Wading Into the Benefits of Co-Managed IT Services
Companies often experience gaps in IT coverage as new hardware requirements, security concerns, or staff changes introduce new demands to the organization. Co-Managed IT services are designed to complement in-house IT departments by easing the financial and technical challenges, allowing companies to focus on core operations and trust their technology is flexible and responsive.
Co-Managed IT is a service model that allows companies to customize their IT through a blend of internal staff resources and the expertise of an outside managed service provider. This roll-your-own approach offers companies an easy avenue to shore up their internal staff with additional services that eliminate their IT pain points and protect their data from scary vulnerabilities.
Benefits of a Co-Managed partnership
- Cost Savings
This blended approach allows companies with limited budget resources to choose and pay for managed services they really need the most. - Growth Path
If your company is outgrowing business demands on your IT staff, a co-managed IT relationship can provide a growth path while you evaluate your needs and devise a plan for expanding internal IT capabilities. - Cover IT Gaps
A Co-Managed partnership covers the most troublesome pain points with fewer contractual obligations and provides a path to add or modify services as needed based on changing conditions.
Consider a Strategic Blend
Internal and External Support Help Define Outcomes
- PC and Network Monitoring
Managed IT can provide access to robust enterprise tools and talented resources to free up the workload on your internal staff. - Hardware and Software Updates
Tracking patches and installing new releases add a big workload for many smaller and mid-sized companies. Offloading these critical tasks to managed IT professionals provides immediate relief to in-house departments. - Network Setup
If you are considering moving to a network environment, managed IT is the preferred way to enter and maintain a more complex operating environment. - Print Management and Training
Printer issues and employee support issues notoriously eat up huge chunks of IT staff resources. Managed IT can provide 24/7 management, including automated updates and printer supplies management. - Basic Security Support
Keeping up with the latest security issues and installing patches for various hardware and software products is a heavy load for any IT staff. Managed IT has many high-end tools that monitor your business flow and provide early warnings for intrusion problems.
Bottom Line
According to a recent forecast on the growth of managed IT services through 2030 [1], “Managed services deliver effective functionalities at minimal costs without compromising on quality. In addition, managed services also support and ensure the reliability and consistency of services offered for various business processes.”
For small and medium-sized businesses, deciding between managed IT and co-managed services is a matter of determining the services a company truly needs and can afford to add. The beauty of Co-Managed IT is its flexibility. Working with a managed IT firm with co-managed options ensures that problem areas get professional attention from the experts in ways that make good business sense and solve the problems at hand. The managed service provider’s role is to support the internal staff and make it more efficient. Most small and medium sized businesses will benefit from this al la carte IT services approach. As company needs or resources change, your co-managed strategy can adapt with appropriate modifications to services.
