set up correctly the first time

✓Systems feel stable and predictable

✓Security work happens before incidents, not after

✓Issues get resolved without constant escalation

✓You stop thinking about IT every day

The Track Record

What Western Pennsylvania Businesses Say

100% Client satisfaction
rated over the last 90 days

We support more than 80 Western Pennsylvania organizations. After we close every support ticket, we ask the client one question: how did we do? These are their unedited answers.

Real survey scores from real closed tickets. Survey requests go out automatically when a ticket closes, and the comments below are reproduced verbatim. ✓ Verified client survey

“

★★★★★

"Great IT support. Quick response time with proven results."

Pittsburgh professional services firm✓ Verified survey · July 2026

“

★★★★★

"IGT always seems to be there when I need them most. Their expertise and timely resolution to problems is greatly appreciated."

Western PA nonprofit✓ Verified survey · July 2026

“

★★★★★

"The staff are kind, courteous, and always meet your needs above and beyond."

Pittsburgh healthcare practice✓ Verified survey · July 2026

Year average client relationship

1 in 3

Clients with us 10+ years

1,500+

Users supported

Five-star Google reviews

Prefer public reviews? Our Google rating is a separate story. Read our Google reviews →

One Relationship, In Practice

What This Model Looks Like Over Time

A Western Pennsylvania manufacturing organization came to us after years of rotating technicians and a problem that kept coming back. Each new technician learned the environment from scratch, treated the symptom, and closed the ticket. The issue always returned.

We started the way we always do. We documented the environment first, then went after the problem itself. The recurring issue was traced to its root cause and fixed once, properly. It has not come back.

That was in 2012. The relationship continues today. That is what this model is built to produce: not a dramatic rescue, but an environment that stays fixed and a partner who stays accountable.

Independently Owned

Accountable to Our Clients, Not an Investor.

Many local IT providers have been acquired by larger investment-backed platforms in recent years. Ownership shapes staffing, priorities, and pricing, even when the name on the contract stays the same.

Iron Gate remains independently owned and intends to stay that way. Decisions about staffing, service, and client relationships are made here in Pittsburgh, by the people who answer to you.

When you call us, you are calling the owner's team, and the owner is in the building.

Pricing

Per-User Pricing. No Surprises.

We price the core managed service per user: one rate for each person we support, so your support costs stay predictable as your team changes. Your monthly number moves when your user and device counts move, and it does not jump when you have a hard month. We do not bill you for every phone call. Infrastructure, backup, Microsoft and other third-party licensing, and security awareness training are itemized separately when they apply, spelled out in your proposal before you sign. Have an internal IT team? Co-managed clients pay a lower per-user rate, because your team carries part of the load. Project work is scoped and priced separately, in writing, before it starts.

You will not find a one-size-fits-all number here, because we do not sell a one-size-fits-all service. What you will get is a real number after one conversation, in plain English, with the scope spelled out.

Most fully managed relationships begin around $1,500 per month and grow with users, locations, security requirements, and the complexity of your environment.

One thing we have learned over the years: a lower monthly figure is not always a lower total cost. Sometimes it just means the real support need has not been measured yet. That is a conversation we will have with you honestly, before you sign anything.

✓One per-user rate for the core managed service
✓No metered support and no per-call billing
✓Infrastructure, backup, licensing, and other third-party services itemized in your proposal
✓Scope, pricing, and terms spelled out before you sign

"You are not buying hours. You are buying the fact that nobody here is counting them."

Carl Kunzmann, Founder & CEO

Carl Kunzmann

Founder & CEO, Iron Gate Technology

Carl has been building Pittsburgh IT companies since 2003. He founded Iron Gate Technology in 2012. Many of those client relationships go back further than the Iron Gate name. When you start with Iron Gate, you start with Carl, and you will still see him long after the ink dries.

If something serious goes wrong, you're not wondering who owns the problem. That responsibility ultimately lands with me.

A Team Built for Continuity

Technical responsibility is shared across an experienced team of senior engineers. Client environments are thoroughly documented, and your systems do not depend on one person's memory or availability. Several members of our team have worked together for nearly a decade or longer.

That gives you personal accountability without making your organization dependent on any one person.

For New Clients

The 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

We stand behind every new managed services relationship for 60 days. If we do not earn it, tell us in writing and your onboarding fee and monthly service fees come back to you, and we will work professionally to transition your environment. Third-party licensing and hardware are not refundable, and the complete terms are in your quote before you sign.

Providers in this market often ask for three years or more before they have proven anything. We ask for twelve months, and we prove ourselves in the first sixty days.

Getting Started

Three Steps, No Pressure

A per-user agreement in plain English, and it all starts with a conversation.

A Conversation

You speak directly with the owner. He asks questions, listens carefully, and tells you honestly whether Iron Gate can help.

A Plan in Plain English

A per-user plan sized to your business, with scope, pricing, and terms spelled out. You will not need a translator.

A Careful Transition

We manage the transition carefully, with the goal of keeping disruption to your team as small as possible, and the 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee stands behind the whole start.

Who We Serve

Businesses and Nonprofits Across Western Pennsylvania

Our service is designed for organizations of 10 to 200 users. What they share is a preference for a local partner they can know by name and keep for years.

Healthcare Practices

Law Firms

Financial Services

Manufacturing

Nonprofits

Professional Services

Built for regulated work. We help healthcare practices meet HIPAA IT requirements, and financial and legal firms meet FTC Safeguards Rule requirements. Our security work is guided by the CIS Controls, and Iron Gate carries cyber liability insurance.

Iron Gate is usually the right fit when: your organization has 10 to 200 users, technology interruptions cost you real work, security and compliance matter, leadership wants predictable costs and a documented plan, and you value experienced people and a long-term relationship over the lowest monthly price.

Fair Questions

What Prospective Clients Ask Us

How much does managed IT cost?+

A per-user rate, sized to your headcount and your environment, so your monthly number moves with your user and device counts and nothing else. Anything beyond the core plan is itemized before you sign. You get a real number after one conversation, with the scope spelled out.

Is Iron Gate more expensive than other IT providers?+

We may not be the lowest priced provider you consider. Our model is built around experienced engineers, disciplined documentation, and a deliberately limited client base. We will explain what is included, what is not, and how your monthly cost is calculated. If a lower cost model fits you better, we will say so.

How fast do you actually respond?+

Your agreement sets the commitment by severity. Critical issues, where systems are down and people cannot work, carry a two business hour response. Significant degradation affecting a large number of users carries four business hours. Lower-severity items and planned work run longer, and every tier is written into the agreement you sign before you start. Behind those numbers, there is no tier-one queue to climb and no script to survive. A senior engineer takes your issue from first contact and stays accountable for it through resolution, onsite when a problem needs hands on it.

What happens after hours?+

Monitoring runs around the clock, and the help desk is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. If something serious breaks outside those hours, call the main line and leave a voicemail. After-hours emergency messages reach an on-call engineer, not a morning inbox, and you get a call back from someone who can actually work the problem. We will not sell you a round-the-clock help desk we do not run, and we will not leave you alone with a real emergency either.

Do you lock clients into long contracts?+

Twelve months, nothing longer unless you ask for it. New clients start under the 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee, so you are not carrying the risk of finding out whether we deliver. You will read every term before you sign, in plain English.

Is switching providers painful?+

Less painful than staying with the wrong provider. We handle the transition work, coordinate professionally with your current provider, and keep your team working the whole time. Most clients tell us the switch was easier than they feared.

Who will actually work on our systems?+

Senior engineers, every time. No junior staff, no offshore help desk, no tiered escalation. The team is small on purpose, and everyone on it can own a problem end to end. You will know your engineers by name, and they will know your environment.

How do you handle security and compliance?+

Security is part of the core service, not an add-on, and our security work is guided by the CIS Controls. For regulated clients, we support the IT requirements their compliance depends on: HIPAA for healthcare practices, and the FTC Safeguards Rule for financial and legal firms. Iron Gate itself carries cyber liability insurance.

Can we talk to your references?+

Yes, privately. We will connect you with clients in situations like yours, with their permission, one conversation at a time. What we will not do is publish the names of the companies we work with. We are a security company, and a security provider's client list is a target list. Every review and survey comment on this site is real and verified. Survey comments show a first name only. Company names are deliberately withheld.

You are a small team. Are you big enough for us?+

Small for us does not mean one person. Technical delivery is led by our CTO and supported by a team of senior engineers, and every environment we manage is documented. Today we support more than 80 organizations and over 1,500 users across Western Pennsylvania. You get the depth of a larger shop with the attention of a smaller one.

We have an internal IT person. Can you work with them?+

Yes. That is co-managed IT: your internal resource owns defined parts of the environment, with clear lines and disciplined documentation between us. Your person gets senior backup, enterprise tools, project depth, and real vacations. If co-managed is not right for your situation, we will say so before you spend a dollar on it.

What if we are not a good fit?+

Then we will say so, plainly, and point you toward someone who fits better. A prospect asked us to quote managed services for their eight-person company. After looking at their environment, we told them they did not need us yet, and recommended a less expensive local option instead. They thanked us, and they still call when they need advice. We work best with organizations of 10 to 200 users that want a local partner and a long-term relationship. We would rather refer you well than sign you wrong.

Resources

Plain Answers to Real IT Questions

Practical guidance on the IT, security, and budgeting questions Western Pennsylvania businesses actually ask us. No jargon, no fear-selling.

Budgeting · August 7, 2026

Managed IT Services Cost in 2026: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses

Real 2026 per-user ranges with named sources, the four ways MSPs price their services, what moves the number, and how to compare quotes line by line.

Read the article →

Choosing a Provider · August 7, 2026

How to Choose a Managed Service Provider: 12 Questions to Ask

Twelve questions that expose how a provider really operates, the answers you want to hear, and the red flags that should end the conversation.

Read the article →

Managed IT Basics · August 7, 2026

Break/Fix vs. Managed IT: Which Model Fits Your Business?

An honest comparison of the two support models: cost predictability, prevention, accountability, and when pay-per-incident is still the fair choice.

Read the article →

Planning Ahead · August 7, 2026

Still on Windows 10? What the October 2026 Deadline Means for Your Business

Year 1 of Microsoft's paid Extended Security Updates ends October 13, 2026. What that deadline means, what it costs, and your three options, honestly compared.

Read the article →

View all articles →

If That Sounds Like the Partner You Have Been Looking For

We would welcome the conversation. Bring your questions. Bring your frustrations.

You are also welcome to come see us. We are on McKnight Road in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, and we would be glad to have you at the office to meet the team.

Schedule a Conversation

A straightforward conversation with the owner.

Prefer to talk first? Call my direct line, (412) 265-6313. If you reach voicemail, leave a message and I'll personally call you back as soon as I can.Carl Kunzmann, Founder & CEO

Our goal is not to convince every organization to become a client. It is to help every organization make the right decision. If we are the right fit, we will tell you. If we are not, we will tell you that too. Either way, you will leave the conversation with clear, honest advice.

Rather have us reach out?

Leave your information and Carl will contact you personally.

✓

Got it. Carl will be in touch.

If it is urgent, call the main line at (412) 265-6311.