Most growing Indian businesses have an IT Annual Maintenance Contract. It keeps the hardware running — servers, desktops, network devices. But the moment your billing software crashes, your inventory count goes wrong, or your custom ERP needs a new report, the answer from your IT AMC vendor is almost always the same: that is out of scope. Here is what IT AMC actually covers, what it does not, and what dedicated software support does instead.
TL;DR
An IT AMC covers hardware, devices, and network infrastructure — desktops, servers, printers, routers. Your business software (the ERP, billing system, inventory, custom application) is almost always out of scope, billed separately per visit or as project work. Dedicated software support (the model Varisya runs) covers the software layer: SLA-backed fixes, maintenance, upgrades, and a dev-day pool for improvements, on a flat annual retainer from ₹39,000/year — no per-visit billing, no out-of-scope surprises. The two cover different things; if your software is mission-critical, you need coverage at the software layer, not just the hardware layer.
No checkout, no per-seat pricing. Every engagement starts with a scoping call.
When IT AMC became the standard procurement model for Indian businesses, the critical systems were the hardware: the server in the back office, the desktops on every desk, the printer that invoices had to come off, the network that tied it all together. The IT AMC model was designed to maintain that layer — send a technician when something broke, replace a faulty part, keep the machines online.
The software layer looked different then. Most businesses ran vendor-standard applications — Tally, DTP software, basic spreadsheets. The vendor's own support line handled the software, the AMC handled everything else, and there was no gap between them.
That gap has since opened wide. Growing Indian businesses now run custom ERPs, multi-location inventory systems, billing software integrated with their bank, e-commerce backends, WhatsApp order management tools, and applications built specifically for how their business works. None of this sits inside a hardware AMC scope. And when one of these systems breaks or falls behind the business's needs, the IT AMC vendor's honest answer is that there is nothing they can do — it is out of scope.
The problem is not the IT AMC. The problem is assuming it covers your software. Dedicated software support fills the layer IT AMC was never designed for.
Two service models covering two different layers of your IT stack. Here is how they compare on what each actually includes — and what each leaves out.
| Factor | IT AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) | Varisya (dedicated software support) |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Hardware, devices, network infrastructure | Business software — custom apps, ERP, integrations |
| Model | Break-fix: respond when something fails | Retainer: proactive maintenance + SLA-backed response |
| Custom software support | Out of scope — quoted separately | Core offering — the main thing it covers |
| Software improvements | Not included (project billing) | Dev-day pool for enhancements in the retainer |
| Vendor-specific software (Tally, Zoho) | Covered only if you have that vendor's AMC | Covered alongside your custom layers and integrations |
| Pricing model | Per device/year + visit charges per call | Flat ₹39,000/year; unlimited users; no per-call fees |
| Out-of-scope billing | Common — new features, data fixes, integrations | Defined retainer scope; no surprise project quotes |
| Response channel | Site visit (scheduled or emergency) | Phone, WhatsApp, email — SLA-backed response |
| Who knows your software | No one in the AMC contract typically does | Named engineer assigned to your account |
| Strategic guidance | None — reactive, device-level service | Named engineer who knows your system's full picture |
Most businesses do not discover the coverage gap until they are already inside it. These are the moments that reveal an IT AMC is the wrong tool for the problem.
If these patterns are familiar, the dedicated software support cost guide breaks down what AMC, break-fix freelancers, in-house engineers, and a dedicated retainer each actually cost in INR — with the hidden charges included.
Dedicated software support is not a better version of an IT AMC. It is a different service covering a different layer. Here is what it includes that an AMC contract structurally cannot.
SLA-backed software fixes. When your business software breaks — the kind of break that stops your team from invoicing, from shipping, or from serving a customer — dedicated support responds to a committed SLA. Not a site visit scheduled for the next available slot; response to a defined turnaround, over phone, WhatsApp, or email, from an engineer who already knows your system.
Ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Business software needs steady care: security patches, version upgrades, database maintenance, performance tuning, integration checks as APIs change. This is the kind of work that doesn't trigger a break-fix call — it happens in the background, on a schedule, as part of the retainer.
A dev-day pool for improvements. Every business's software requirements drift from what was originally built. New products, new regulations, a new branch location, a new workflow the team has invented. A dedicated software retainer includes a pool of engineering capacity each month for enhancements — not as a separate project quote, but as part of what you're already paying for.
A named engineer who knows your system. The most undervalued part of dedicated support is context. A named engineer who has spent months on your system — who knows where the edge cases live, why certain decisions were made, which integrations are fragile — resolves problems in a fraction of the time it takes someone starting from scratch. That accumulated knowledge is part of what the retainer buys.
IT AMC and dedicated software support serve different needs. Here is who each genuinely fits — and why most growing businesses need both.
IT AMC is the right choice for…
Dedicated software support (Varisya) is the right choice for…
Most Varisya clients come in with an existing IT AMC already covering their hardware. The scoping call establishes what the AMC covers, what it does not, and what the dedicated software support retainer needs to fill — so there is no overlap and no gap.
If you are evaluating the full picture of software support options, the related guides cover the adjacent comparisons: dedicated support vs hiring an in-house support engineer, what dedicated software support costs in India, and retainer vs project-based software.
What is the difference between an IT AMC and dedicated software support?
An IT AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) is a service agreement to maintain your hardware — desktops, servers, printers, networking devices. When a device fails, the AMC vendor responds. Dedicated software support is a completely different scope: it covers the business software your organisation runs on — your ERP, billing system, inventory, CRM, or custom application. When software breaks, a report is wrong, or your team needs a new feature, dedicated software support handles it. The two cover different layers. But if your software breaks, your IT AMC vendor will almost always say "that is out of scope."
Does IT AMC cover custom software or business applications?
Almost never. Standard IT AMC contracts cover hardware and network devices. Some AMC contracts with Tally, Zoho, or Busy partners cover that specific product's bug fixes — but only for that vendor's software and only for issues they classify as standard-product bugs. Custom software falls entirely outside IT AMC scope. A new feature, a data migration, a custom report, a bug in an integration between two systems: none of these are within AMC scope. You will be quoted separately, often as a project, each time.
Can I have both an IT AMC and Varisya dedicated software support?
Yes, and for most businesses the combination makes sense. Your IT AMC keeps the hardware layer healthy — the machines, the network, the servers. Varisya's dedicated software support keeps the software layer healthy — the business applications, custom code, integrations, and the steady improvements that keep your software current. They operate at different layers and do not overlap. Many Varisya clients come in with an existing IT AMC already in place; the scoping call maps what is already covered and what needs to be added at the software layer.
Is dedicated software support more expensive than an IT AMC?
Not straightforwardly. A typical IT AMC covers devices at ₹500–₹3,000 per device per year, plus visit charges of ₹1,500–₹3,000 per call. For a business with 10 devices, base AMC cost might be ₹10,000–₹30,000/year — but once you add project charges for anything software-related ("out of scope"), the actual annual spend often climbs well beyond the base. Varisya's dedicated software support is a flat ₹39,000/year on the Essential plan — SLA-backed response, maintenance, upgrades, and a dev-day pool for enhancements, with unlimited users and no per-call or out-of-scope billing. If you have been paying IT AMC base fees plus separate software project invoices, the total may already exceed what a dedicated software retainer would cost with no surprises.
My Tally/Zoho/Busy vendor has an AMC — is that enough?
Vendor AMC contracts cover support and updates for that specific product only, and only for issues the vendor classifies as bugs in their standard product. They do not cover: customisations made to the product, integrations with other systems, data migrations, custom reports, issues in surrounding workflows, or new business requirements outside the standard feature set. If your business has grown beyond the standard product — with custom fields, integrations, or workflows built around it — your vendor AMC covers a shrinking share of what you actually need. Dedicated software support covers the full picture: the product, the customisations, the integrations, and the ongoing improvements as your business grows.
A 30-minute scoping call. We'll look at what your current IT AMC covers, where the gaps are, what your software actually needs month to month, and whether a dedicated software support retainer fills the right layer — or whether something else fits better.
No checkout, no per-seat pricing. Every plan routes through a consultation.