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 partnership 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.
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:
Meriplex’s co-managed IT services can help your business. Schedule an appointment to find out how!
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 complement 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. Here are a few benefits a co-managed model can provide:
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 might face:
If you’ve decided co-managed IT is right for your enterprise, you’ll want to assess your current operations to help pick the right partner. This internal audit includes assessing strengths and weaknesses, setting departmental goals, and deciding what to outsource. With this knowledge in mind, you can better assess your MSP options based on the following criteria.
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. By following our guidance in this article, 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.
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