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Co-Managed IT is a collaborative partnership between an internal IT team and third-party managed service providers.
In this article, we’ll explore what co-managed IT means for businesses of all sizes like small or SMEs, highlight its pros and cons, discuss the various types of available services, and provide valuable tips on how to choose the right co-managed service for your business.
What is Co-Managed IT?
Co-Managed IT services is when a company works in partnership with a managed service provider (MSP) to manage its IT environment.
This approach offers many benefits to business goals by providing greater control and flexibility over their IT team needs.
With co-management strategy, a company can augment its internal IT team with extra support and additional expertise, gain a more proactive approach to internal IT department, and take advantage of valuable insights, latest technology, and trends in the industry.
A co-managed IT model is a smart choice for businesses looking to efficiently manage their technical expertise and IT performance while maintaining control over their IT strategy.
How Does A Co-Managed IT Service Model Work?
A co-managed IT service model provides a more cost-effective solution that allows businesses to focus on their core activities while ensuring they have the required IT infrastructure in place.
The collaboration and knowledge transfer extends to everything day-to-day; from monitoring systems to predict and prevent potential downtime issues and managing and maintaining IT infrastructure.
It offers a level of flexibility that traditional IT outsourcing lacks. It allows businesses to retain control over their existing department and maintain operations while leveraging external technical resources, resulting in better efficiency and a cost-effective IT environment.
What Industries Benefit from Co-Managed IT Services?
This IT support is ideal for business looking to supplement their in-house IT team with additional support.
Several industries, including healthcare, finance, retail, and legal, rely on co-managed IT support to ensure their internal IT department run smoothly and efficiently.
These industries can benefit greatly from the support services by improving their IT security, enhancing their internal resources, and reducing IT downtime.
Some of the major industries that benefit from this service model are:
- Finance
- Legal
- Manufacturing
- Education
- Healthcare
- Construction
- Retail
- Logistics
- Professional Services
What is the Difference Between Managed and Co-Managed IT?
Here are the 3 major differences between managed and co-managed IT:
| Parameters | Managed IT | Co-Managed IT |
| Definition | Managed IT is when a company contracts an outside provider to manage their IT systems and infrastructure. | Co-Managed IT is when a company contracts an outside provider to work together with their internal IT staff to manage their IT systems and infrastructure. |
| Cost | The cost of managed IT can vary depending on the size of the company and the services they require, but it usually includes a flat fee for setup and ongoing maintenance fees. | Co-Managed IT typically requires an up-front fee for setup as well as monthly fees based on usage or services provided by the external partner. |
| Responsibilities | In managed IT, the external partner is responsible for all aspects of managing the company’s network and systems including monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, software updates, user account management, security measures etc. |
In co-managed IT, both the external partner and internal team are responsible for managing these tasks, but typically divide them up based on their respective expertise or resources available. |
Advantage of Co-Managed IT Services
Here are the 5 advantages of co-managed IT services:
1. Cost Savings
By having a team of both internal IT team and external IT professionals working together, businesses can save on hiring costs by avoiding additional IT staff or outsource all their IT needs.
This can result in significant savings for business management, as they will only be paying for the service model that they need.
2. Improved Efficiency
With both an internal IT team and external IT team working together, businesses can ensure that their in-house IT team and systems are working efficiently.
This can help many businesses to reduce downtime and improve productivity, as in house IT staff have access to the support.
3. Increased Security
By having both external and internal IT teams working together, businesses can ensure that their data is secure from both internal threats (such as employee negligence) and external threats (such as cyber-attacks).
Additionally, with a team of experts monitoring their network 24/7, business management is assured about the potential vulnerabilities to be identified and addressed by services offered.
4. Access to Expertise
With an experienced IT department of both external and internal IT teams working together, business can be sure that their systems are being managed by experts who understand the latest technologies and industry best practices.
This allows business to stay up to date with strategic initiatives and the latest trends in technology while also ensuring that their systems always remain secure and efficient.
5. Scalability
Finally, the services offer scalability for business management that may require necessary resources changing on an ad-hoc basis or during periods of increased demand such as peak seasons or product launches.
By having both external and internal IT teams available on an ‘as-needed’ basis, businesses can easily scale up or down depending on their current needs without having to commit to long term contracts or hire additional internal staff members.
What Services Does Co-Managed IT Cover?
Network Monitoring and Management
Co-Managed IT services provide network monitoring and management capabilities to ensure that your network is running smoothly and securely.
This includes monitoring traffic on the network, detecting any potential threats, and providing proactive solutions to prevent outages or other issues from occurring.
System Administration
System administration services are also included in co-managed IT services. This includes setting up user accounts, configuring system settings, managing software updates and more.
By outsourcing system administration tasks to a MSP, business management can reduce the internal IT costs while ensuring their systems are properly maintained and secure.
Security Services
Co-Managed IT services also provide security services to help protect your business from cyber threats such as viruses, malware, phishing attacks, and data breaches.
These services can include implementing firewalls and antivirus software, monitoring for suspicious activity on the network and educating users on cybersecurity best practices.
Data Backup & Recovery
Data backup and recovery are essential components of any business IT infrastructure as they ensure that critical data is not lost in the event of an outage or disaster.
Co-Managed IT services include data backup solutions that automatically back up your data to secure off site locations so you can quickly restore it if necessary.
Cloud Services
Co-Managed IT services offer cloud computing solutions such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), storage solutions like Amazon S3 or Google Drive, and more.
Help Desk Support
Help desk support is an important part of co-managed IT services as it provides business with assistance when they encounter technical problems or have questions about how to use certain applications or features on their computer or device.
Help desk support can be provided either remotely or on site depending on the needs of the business.
Virtual Desktop Support
Virtual Desktop support is another component of co-managed IT services that helps end users with any hardware or software issues they may be experiencing with their computers or devices.
This includes troubleshooting hardware issues such as printer problems or installing new software applications onto devices when needed by the user.
Server Maintenance & Support
Server maintenance and support are essential components of co-managed IT services as servers play a crucial role in keeping networks running smoothly and securely by hosting applications and storing data for businesses.
Co-Managed IT providers can provide server maintenance tasks such as patching operating systems, updating drivers, optimising performance, and more.
VoIP Services
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is becoming increasingly popular among businesses due to its scalability, cost savings benefits, and advanced features.
Co-Managed IT providers offer VoIP solutions such as hosted PBX systems, SIP trunking, unified communications platforms, and more.
Mobile Device Management
Mobile device management (MDM) solutions enable businesses to manage their mobile devices remotely via a central dashboard.
This includes tracking device location, wiping lost devices, pushing out updates across multiple devices simultaneously, and more.
With MDM solutions offered through co-managed IT providers, businesses can ensure that all employee mobile devices always remain secure.
Compliance Assistance
Co-Managed IT providers offer compliance assistance which includes helping businesses meet industry standards such as HIPAA for healthcare organisations or PCI DSS for those who accept credit cards online.
They will also assist with audits conducted by regulatory bodies so that organisations always remain compliant.
How to Choose the Right Co-Managed Services?
Here are the 5 effective ways through which you can choose the right Co-Managed Services:
1. Evaluate Your Needs
When selecting the right co-managed partner, the first step is to evaluate your needs. What services do you need? What type of IT infrastructure do you have in place? Are there any specific areas that need improvement?
Knowing your current IT situation and what you need from a co-managed service provider will help you narrow down your choices and make an informed decision.
2. Research Potential Providers
Once you know what services you need, it’s time to start researching potential providers.
Look for companies that specialise in the type of services you require and read through customer reviews to get an idea of their level of expertise and customer satisfaction.
You can also ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations.
3. Compare Prices
Cost is always an important factor when selecting a co-managed services provider, so be sure to compare prices between different companies before deciding.
Consider not only the initial cost but also any additional fees or long-term costs that may be associated with using the service.
4. Read Service Level Agreements
Before signing a contract with any co-managed service provider, be sure to read through their Service Level Agreement (SLA) carefully.
This document should clearly outline the terms of the agreement, including how quickly they will respond to requests for assistance and what types of services are included in their package.
Make sure that all your questions have been answered before signing on the dotted line.
5. Ask Questions
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions if there is something you don’t understand or would like clarification on before signing a contract with a co-managed service.
A reputable company should be willing to answer any questions you may have and help ensure that both parties are clear on what is expected from them during the duration of the agreement.
