Do you require a co-managed IT provider to increase your productivity?
- Are you facing specific IT challenges that hinder your operational efficiency?
- Are you looking to optimize your existing resources?
- What future projects or expansions do you have planned?
As your organization grows, so does your need to have access to cutting-edge technologies, a well-managed technology ecosystem, and the technical expertise you need to scale in the future.
Most organizations depend on their internal team to meet their high degree of IT service needs, but it is often difficult to see the changes required. This could be due to limited resources, lack of technical expertise, or the lack of tools and processes.
This is why many organizations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and across Northern Maryland are adopting co-managed services.
TREYSTA takes all of the IT worries and concerns squarely off of our shoulders and puts it all onto theirs. Anyone running a small business knows that they are being pulled in so many directions that it is virtually impossible to stay on top of everything. TREYSTA’s service response time is second to none which is invaluable to us. When the computers aren’t working, neither are we!”
What are Co-Managed IT Services?
Co-managed IT can be defined as a model that allows organizations to easily customize which IT services they can efficiently handle and which to outsource to an external partner. The idea is to enable businesses and administrators to combine the internal expertise and tools of in-house IT professionals with the experience and up-to-date resources of a provider. With this, your internal IT staff concentrates on the core services that grow your business while your external partner steps in to support where necessary.
Co-managed IT services are primarily about forging a partnership with an external provider to support, enhance and supplement the existing IT team in your organization.
TREYSTA technology management work closely with your internal IT department to achieve your business goals.
How Does Co-Managed IT Work?
Most organizations usually start out with a productive IT team, but things begin to change as the business grows, resulting in extra work for them to do. The increased workload typically leads to struggles as they try to keep up with daily operational needs.
To address the challenge, many organizations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, today are adopting the co-managed IT services approach. This involves three crucial steps:
- Evaluating the performance of the IT department, taking into consideration what skills, resources, and tools are needed.
- Establishing which services or resources are needed to meet the goals of your organization.
- Researching and selecting an external partner that can lighten your team’s workload and increase efficiency.
The co-managed IT needs of organizations vary from one to another. Still, the overall goal is that your IT department should be able to achieve more with fewer staff members at a cost below hiring new employees.
Who Uses Co-Managed IT Services?
Co-managed services are perfect for:
Understaffed or overworked internal IT departments:
Changes such as new projects, staff on vacation or leave, or spikes in tech demands can cause any team to become overworked. If you have a small IT team and they’re struggling to meet the demands of your business, co-managed IT services might be the perfect solution for you.
Business taking on a new project:
In some instances, many internal IT teams have no trouble meeting the needs of their organization until there’s a new project on the horizon that demands more than they can deliver. In such scenarios, managed IT services can help by working alongside your organization’s internal resources to maintain operations while focusing on the new project.
Businesses unable to hire additional IT staff:
The common response to an understaffed team is to hire more professionals, but this can increase overhead for any organization. Co-management is a cost-effective way to have professionals support your IT department since you will only pay for the specific services needed instead of paying the salaries of new staff members.
Enterprises that need to improve security:
With the rising spate of data breaches across the globe, many organizations in York, Pennsylvania, and across the world are putting in place measures to protect their network and data. Co-management provides an excellent opportunity to benefit from professionals’ expertise and advanced tools to monitor and strengthen your network and infrastructure. The external partner can also help avert potential downtime and prepare a disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity.
Situations where there’s a new gap:
Much like every other field, technology is dynamic, with different daily innovations. Thus, businesses looking to gain a competitive edge must stay abreast of the changes. This can be hard for in-house IT departments burdened with ensuring daily operations. Co-managed IT services provide access to the experience and knowledge of experts to supplement the knowledge gap to help your IT team serve your business better.
Pros and Cons of Co-Managed IT Services
Generally, managed IT services are a highly beneficial model for organizations, but it helps to have a broader perspective of its pros and cons.
Below are the attractions and drawbacks you need to know before subscribing to the approach.
Pros of Co-Managed IT Services
Reduced costs
Perhaps the biggest attraction to co-managed IT services is that it is cost-effective. Compared to the cost of onboarding new staff members, this model lets you save 45-70% of your costs on salaries alone. Plus, outsourcing services to an external provider means you won’t have to worry about purchasing or maintaining hardware and the regular costs of training your in-house professionals.
Increased security
Security breaches are becoming rampant like never before and getting increasingly sophisticated. Co-managed IT services can help fortify your current cybersecurity posture to reduce the risk of data breaches. Because you’re dealing with experts specialized in the field who are continually training, you can be sure that your business will be up-to-par with the best security standards.
On-demand resources
Organizations can benefit from co-managed IT services by choosing what services they need support on. You will be able to add or remove services as your needs change, giving you the much-needed flexibility to scale up or down instantly.
Immediate implementation
Subscribing to co-managed IT services means instantly implementing new strategies or projects that could otherwise have taken your in-house IT team days and weeks to execute. You don’t have to pause your regular operations waiting for implementation or worry about hiring and training new staff for a temporary project.
24/7 monitoring
Another advantage is that co-managed IT services providers are always available round-the-clock to attend to issues. Tech issues can occur at any time of the day, including outside of working hours. With an external provider, you won’t have to worry as they’re always available to handle issues that can potentially affect your business, thus improving up-time.
Less responsibility to manage
Another advantage of opting for co-managed IT services is that your in-house team will have fewer responsibilities to manage since specific services will be outsourced to an MSP. The real benefit here is that the experts have previously worked on several projects like yours, so their experience will aid smooth operations with minimal supervision.
Predictable budgeting
Many organizations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and worldwide spend a lot of money on unforeseen situations such as sudden computing problems or hardware issues requiring repairs or replacements. These unexpected expenses make financial planning difficult. But when you outsource to an external partner, you can now make predictable budgets and grow your organization.
Data compliance support
Data compliance is a hot subject as many governments and regulatory bodies require organizations to adhere to certain standards. There is a good chance that your internal IT professionals may be unable to ensure full compliance because they aren’t familiar with current compliances. An external partner typically includes experts who provide similar services to different organizations and can help ensure that you’re fully compliant.
Cons of Co-Managed IT Services
Compatibility issues
One of the challenges of partnering with a co-managed IT services provider is determining which provider is the right fit for your organization. It is essential to ensure that they have the skills, experience, and tools necessary to meet your skills.
Upfront fees
Once you have selected your partner, you will be required to pay the upfront fees before you can start enjoying their services. Fortunately, you can determine the number of fees to pay by selecting the resources you need.
Things to Look Out for When Selecting an IT Co-Management Partner
Now that you know the benefits of a co-management partner and you are looking to partner with one, here are things to look out for when choosing a partner.
Service model
- Contract details
- Included services
- Communication method
- Mission alignment
Experience
- Referrals
- Reviews
- Expertise
- Tools
Flexibility
- Official escalation process
- Time zones and impact on duties
Cost
As expected, the pricing of external partners varies. Before choosing a provider, keep in mind the costs of their offerings and your budget.
Contact Us for the Best Co-Managed IT Provider
in Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland
Undoubtedly, managing your own IT can be expensive, frustrating, and time-consuming. However, by choosing the right co-managed IT services partner, you can open your organization to the expertise of several subject matter experts without having to hire and pay benefits.
At TREYSTA, we have a team that can co-manage your IT needs and relieves your team of stress. Our team is highly experienced in all areas of IT services and will work with you every step of the way.
We keep our costs low while providing a reliable service that considers your company’s unique needs, which means we won’t charge any more than necessary. In fact, we guarantee that we can manage your entire infrastructure for less than what you would spend trying to do it yourself.
Let us evaluate your technology’s current state, suggest improvements, help you implement technology initiatives, and offer the support you need to maintain them. Call us today!
