This article will dive into the world of co-managed IT and why many businesses are turning to this unique model. You will learn more about co-managed IT services, what they are, how they work, their pros and cons, and how to best choose the right partner for you.
IT teams are responsible for countless business-critical tasks, from maintaining the network to keeping servers up and running. And while IT teams have become more commonplace in recent years, the reality is that many businesses are still struggling to keep up with the pace of change. IT teams are often understaffed and overworked, leading to a slew of issues ranging from user support to data breaches needing immediate attention. As businesses increasingly rely on IT to stay competitive, many are turning to a co-managed model that helps internal IT teams supplement specific areas of need.
Co-managed IT services is a term used to describe the relationship between an internal IT team and an external IT provider (typically referred to as a Managed Services Provider or MSP).
Both parties develop and implement a customized plan on how they will best work together to manage and maintain the client’s IT infrastructure. This partnership allows businesses to fill gaps in their IT department by outsourcing specific complementary knowledge and services to an MSP.
This arrangement can benefit businesses that do not have the resources or experience to manage their IT infrastructure alone. By working with an MSP, they gain access to a larger pool of expertise and resources, which can quickly optimize the efficiency of their IT operations and ensure business continuity. In addition, the agreements are usually available on a monthly basis and include built-in flexibility, making it easy for organizations to budget for their IT needs.
When it comes to IT administration, the adage “two heads are better than one” definitely applies, especially when an organization needs help in certain areas of IT. Co-managed IT services bring together the best of both in-house and outsourced IT management, providing your business with enhanced efficiency and improved productivity. If you decide to move forward with an MSP in a co-management relationship, you will:
Usually, an in-house IT team remains responsible for day-to-day tasks, and the provider overlays expertise, guidance, and IT support in various capacities. Because every IT team is unique, you can tailor your relationship with an MSP to your current and future business needs. The typical responsibilities that are split between the two parties include cybersecurity, monitoring, maintenance, patch management, updates and upgrades, cloud management, help desk support, application management, data backups and redundancy, firewall management, disaster recovery, training, project management, reporting, and more.
By sharing the workload, co-managed IT solutions can help lighten the load on your in-house team while ensuring that all of your IT needs are met.
Many businesses have adopted the co-managed model for their IT needs. Here are a few reasons IT teams turn to co-managed IT services:
The challenges of running a successful IT department can be quite complex for businesses with a small or overworked IT team. Most become overwhelmed with endless mundane tasks and putting out daily fires instead of focusing on strategic initiatives. Things typically reach a boiling point, and one of 2 things happens: team members leave for greener pastures or management hires new employees (temporary or permanent) to keep pace with fluctuating IT demands. Unfortunately, the hiring process can be frustrating and time-consuming as there is a shortage of proven and available IT professionals who can immediately fill a gap. It’s no wonder that IT teams turn to MSPs for supplemental support.
New projects assigned to an IT department can cause major internal issues, especially when the scope and complexity of the project are outside the typical purview of the current team. Unfortunately, new projects are often launched without sufficient planning or consideration for the impact on IT infrastructure, which can lead to significant problems down the line, including reduced performance, increased downtime, and even data loss.
IT teams need both the time and the resources to take on a new project as they can’t afford to lose a foothold on any of their important daily tasks. So, the business can roll the dice and hope their internal team can knock each out with precision, or they can turn to an MSP for help. The beauty of working with an external provider is that if the work is temporary, they can structure a short-term arrangement. And if an IT department is constantly hit with new projects that their team can’t handle, they can turn to an MSP who can jump in and provide the experience and bandwidth whenever needed.
When it comes to managing a business, there are some areas where it makes sense to bring in outside help. For example, most companies wouldn’t try to fix their own plumbing or electrical problems – they would call in a professional. The same is true for IT. When businesses know that outside resources have the expertise and experience far exceeding their internal team, it makes sense to have an MSP compliment your staff.
In a co-managed arrangement, a business can customize where and how that expertise is delivered, as every environment is different. For example, some need help monitoring their systems and networks, while others have adequate coverage. Others need assistance managing software updates and providing support to employees. And many need an expert to handle more significant strategic initiatives and projects or to help with ongoing bandwidth issues.
In short, MSPs can help IT teams take care of the things they don’t have time to do themselves and can be a valuable resource for businesses looking to improve their operations.
Managed services providers offer countless benefits businesses can pair with their internal IT staff. Still, there are considerations you want to think through before jumping into a co-managed model.
Using an MSP to compliment your existing IT team can be an excellent match for your business. You can reap the benefits of a third-party provider’s expertise and resources while keeping control and ownership of your IT operations. In a perfect scenario, both sides form a symbiotic relationship where the external provider fills the gaps of the client, and together they become one IT department. Here are a few benefits a co-managed model can provide:
Co-management of IT services with an external provider can be a complex relationship for an internal IT team as it takes hard work and communication from both parties. For an in-house IT department, that means maintaining control of operations within the partnership. You’ll need to engage with your provider to ensure that they understand your company’s objectives and culture. You’ll also want to set clear expectations about who is responsible for what tasks and establish processes for escalation and decision-making. By taking an active role in co-management, you can ensure that your internal IT department continues to “call the shots.”
Any in-house IT team worth its salt knows that managing an organization’s technology infrastructure is a full-time job. The responsibilities of keeping systems up and running to ensure data security are seemingly endless. For many organizations, the best way to manage these responsibilities is to partner with a co-managed IT services provider. By sharing the management burden, an in-house IT team can focus on more strategic initiatives rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day tasks of keeping the lights on. In addition, a co-managed IT services relationship provides access to a team of experts who can provide valuable insights and recommendations. As a result, an organization can experience the benefits of a well-managed IT infrastructure without having to bear the full brunt of the responsibility.
Any business owner knows that keeping up with the latest trends is essential to success. But in the world of IT and cybersecurity, the landscape is constantly changing, making it hard to stay ahead of the curve to keep systems running smoothly and data safe from attacks. Managed service providers can bear the burden of staying up to speed on everything happening in the IT world so their clients don’t have to.
MSPs go to great lengths to stay ahead of the curve as their success relies on providing quality service to their book of business. They vet the industry, looking for thought leaders to follow in the various areas of IT. They attend trade shows and conferences to network with other professionals and learn about the latest products and services in the IT space. They stay active on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the industry. And they can rely on their own experience and internal data to provide valuable insights on what is happening in real-time, all so their clients can remain focused on their core business.
MSPs provide a level of support that is simply unmatched by the vast majority of in-house teams. By being available 24/7, they can quickly respond to and resolve any IT issues. This ensures that businesses can continue operating smoothly without the worry of downtime.
Can businesses blaze their own trail and manage a support team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year? Yes, of course, they can. But the question is, “Why would they want to?” when they can partner with an MSP that will most likely provide better service at a lower price than the business can internally.
As businesses grow, they often need to scale their IT infrastructure to meet new demands. This can be a difficult and expensive process, especially if they don’t have in-house IT expertise. In a co-managed IT relationship, MSPs are on “stand by,” waiting to be called in to deliver any of their flexible and scalable solutions to help businesses keep up with changing needs. Whether an organization has a spike in demand, needs increased bandwidth, or has a new project that popped up today, MSPs can scale their services and resources up or down as needed, so businesses only pay for what they use.
Most businesses go through a hiring spree at some point or another. They might be expanding to meet increased demand, replacing staff who have left, or simply trying to keep up with the ebb and flow of their industry. However, this constant cycle of hiring and training new staff can be costly and time-consuming. In a co-managed IT model, MSPs can help businesses avoid this hiring headache by providing them with the flexibility to scale their workforce up or down as needed. In addition, organizations can save time by avoiding the numerous tasks associated with onboarding new staff and reallocating their hiring costs to other business areas, such as research and development or marketing.
As any IT manager knows, happy employees are productive employees. Workers who are satisfied with their job are more likely to go the extra mile to solve problems and provide excellent customer service. However, keeping an IT team happy can be a challenge. Thankfully, in a co-managed IT relationship, MSPs can boost employee morale by taking on many boring or mundane tasks of managing IT infrastructure. They can provide support or expertise and stay current on industry trends or new regulations. In addition, MSPs can help to create a culture of openness and collaboration by sharing best practices and lessons learned from other clients. As a result, MSPs can play an important role in keeping an in-house IT team motivated and engaged.
In today’s business world, data security is more important than ever. With the rise of cybercrime, organizations need to take steps to protect their critical information. One way to do this is to form a co-managed IT partnership with an MSP specializing in data security and 24/7 monitoring and support. While MSPs provide many IT services, cybersecurity headlines nearly every offering or package as businesses can’t keep current with evolving cyber threats by themselves. Managed security providers allow organizations to focus on their core competencies while leaving their data security in the hands of experts.
While there are clearly some fantastic benefits that MSPs can provide in a co-managed IT partnership, there are still some obstacles to overcome if you are looking into this model for your business. Here are some challenges you will most likely face:
Choosing the best MSP for your business can be a daunting task. With so many options out there, it’s important to take the time to research your options and find the company that has the tools, experience, flexibility, and scalability that best fits your needs.
Any business looking to partner with an MSP in a co-management capacity should be proactive in ensuring that the MSP continues to be an excellent cultural fit throughout the relationship. After all, you will spend a lot of time working together. Here are a few things to consider:
You can avoid headaches down the road by being proactive in ensuring that an MSP is an excellent cultural fit for your business.
While software requirements and compatibility should be a part of your initial vetting process, it is always a good idea to make sure the potential partner understands additional technologies you may adopt in the future to ensure the MSP can keep your systems running smoothly down the line.
Once you have decided to pursue a potential co-managed relationship with an MSP, you will want to make sure you take a deep dive into your existing operations to determine the right partner for your business. First, you must audit your internal IT department and determine your strengths and weaknesses, including experience, knowledge, skills, tools, and resources. After you have a clear picture of your gaps, you can begin setting departmental goals and decide which services and resources you should outsource to meet those goals.
Managed services providers deliver several benefits to businesses that outsource their IT needs, and one offering comes in the form of co-management. While your in-house IT team shares the responsibility of managing the IT systems, processes, and strategies, there are many different service models in the co-management space. Therefore, it is crucial to pick a partner that can genuinely complement your internal team. Make sure to research your options carefully and take note of the following:
A co-management contract is a formal agreement between an MSP and their client that outlines the scope of services, roles, and responsibilities of each party. It’s essential to have a clear and concise co-management contract in place to avoid any misunderstandings down the road. Here are some key elements to include in your co-management contract:
By including these key elements in your co-management contract, you can help ensure that both parties are clear on their expectations and avoid any misunderstandings down the road.
When choosing an MSP, it’s important to understand the technology and tools they use along with the processes they have in place for handling various networking or IT issues. Of course, you want to look for an MSP that uses modern technology, including high-speed internet and cloud-based tools. Still, you must also fully understand their security processes and procedures, how they back up data, what they do when the power goes out, and other rare occurrences in your industry. Finally, you need to know that whatever happens, your business is safe in the hands of an experienced provider who already has action plans to mitigate a complete list of relevant challenges.
Managed service providers must communicate effectively with their clients to provide quality service. MSPs can use various methods to communicate with clients, including email, phone, video conferencing, and face-to-face meetings. They can also stay in regular communication by using reporting tools to send periodic updates on the status of their IT infrastructure. This can give you peace of mind knowing that they’re on top of things and provide you with valuable data points that you can use to make informed decisions about your business. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses for each situation, so your co-managed IT provider must be flexible in how they can best match your preferred communication methods. Make sure to clearly understand the agreed-upon communication arrangement (including emergency protocols) before pushing forward with a formalized relationship.
An experienced co-managed IT provider can be a good partner for many businesses, but you have an even better relationship when you share similar values, missions, and goals. For example, an MSP focused on providing quality support will be a good fit for your business if you value customer satisfaction. Or, if you share the same commitment to innovation, you will be able to create new solutions to problems and explore new opportunities together. Furthermore, if you can find an external provider with similar passions or a commitment to like-minded outreach programs, you can power an even stronger co-management bond.
When deciding on a co-managed IT provider, it is critical to thoroughly research their experience to make sure they are the right MSP for your business. It is a good idea to consider the following:
Any business looking to outsource managed IT services should do their homework first, as their involvement dramatically impacts a company’s overall health. When selecting an MSP, ensure you fully understand their expertise, processes, strategies, response plans, and past projects. It is always a good idea to take a deep dive into their overall experience in your industry and to make sure that their expertise aligns with your future IT strategies so you can be assured they will be a great partner for the long haul.
Take your time with the due diligence process, as it will help ensure you select an MSP that is a good fit for your company and can provide the level of service you need to stay competitive.
Don’t forget to ask for referrals from other businesses or colleagues who have used an MSP in the past, especially in a co-management partnership. Getting a referral from someone you trust can be a great way to find a reputable and reliable company.
Another great way to determine whether an MSP is right for your business is to read reviews from other organizations that have used their services. Hearing first-hand accounts from actual customers can give you a good idea of what to expect from an MSP in a co-managed relationship.
Flexibility, scalability, and adaptability are three essential qualities of an MSP. After all, you want a partner that can grow with you as your business expands. But what do these terms really mean?
In short, you want a flexible, scalable, and adaptable MSP. With such a partner by your side in a co-managed IT relationship, you can rest assured that your business will be able to weather any storm.
When choosing an MSP to co-manage your IT, businesses have two main options: a local or national provider. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the one that delivers the most value to your business is important.
Until recently, these have been your choices — Local vs. National. However, some unique MSPs have recently started taking a hybrid approach to meet the changing needs of the industry. Through rapid organic growth and strategic acquisitions, some national players are starting to have a very local presence.
Ultimately, the best type of MSP for your business depends on your specific needs and what you value most in a co-management partner.
When selecting a partner to co-manage your IT infrastructure, you should find a provider that can work within your budget. Here are a few things to do before signing an agreement with an MSP:
When it comes to partnering with an MSP, there are a few things you should do first to make sure the relationship is a good fit for your business. One of the most important is auditing your financials and understanding what your business can afford. This will help you choose an MSP within your budget and avoid any financial surprises down the road. Additionally, taking a deep dive into your financials will give you a better understanding of your company’s IT needs and help you determine the appropriate scope of work for the relationship. By doing your homework up front, you can ensure that partnering with an MSP is a positive experience for you and your business.
When it comes to working with a quality MSP, honesty is the best policy – especially in regard to your budget. They need to know what tools and resources they can utilize to help you achieve your desired goals. If you’re not forthcoming about what you can afford from the beginning, they may recommend solutions that are out of your price range, and an excellent co-managed partnership fit can go up in flames before it even starts.
Once you’ve defined your needs and received co-managed IT proposals from MSPs, it’s time to compare pricing. While this seems like a simple comparison, providers can have very different pricing models. It is vital to pick the one that best suits your organization today while planning for flexibility based on altered circumstances. MSPs typically charge for their services in one of three ways: hourly, per project, or retainer.
Each pricing model has advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the one that makes the most sense for your business is essential.
Once you have solidified a co-management relationship with an MSP, it’s important to monitor the associated expenses over time and compare them against the cost of hiring additional in-house IT staff. Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as the level of expertise and support provided, but at the end of the day, it’s all about ensuring you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Working with an MSP in a co-managed IT services relationship is a great way to take your business to the next level, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Co-managed IT services relationships offer a versatile way for in-house IT teams to share management responsibility with a provider and lighten the workload for stretched-thin IT departments. It can also help organizations tap into new technologies and processes more quickly and efficiently. And because providers are typically more adept at managing change, a co-managed services relationship can help in-house teams stay ahead of the curve. If you do your homework before signing on the dotted line, you should be able to find a provider that is a good fit for both your needs and your budget. A co-managed IT services relationship ultimately offers many benefits for in-house teams and providers. When done right, it can help organizations improve efficiency, stay agile, and better manage change.
https://meriplex.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/What-is-managed-SD-WAN.jpg
1333
2000
Greg Allen
/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Meriplex-Logo-Full-Color.png
Greg Allen2023-03-20 18:52:062023-02-20 18:53:18What is Managed SD-WAN?
https://meriplex.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Oil-and-Gas-MSSP.jpeg
1500
2000
Greg Allen
/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Meriplex-Logo-Full-Color.png
Greg Allen2023-03-17 10:04:002023-02-07 22:07:49Managed Security Services for the Oil and Gas Industries
https://meriplex.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Manufacturing-MSSP.jpeg
1125
2000
Greg Allen
/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Meriplex-Logo-Full-Color.png
Greg Allen2023-03-15 09:30:002023-02-07 23:25:03Benefits of Managed Security Services for the Manufacturing Industry
