How long does it take to set up IT for a new office?

With planning done in advance, accounts, devices and network can be ready for day one. Taking over an existing office as a managed provider typically takes us 30 to 45 days.

Do we need someone on site?

Rarely day to day. You do need on-site help for network installation, cabling, hardware and office moves.

How to Set Up IT for a New European Office: A Checklist for US Companies

By the Integrated Business Systems engineering team · Last updated 27 October 2026

Opening an office in Europe is the moment to get IT right, before ten people become fifty. This checklist covers what to decide before the first hire, what to have ready on day one, and what changes when your data and staff are in the EU or UK.

Before the first hire

Decide whether the new office joins your existing Microsoft 365 tenant or gets its own. For most companies, one tenant with regional settings is simpler to secure and manage.
Agree who owns IT for the office: head-office IT, a local provider, or a managed provider covering both.
Choose your device standard and how laptops will be bought, enrolled and shipped in the new country.
Check whether the office will need on-site work (network installation, cabling, desks) and who will do it.

Ready on day one

Accounts created with MFA and conditional access already enforced
Laptops enrolled in Intune (or your device management tool) with apps and security policies applied
Office internet, firewall and Wi-Fi installed, and linked to your other sites if needed
Backups switched on for Microsoft 365 and any servers
A clear way for staff to ask for help, in a language they work in

Security and data protection

In the EU, personal data is protected by the GDPR; in the UK, by the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Both expect appropriate technical and organisational security measures. NIS2 adds cybersecurity obligations for medium and large organisations in many sectors across the EU. In practice, IT teams cover most of what these require with MFA, least-privilege access, logging, patching, device compliance and tested backups, documented so you can show your work. Ask your legal advisers which rules apply to your entity. Read our guide to GDPR for US companies. and our NIS2 guide.

Country notes

Country	Data protection authority	Practical note
Spain	AEPD (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos)	Many local IT providers work mainly in Spanish; confirm the support language your team needs
United Kingdom	ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)	Customers and public-sector buyers often ask suppliers for Cyber Essentials
Ireland	Data Protection Commission	A common EMEA base for US companies; plan for fast hiring
Netherlands	Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens	English is widely used in business; local providers are often Dutch-first
Germany	Federal and state data protection authorities	Employee data and works council expectations can affect IT monitoring tools
France	CNIL	Expect French-language requirements for some staff-facing documents

Each office we support has a city page with local details. Barcelona · London · Dublin · Amsterdam

We've written a detailed guide for each of the most common countries:

Spain · UK · Ireland · Netherlands · Germany

Supporting an office in another time zone

Europe is five to nine hours ahead of the continental US. If support only runs in US business hours, your European team loses its morning to waiting. Choose a model where monitoring and critical response run 24/7, and agree the covered hours for routine requests to match the local working day.

Who should run IT for the new office?

Three options, each fine in the right situation: head-office IT stretched across time zones, a local IT provider in the new country, or a managed provider covering all your offices. We compare them in detail in our guide.

Frequently asked questions

Usually not. A single tenant with regional settings keeps one security standard and is easier to manage. Separate tenants are mainly used for legal, regulatory or divestment reasons.

Where we deliver this

Managed IT in London

We run IT for the London offices of US and international companies: helpdesk, Microsoft 365 security, office networks and backups, under the same SLA as your other offices. Monitoring never switches off, and a vetted London field partner takes care of anything physical.

Managed IT in Dublin

Many US companies run their European operations from Dublin. We run IT for those offices: helpdesk, Microsoft 365 security, networks and backups, under the same SLA as your US sites. We watch your systems day and night and send a vetted Dublin engineer when something needs a physical fix.

Managed IT in Amsterdam

We run IT for the Amsterdam offices and European headquarters of US and international companies: helpdesk, Microsoft 365 security, networks and backups, in English and under one SLA. Systems are monitored continuously, and local field partners we've vetted cover on-site jobs around the Randstad.

Managed IT in Barcelona

We run IT for the Barcelona offices of US and international companies: helpdesk, Microsoft 365 security, office networks and backups, under one English-language SLA. Our engineers monitor your systems around the clock, and vetted local partners handle anything that needs hands on site.

Need help with this for your own office?

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