Your company’s ability to embrace new trends and withstand emerging challenges traces back to your digital strategy and your IT team’s contribution. However, as your business grows and its needs diversify, the mounting pressure on your in-house IT team gradually becomes overwhelming. In a world where staffing grows more difficult by the day, re-evaluating your digital strategy and staffing needs is an important conversation for all relevant departments across your organization.
Co-managed teams have only seen a higher demand amidst the growing remote working culture rekindled in the great reset; yet their contribution to agile, scalable, and expert business IT solutions has never been greater. In this article, we highlight the benefits of outsourcing IT to a co-managed service for small and medium-sized businesses.
Key Takeaways
- Co-management is a partnership between your in-house IT team and an external IT services provider, combining the strengths of both to deliver comprehensive IT support.
- Outsourcing technical, routine tasks to a co-managed IT service ramps up your operational efficiency. In-house teams working side by side with outsourced teams experience greater productivity and efficiency.
- Collaboration with a managed services provider in Boston can boost your in-house team’s performance in the delivery of specialized expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, business continuity and disaster recovery, and cloud management.
Top 5 Benefits of Co-Managed IT for Your Business
At the very minimum, a co-managed IT team supplements your in-house team’s capacity while they focus on tasks that require deep knowledge about your company. In so doing, your internal IT team draws a wealth of experience and expertise that they may not possess, as both teams maintain clear sight of the business’s objectives.
Here are the top five benefits of co-managed IT services:
1. Enhanced Cybersecurity
One of the most important key focus areas of modern business operations is the security of its IT infrastructure. However, staying ahead of emerging and more advanced AI-powered threats presents a challenge to your in-house team, who are constantly distraught by routine IT tasks.
As masters of their craft, security-first managed IT providers bring an arsenal of tools dedicated to tracking down new cybersecurity challenges, down to the lesser-known viruses, ransomware, and phishing tactics. Additional processes that aid the creation of a well-rounded cybersecurity posture include:
- Regular security risk assessment
- Penetration testing
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Security awareness training
This level of dedication to cybersecurity arms a co-managed team with the right tools to keep your sensitive business data safe and comply with regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS, among others.
2. Better Preparation for Disaster with Comprehensive Disaster and Recovery Planning
The unprecedented rise in natural disasters alongside cybersecurity threats mandates that critical data be backed up regularly. Copies of vital data can be stored on the cloud, remote locations, or physical storage devices within the organization.
In fortifying their data backup and disaster recovery strategy, businesses turn to the expertise of a co-managed IT services provider. A managed IT services provider identifies potential vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure by conducting regular disaster recovery drills and simulations.
Only then, can they create a comprehensive contingency plan for prompt system restoration in the event of a disaster. Your co-managed IT services partner will also aid in setting up clear communication lines in the event of a disaster to facilitate essential services throughout the disaster.
3. Balanced IT Budget and Cost Reduction
We live in a time where economic uncertainty, inflation, and financial crises have become commonplace. Small businesses are constantly exposed to the greatest financial risks, leaving no room for the misallocation of your IT budget. Each tech investment must be justified and resources must be allocated where they’re needed to minimize wastage.
Thankfully, outsourcing your IT needs to a managed partner comes at a reasonable cost, considering the high costs of hiring and maintaining additional staff.
Additionally, co-managed IT services come in flexible payment options that closely match your business needs. Flat-fee providers offer extensive support and no hidden costs while pay-as-you-go teams help your team for a limited time period. By taking advantage of these alternatives, you can ensure that funds are allocated where they can deliver the most value, ultimately enhancing your IT capabilities and driving business growth.
Welsh’s co-managed IT team are not just IT experts – they’re also business consultants with a wealth of experience in accurately identifying your business needs and potential cost savings opportunities.
4. Enhanced Team Capabilities
Complex IT responsibilities in cybersecurity, cloud management, and infrastructure management demand intrinsic experience and expertise. Unfortunately, this experience may not be available in-house.
Partnering with an external managed IT service can expand your in-house IT team’s capabilities and expertise; your team can tap into a wider range of skills and knowledge, enabling them to handle more complex projects. This partnership not only supplements your team’s existing skills but also provides access to tools and resources that may have previously been inaccessible.
5. Increased Operational Efficiency
Co-managed IT allows you to offload routine tasks, such as monitoring, maintenance, and data analytics to a team of experts, freeing up your in-house IT staff to focus on what they do best.
With access to additional resources and specialized skills, your team can take on a diverse range of workloads more efficiently – and respond to IT issues with greater agility.
Why Co-managed IT Services?
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find in-house IT teams augmented with external consultants and contractors to cover a diverse portfolio of challenges akin to the business.
The success behind this approach lies in the effective distribution of IT tasks; specifically, the tedious IT duties that deviate focus on delivering high-quality products and services and maintaining good relationships with your customers, vendors, and partners.
Still, co-managed IT services are not suited for every business case application. To determine whether you need co-managed IT services, see if you meet the following criteria:
- An unprecedented rise of security incidents alongside increased critical IT infrastructure challenges – Steady attacks, unresponsive printers, slow networks, and broken VoIP systems, are all signs that your in-house IT team could be overwhelmed and needs support.
- Fatigued IT staff and a high turnover rate – Overworked IT staff often have their work schedules going into late night and even weekends. Eventually, this leads to burnout and forces productive staff to depart your company.
- A widening skills gap – In-house IT specialists often bear superb credentials in their specific line of work. When issues beyond their training strike at your business, a co-managed team with broader experience and expertise can be called in to subside the matter swiftly and cost-effectively.
- Insufficient response to IT issues – Time is key when reacting to developing incidents. When your in-house team can’t seem to respond swiftly and issues keep piling up, it’s a clear call for more resources to be pumped to the cause.
Growing businesses, too, need adequate support as their operations scale up. Co-managed IT teams, in this case, are strategic partners, fuelling growth with the right mix of solutions and expertise.
Conclusion
Co-managed IT services are an indispensable asset for small and medium-sized businesses looking to maintain the good health of their information systems without greater costs in the long run. By partnering with a co-managed IT provider, your team can tap into advanced technology and support to drive growth and success for your business. It’s a win-win solution that allows your in-house team to thrive and excel in their roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do co-managed IT services impact the company’s overall culture and team dynamics?
Co-managed IT services can positively impact your company’s overall culture and team dynamics by providing additional support, expertise, and resources. Eventually, this creates a collaborative culture that fosters individual development and growth, and a more efficient and cohesive IT environment.
What are some common challenges companies face when integrating co-managed IT services with their in-house IT team?
When integrating co-managed IT services with your in-house team, there is an inherent risk of conflict between your internal team’s working methods and those of your IT partner. This is further escalated by communication gaps within both teams. To overcome these obstacles, set clear objectives, and expectations from the get-go.
Can co-managed IT services help in-house IT teams with professional development and skill enhancement?
Absolutely! Co-managed IT services can help your in-house IT team with professional development and skill enhancement. By working together, your team can stay updated with the latest technology trends and improve the quality of their service.
How do co-managed IT services affect the decision-making process within the IT department?
Co-managed IT enables your IT department to make informed, strategic decisions that align with your company’s interests. As your strategic partners, co-managed IT teams shed light on specific issues your company faces so more resources can be channeled where they’re needed the most.
What are some best practices for effectively collaborating and communicating between the in-house IT team and the co-managed IT services provider?
To facilitate fluid communication with your co-managed IT services provider, establish specific goals for the collaboration and highlight their responsibilities. Maintain open lines of communication, and regularly review performance. Encourage teamwork and seek feedback to improve the partnership.
