Frequently Asked Questions About Preferred Data
Straight answers about our managed IT plans, cybersecurity, support hours, service area and pricing, from our High Point, NC team.
Plan details match our plans and pricing page. Answers last reviewed September 23, 2026.
About Preferred Data
What does Preferred Data Corporation do?
Preferred Data Corporation (PDC) provides managed IT services, cybersecurity, backup, network infrastructure, cloud solutions, custom software and the PDC Software Suite, AI transformation, and M&A technology due diligence. Founded in 1987 in High Point, NC, we support 100+ active clients as a long-term technology partner.
Where is Preferred Data located?
Our headquarters is at 1208 Eastchester Drive, Suite 131, High Point, NC 27265. We provide on-site IT support within 200 miles of High Point, covering the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte, Raleigh, and surrounding areas.
What industries does PDC specialize in?
We focus on manufacturing, construction, and industrial businesses, and we also serve furniture, textile, and professional services companies. Knowing how a plant, a shop floor, or a job site runs lets us fit technology to the way the business actually works.
How long has PDC been in business?
PDC was founded in 1987, giving us 39 years of experience in business technology. Our clients stay with us for more than 20 years on average.
What makes PDC different from other IT providers?
PDC combines a local North Carolina presence with deep manufacturing expertise, our own PDC Software Suite, and M&A technology advisory. We work as a long-term business partner focused on your growth and efficiency, not just a vendor fixing technical issues.
What is your service area?
We provide on-site IT support within 200 miles of our High Point, NC headquarters, covering the Piedmont Triad, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh, and much of North Carolina. Remote support and 24/7 threat monitoring also reach clients outside that radius.
Managed IT Services
What is included in managed IT services?
Every Preferred Plan includes Microsoft 365 licensing matched to each role, a business-hours remote helpdesk, endpoint management and patching monitored 24/7, endpoint detection and response, 24/7 managed detection and response, MFA and email threat protection, security awareness training, restore-tested workstation and Microsoft 365 backup, and an annual technology review. Preferred Professional and Preferred Complete build on that with more support and security. Hardware, projects, and custom programming are quoted separately, in writing, before work starts.
Do you offer 24/7 IT support?
Every plan includes 24/7 threat monitoring: managed detection and response and endpoint monitoring run around the clock on Preferred Essentials, Professional, and Complete. Help desk hours depend on the plan: business hours on Essentials, extended hours with priority response on Professional, and 24/7 support, including after-hours and weekends, on Complete.
Can you support remote and hybrid workers?
Yes. Every plan manages and patches laptops and desktops wherever they are and includes Microsoft 365 for email and collaboration. Preferred Professional adds zero-trust VPN and DNS filtering for secure access from home or the road.
What is your average response time?
We do not publish a single response-time guarantee. Preferred Professional and Preferred Complete include a priority response SLA with extended hours, and your written proposal states the response terms for your plan before you sign. For an urgent problem, call (336) 886-3282.
Do you provide on-site support?
Yes, within 200 miles of our High Point, NC headquarters. Preferred Professional includes onsite visits when a problem cannot be fixed remotely, and Preferred Complete includes unlimited onsite support. Installations, office moves, and other projects are quoted in writing before work starts.
Cybersecurity and CMMC
What cybersecurity services do you offer?
Every plan includes endpoint detection and response, 24/7 managed detection and response, multi-factor authentication, email threat protection, patching, and security awareness training. Preferred Professional adds identity threat detection and response, a password manager, email encryption, and zero-trust VPN with DNS filtering. Preferred Complete adds recurring vulnerability scanning and an annual security assessment with penetration-test coordination.
Can you help with CMMC compliance?
Yes. We provide CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 readiness management, covering monitoring, documentation, and evidence collection to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It is included in Preferred Complete and available as an add-on to Preferred Professional. Certification itself comes from an authorized third-party assessor (C3PAO) or a self-assessment, not from PDC.
Do you offer security awareness training?
Yes. Security awareness training for your staff is part of the security baseline in every Preferred Plan, including the smallest. It teaches people to spot phishing emails and other social engineering attempts before they click.
What is an AI security audit?
An AI security audit is an assessment of your AI systems, models, and data pipelines for vulnerabilities, bias, data leakage, and compliance risks. We evaluate how AI tools are deployed across your organization and give you actionable recommendations to secure them.
How do you protect against ransomware?
We layer the defenses in the security baseline of every plan: endpoint detection and response, 24/7 managed detection and response, multi-factor authentication, email threat protection, patching, staff training, and restore-tested backup. Restore testing matters because a backup only helps if it actually comes back.
Cloud Solutions
What cloud platforms do you support?
We work with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure, plus hybrid setups that keep some servers on-premise. Microsoft 365 licensing matched to each role is included in every Preferred Plan, and server moves to Azure are scoped and quoted as projects.
Can you migrate our systems to the cloud?
Yes. We assess what you have, recommend whether each system belongs in the cloud or on-premise, and plan the move so your business keeps running. Server and cloud migrations are one-time projects, quoted in writing before work starts.
How do you ensure cloud security?
Cloud accounts get the same baseline as the rest of your business: multi-factor authentication, email threat protection, 24/7 threat detection and response, and restore-tested Microsoft 365 backup. Preferred Professional adds identity threat detection and response and zero-trust VPN.
What about disaster recovery?
Every plan includes restore-tested workstation and Microsoft 365 backup, and servers counted in your plan get the same restore-tested backup. We also help you decide how long each key system can be down and how much data you can afford to lose (your RTO and RPO), so the recovery plan matches the business.
AI Transformation
How can AI help my manufacturing business?
AI helps most when it is aimed at a specific, repetitive task, such as drafting quotes and emails, summarizing documents, or moving data between systems. Our AI enablement program starts with a readiness assessment, then a written AI use policy, staff training, and workflow automation with guardrails, one workflow at a time.
What is your AI readiness assessment?
Our AI readiness assessment reviews your systems, data quality, business processes, and security to decide which processes are worth automating and what gaps must close first. You get a prioritized list of where to start.
Do you build custom AI solutions?
Yes. We design and build AI agents, automations, and integrations for your specific business workflows, from document processing to customer interactions. Custom work is scoped and priced in writing before any work starts.
Is AI secure for business use?
It can be, when it is deployed with governance, data controls, and security settings. A written AI use policy is part of our AI enablement program, and our AI security audits evaluate AI deployments against security and compliance requirements.
M&A and Quality of Technology
What is a Quality of Technology assessment?
A Quality of Technology (QoT) assessment is a technology due diligence review performed before a merger or acquisition closes. We evaluate IT infrastructure, cybersecurity posture, software assets, technical debt, and integration risks so the buyer knows the technology risks and the cost to fix them.
Do you support post-merger IT integration?
Yes. After closing we consolidate email, networks, and business systems where it makes sense, or keep them separate on purpose. The full QoT report includes a 90-day, 180-day, and one-year technology roadmap to guide that work.
What is QoT Lite?
QoT Lite is a fixed-price review of the four highest-risk technology areas in a deal: cybersecurity, compliance, critical infrastructure, and software licensing, delivered in 1 to 2 weeks. It suits self-funded searchers and smaller businesses, and if it finds something serious you can upgrade to the full report with the QoT Lite fee credited.
Pricing and Getting Started
How much do managed IT services cost?
Managed IT from Preferred Data is priced per user per month on one of three Preferred Plans (Essentials, Professional, and Complete), quoted for your business rather than from a published rate card. Servers, firewalls, switches, wireless access points, and storage are counted during discovery and covered on the same agreement. The quote is free: call (336) 886-3282 or request one on our pricing page.
Do you offer free consultations?
Yes. In a free consultation we review your current technology, identify risks and opportunities, and outline how PDC can help you reach your business goals. There is no obligation.
How do I get started with PDC?
Call (336) 886-3282 or use our contact page to schedule a free consultation. We will discuss your business needs, assess your current technology, and recommend a plan in writing.