Co-Managed vs. Managed IT: Which Outsource Solution Suits Your Business?
All business owners recognize the importance of information technology. Beyond computers and the internet, IT functions as the backbone of every organization, improving efficiency, helping workers do their jobs and creating a platform for innovation.
Understanding the importance of IT isn’t the same as having a budget for a dedicated team, unfortunately. That’s where outsourced IT comes in: These teams operate mostly remotely – although they’re ready for in-person network improvements, consultations and more – to establish, expand or specialize your IT foundation.
They’re also flexible: They can be your IT department top to bottom, a virtual CIO or an always-on-call helpdesk. It’s up to you and however you envision their role.
As you contemplate this move, we cover the differences between managed and co-managed IT, their benefits and how they support your business’s goals:
Managed IT
What Is Managed IT?
Managed IT is the complete outsourcing of all operations to an external service, like QualityIP. The external provider oversees the company’s full IT infrastructure, including software selection, maintenance, strategy and cybersecurity.
Based on your business model, this entails top-to-bottom management of your IT operations, including:
- Day-to-day support, including an internal helpdesk or troubleshooting network outages.
- Full management of your company’s IT infrastructure, including network maintenance, performance, and monitoring.
- Cybersecurity, including scanning for and responding to network threats and routinely discussing improvements.
- Hardware and software management, from servers and data backup to selecting and updating software programs.
- Ongoing consulting to keep your business competitive and align IT with your operations.
The Benefits of Managed IT
Managed IT is ideal for businesses requiring comprehensive IT support: for example, small businesses, entirely remote or mobile operations, entrepreneurs or companies that solely focus on their core services.
This arrangement benefits your operations on multiple levels:
- Your external provider functions more as a collaborator rather than an in-house team that requires hands-on management.
- Managing IT is straightforward: The external provider builds out and assumes control of all IT and cybersecurity tasks, often functioning as a remote department.
- It’s a budget-friendly IT solution: You pay a monthly fee for daily management, cybersecurity response, updates and network expansion without paying for salaries and equipment.
- It’s more efficient for small businesses: External management eliminates having to hire and train new IT staff members.
- You can shift your strategy: Rather than dedicate time and funds to network management, you can shift your attention to your products and growth initiatives.
What We Do
QualityIP becomes your IT business partner, providing day-to-day network and performance management and pointing the way forward. We’ll work with you to design a custom strategy that could encompass cloud-based services, data management, network infrastructure, endpoint security and a 24/7 HelpDesk. Anytime you have a question, there’s a dedicated Technical Account Manager (TAM) ready to answer it.
Our managed IT services also aren’t once-and-done. As your operations expand, we’ll grow with you to account for new services, employees and locations.
While this approach benefits all types of businesses, you might be a contender for managed IT if:
- You don’t have the resources to hire an internal IT team: This might be a result of a slim, restricted budget or a stretched-thin HR department.
- You’re keeping operations lean: You’re directing your time, brainstorming, and workforce toward your core product, attracting new business, or managing customer or client relationships.
- You only informally manage IT – for example, selecting software or setting up the network – and recognize your knowledge has hit a limit. You might be unfamiliar with specific regulations or unable to keep on top of the latest cybersecurity tactics.
Co-Managed IT
What Is Co-Managed IT?
Co-managed IT supplements a business’s internal IT team with outside support. An external provider might simply offer more resources, could expand a company’s services or may be on call for select projects or times of the year. Or they offer specialties that complement your in-house capabilities.
Effective co-managed IT hinges on collaboration and clear definitions of internal and external responsibilities. This setup might look like:
- Your internal IT team focuses on more strategic tasks – like implementing new security measures or upgrading software. The external provider takes care of daily management, like helpdesk tickets, data backup and network monitoring.
- Or this relationship might be reversed. Your external provider may function as a project manager or virtual Chief Technology Officer (vCTO) or virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) to give your internal team direction and structure. Your full-time IT staff, meanwhile, handles ongoing network management and rapid-response tasks.
- You assign more passive responsibilities to your external provider while directing your in-house team members toward larger, growth-oriented projects – like aligning network infrastructure with company expansion or wider adoption of data analytics technologies.
- You recognize your internal team’s strengths and use your outsourced IT team to upgrade network infrastructure, select software or manage data.
Ultimately, co-managed IT is an adaptable, customizable IT solution that makes the most of your internal team’s talents, fully secures you against outside threats and gives you the flexibility to scale your operations.
The Benefits of Co-Managed IT
Once you define your arrangement, co-managed IT offers the following:
- More comprehensive and adaptable IT support that augments your operations, supports your growth and covers all bases.
- A mix of responsive, in-house support and ongoing external monitoring and data backup.
- More strategic allocation of your existing team: for example, in-house staff can devote their time to innovation projects instead of helpdesk tickets.
- A model that grows and can change with your business.
- Greater cost-effectiveness, especially for seasonal or project demands.
- A backup, always-on cybersecurity strategy that swiftly responds to intrusions, helps preserve your reputation and better protects company data.
- Faster response following a data breach or network failure.
- A more manageable workload for your in-house IT team.
- Access to a team of experts to influence or establish your company’s IT strategy.
- Reduced downtime and greater productivity.
What We Do
We’re your collaborator and offer an expansive suite that builds upon your existing capabilities. This relationship allows you to develop a more comprehensive IT strategy, fill existing gaps or adjust your services as needed.
Co-managed IT may better align with business goals in the following scenarios:
- You only have the resources to support a small in-house IT team.
- You’re scaling your IT services yet require ongoing support.
- You have a clear management and team hierarchy in place.
- You want a more specialized perspective for network management, data management or another IT service.
- You’re seeking a CTO or CIO but don’t have the funds to hire an internal executive.
- You require round-the-clock network monitoring.
- Your seasonal workload shifts, or you periodically take on more involved projects.
Ready to implement, expand, or supplement your IT strategy? At QualityIP, we not only get IT, but we do IT all. You might benefit from managed or co-managed IT or one of the following outsourced services:
- 24/7 HelpDesk: We provide fast, efficient and specialized remote IT support that keeps your business running smoothly – even after you’ve closed for the night. We’re here to troubleshoot hardware and software, address network outages and more. Just join a remote session.
- Virtual CIO/CISO: Give your IT department direction with customized IT strategies and roadmaps that align and scale with your operation.