Just out of interest, how much man power is required to maintain the thumb repository? Merlin should be in the best position to give us an idea.

Where I am heading with this: Sure, keeping a resident sysadmin, even part-time, is expensive. But for example the service deal I have with my car dealer is not. A fixed amount for two years, including a certain number of services and security checks. Any material or labour beyond that is extra.

Some similar kind of pay-as-you-go deal might be affordable. Are there any sysadmins offering that kind of service?