Keeping your infrastructure running smoothly is complicated. It requires implementing the right technology, performing scheduled updates, renewing leases, monitoring, and more. Then, there’s the strategy side, which includes budgeting, planning for the future, and aligning IT with your business goals.
Add troubleshooting technical issues to the mix, and that’s a lot of work to put on one, two, or even a handful of employees. It’s only natural for your IT needs to grow alongside your business. If you’re not careful, incoming IT projects could end up outpacing the bandwidth of your IT department. If your in-house IT staff needs help, support them with co-managed IT services.
What Are Co-Managed IT Services?
Also known as hybrid managed IT or staff augmentation, co-managed IT services are an outsourced solution offered by a managed services provider (MSP). Similar to managed IT support services, staff augmentation delivers IT assistance as needed. However, unlike managed IT, co-managed IT services aren’t designed to take complete control over the management of your infrastructure—they supplement your existing department instead.
How Do Co-Managed IT Services Work?
Co-managed IT services work by acting as an extension of your team. While your internal department focuses on the most critical assignments, the co-managed team helps with tasks your in-house staff can’t do independently or doesn’t have the time to complete. They work together with your internal IT services to ensure employees are never overwhelmed.
When you use co-managed IT services, you can tell your MSP about the skills, experience, and number of technicians you need for your project. Your vendor can then match you with technicians that fit your qualifications. All you need to do is integrate the contracted IT specialists with your team so they can hit the ground running.
When Should Co-Managed IT Services Be Used?
Co-managed IT is a very popular business solution for good reason. Its versatility allows you to use the service for a variety of purposes. Here are some situations where it can be applied:
- You need to hire new team members, but newcomers lack experience and expertise.
- Your existing IT department is overwhelmed and has limited resources.
- You know you need more IT specialists, but you don’t have the budget.
- You have a short-term IT project but don’t want your staff to waste too much time on it.
- You need an objective opinion on an IT project or the state of your infrastructure.
- You need a technician with a particular skill set, but no one on your internal team has that skill.
If any of the listed reasons for wanting to hire co-managed IT services seem familiar, it may be time to start looking for a provider.
In an era of unprecedented technology growth, internal IT teams can’t be expected to handle the number of new and emerging responsibilities. Turn to BL King Consulting’s co-managed IT services today to scale your business’s IT requirements effectively.
7 Benefits of Co-Managed IT Services
Co-managed IT services have many benefits, including choosing the experts you want to work with, picking how many you want to join your team, and deciding for how long. Other benefits include:
- No Legal Liability: You are legally liable for every employee you hire. That means you are responsible for their taxes, payroll, benefits, and more. When you use co-managed IT services, the MSP acts as the official employer of the contractors.
- Increased Security: Bringing on professional IT members strengthens cybersecurity with continuous monitoring, threat detection, and proactive security measures.
- Customization: Co-managed IT services are entirely customizable. Having IT solutions that align with your specific business goals and requirements means that the responsibilities of your provider are always tailored to your liking.
- Improved Employee Morale: Taking some of the workload off your existing IT team and handing it off to seasoned professionals can result in happier, more productive staff members. It also provides peace of mind knowing that the work being redistributed is in good hands.
- Cost Efficiency: Co-managed IT services are a cost-effective solution compared to hiring and maintaining an in-house IT team. This helps you manage budget constraints effectively and results in cost savings that can be reallocated.
- Scalability: Staff augmentation allows you to adapt quickly when an IT project expands or is too big for the in-house team to handle. This way, your internal IT team can take on long-term projects without fear of excess resources when it ends.
- Variety of Expertise: An MSP can provide technicians with various skill sets to tackle problems your internal team may not be capable of handling.
While the benefits of co-managed IT services are undeniable, they’re only as helpful as the provider you work with. When you’re looking for an IT company you can trust to co-manage your IT network, consider BL King Consulting.
Start Supporting Your IT Department With BL King Consulting
Even if you already have an internal IT team, letting BL King boost its capabilities with co-managed IT services can improve the work environment. We offer a distinct approach through tailored co-managed IT services that seamlessly integrate with your existing internal IT team. Our collaborative IT partnership enhances productivity, minimizes the cost of downtime, and elevates security measures. Dedicated experts are ready to bring their wealth of knowledge and innovation to your IT department, working hand in hand with your team to address challenges and seize opportunities.
With BL King Consulting as your co-managed partner, you can confidently navigate the complexities of the modern IT landscape, ensuring your technology ecosystem is optimized and fortified against potential threats.
Our team is dedicated to providing superb co-managed services you won’t find anywhere else. Contact us today to learn more and get started.
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