Co-managed services vary by provider, but may be the ideal solution if your business doesn’t have adequate internal resources to manage your infrastructure. They include services like system monitoring and maintenance, incident management, system patches and upgrades. The co-managed model can lighten the burden of infrastructure management and free up your internal IT team so they can focus on strategic planning and bigger development projects.
If your team struggles with any of these three challenges, it’s likely an affordable co-managed IT partnership will improve your productivity and profitability.
- Shortage of Skills
Hiring in-house IT professionals with the skill set to meet all of your business needs is challenging and expensive. Hardware, software and security upkeep is becoming increasingly complex, and system management and maintenance increasingly labor-intensive. From cloud, server virtualization, network and data security to endpoint, analysis and forensics, the infrastructure you need to run a successful business requires a lot of time and expertise.
Co-managed IT is an effective solution when the traditional MSP model doesn’t feel like the right fit. You can customize your service level so your team gets the support they need without relinquishing total control.
- Security Concerns
Cyber threats are one of the major concerns for most businesses in 2017—and rightfully so. Protecting your data, network, hardware and software requires a commitment to continuous research on the latest malware and hacking trends. You need—but may not be able to afford—the financial or opportunity cost of round-the-clock monitoring. Even a highly-skilled staff has to prioritize projects and security threats, increasing the likelihood that hackers or malware can slip through easy-to-access cracks in your system.
A co-managed IT partnership will provide 24/7/365 monitoring, reinforcing your system with continuously updated anti-virus software and firewalls. A secure IT partner will often intercept threats before you even notice anything is wrong and protect your systems from after-hours hackers.
- Modest Budget
Even if you already have a stellar in-house IT professional or team, it can be tough to manage unplanned tech expenses. The buy-break-fix cycle can be as expensive as it is time-consuming. Haggling with vendors is exhausting, making it difficult to get the technology you need at a price that meets your budget. Recovering from disaster can be financially disastrous—that’s if your IT team has the resources it needs to do so in the first place.
Partnering with an MSP to co-manage your IT makes it easier to budget expenses. They’ll help you deal with vendors and forecast technology costs, so you aren’t stuck with astronomical emergency bills. You can choose a flat-rate service plan that suits your needs and finally take the guesswork out of budgeting. Contact us to learn more about which of your IT challenges are prime candidates for co-managed services.