Supplementing Your In-House IT Team: When Co-Managed IT Is a Good Option

It takes many moving parts to run a business efficiently. One of those parts is a company’s information technology (IT) department. Many IT departments can handle a variety of technological issues in the workplace. However, some workloads can become too much or too complex for some IT departments to handle. This is where businesses can benefit from co-managed IT services.

Tekie Geek provides a wide variety of professional IT services to businesses in New York and New Jersey. Here, we talk about co-managed IT and how companies can utilize these services.

What Is Co-Managed IT?

Businesses using certain technologies often rely on their internal IT departments. IT professionals have skills and knowledge related to technologies and their processes. IT departments are responsible for fixing technological issues around a workplace and ensuring technology runs smoothly. They must also complete the following tasks:

Some companies (especially small-to-mid-sized ones) may have limited resources for their IT departments. For example, some departments have only one or two employees, while others may have 20. Co-managed IT can be ideal for businesses requiring support and assistance with their IT services.

Co-managed IT involves enlisting the help of an outsourced company to complete certain IT tasks around a workplace. Existing IT departments work alongside co-managed IT companies to achieve improved and efficient technological solutions. The goal is to maximize your existing office resources while gaining assistance with lacking areas.

How Does Co-Managed IT Work?

Some companies may rely on in-house IT specialists to complete technological work. Others may use an outsourced company to address all IT concerns. Many businesses believe they must choose one or the other to achieve efficient IT services. However, co-managed IT allows businesses to get the most from their current employees while outsourcing some of the IT work.

Companies use co-managed IT services to improve the worker experience and make the most out of their existing employees. For example, smaller IT departments may be able to handle minor technological problems. But when larger issues arise, the team is unable to remedy them or unsure how to deal with them. Some IT employees may not have the experience to complete all technological processes within a workplace.

Co-managed IT is ideal for small to large companies that cannot handle the workload required for IT services. It allows employees to focus on important tasks around the workplace while IT professionals handle the rest. Co-managed IT specialists are not there to replace your team but rather to highlight their strengths and give them opportunities to showcase them further.

Co-managed IT services are not one-size-fits-all, meaning each company requires different co-managed IT services to meet its unique needs. For example, some companies may need basic services, like managing data migrations, support desk, and updating software. Other companies may require more specialized services, particularly if they use cloud-based technologies. Companies can also find co-managed IT services focused on more specific technologies, like server security and HIPAA compliance.

Companies can also choose when they want co-managed IT services. Some companies may need consistent IT services, while others only need co-managed IT when serious issues arise. Businesses can pick how much or little their co-managed IT company is responsible for.

Benefits of Using Co-Managed IT Services

Co-managed IT services offer many benefits to those who enroll. For example, companies can avoid having to hire their own extensive, highly knowledgeable team. They can also streamline business processes, as they have the assistance of a whole IT team versus one IT team member handling all of a company’s IT issues.

The most notable benefit of having co-managed IT is that businesses can access specialized IT knowledge. Co-managed IT providers can assist with more challenging tasks, like establishing servers and creating programs. This access to knowledge can also help extend your employees’ skill sets and improve business processes.

When to Use Co-Managed IT

Businesses can determine if they need co-managed IT services by evaluating their current business and its processes. Hiring co-managed IT services can be ideal if your company wants to save money. This is especially true if your current team cannot keep up with the workload. By hiring a co-managed IT company, you won’t have to hire a full-time team to keep up with IT demands. Instead, companies outsource specific tasks.

Companies may also hire a co-managed IT company if they find it challenging to meet the demands of their workload. Some companies, especially smaller ones, may not have the volume of employees to keep up with IT workloads. In other cases, a company’s existing employees may have extensive knowledge of low-level tasks but do not have the experience to work on high-profile jobs. This is when hiring an outside IT company can benefit businesses.

When enrolling in co-managed IT services, it can be challenging to determine which processes to keep with your in-house team and which ones to send to outsourced IT companies. In-house tasks like cabling, technology installation, and managing software updates can stay with existing IT employees. However, you may want to consider outsourcing processes like managing servers, updating firewalls, and ensuring informational security on networks meet legal requirements.

Find Co-Managed IT Services at Tekie Geek

Tekie Geek offers technological assistance to businesses in New York and New Jersey. Companies find quality IT services with our team, as we evaluate much more than what’s on the surface of your IT strategy. We use modern techniques and processes to review each company’s current IT plan and craft ways to improve it. To learn more about our co-managed IT services, contact us today.