Support In-house IT Staff with a Team of Certified Experts through Co-Managed IT Outsourcing Services
Businesses with internal IT staff often discover that their IT department is overwhelmed and overworked. Fortunately, there is an alternative to hiring additional team members with specialized skills. The term co-managed IT services references a strategic partnership between an in-house IT team and an outsourced managed IT service provider.
When a business engages with an IT firm for co-managed IT services, their internal IT team receives support from certified IT professionals with specialized expertise. These third-party IT experts have the resources and industry experience to effectively augment an internal IT department.
This article explains what co-managed IT services are and how they can bring an internal IT strategy to the next level.
What are Co-Managed IT Services?
The term co-managed IT services refers to providing supplemental technological services to businesses that already have internal IT staff. As technology continues to evolve, many businesses reach a point where they outgrow the expertise and/or bandwidth of their internal IT staff.
An alternative to hiring additional IT personnel is to engage with an IT firm that offers co-managed services. These services can include strategic planning, monitoring solutions, Managed IT services, personnel, and additional solutions.
The Limitations of an Internal IT Department
While an in-house IT staff has its merits, there are also many challenges. Business leaders often run into the following issues with their IT personnel:
- IT staff feel overwhelmed & overworked
- Specialized projects present difficult challenges
- Employees suffer when IT staff are unavailable and/or out of the office
- There are some elements of the organization’s IT environment that are out of the expertise scope of internal IT staff, especially when it comes to modern cloud computing and Cybersecurity
- Complex support tickets are not resolved immediately
- Adoption of modern computing solutions is incredibly challenging
With the way technology is advancing, every business now faces the difficult challenge of employing or outsourcing consistent IT professionals to sustain their organization.
Co-Managed IT Services Explained
Co-Managed IT Service Providers generally offer a fully customizable solution-stack dependent on a businesses’ requirements. This type of solution offers the flexibility to support their internal IT staff with a team of outsourced professionals, and modern computing solutions.
Think of Co-Managed Services as outsourcing the weaknesses of an internal IT department. Every organization is different. One might only want to outsource a specialized component of their IT team or a specific set of services. One popular use of Co-Managed IT Services is to outsource Cybersecurity Services. Given that there has been a drastic increase in cybercrime recently, a business might want to consider these services:
- Vulnerability Scanning
- Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
- MFA (Multi Factor Authentication)
- Email Security & SPAM Filtering
- Cybersecurity Awareness Training for your employees
- Microsoft 365 Security Consulting
3 Common Signs it is Time to Outsource an Organization’s IT Department
Knowing when the time is right to outsource is key. Here are three common signs that an overworked IT staff could use some assistance:
1. Your IT Staff is Burnt Out
In April of 2019, the World Health Organization distinguished burnout as a legitimate occupational phenomenon. Burnout is a stress-related issue that can impact employees across any department. IT is often hardest hit with feelings of extreme overwhelm.
Because IT is such a fast-paced and ever-evolving industry, tech pros can slip into cynicism about their roles. Technology changes so frequently that professionals often feel like they are treading water.
Their roles are so complex that day-to-day tasks often fall to the wayside. Responsibilities expand with each new employee, technology, and update. They are expected to do more with limited resources.
If an IT staff has trouble responding & resolving service tickets in a timely matter or seem to be jaded by their roles, then it might be time to consider a Co-Managed IT Service.
2. Implementing Special Projects is Challenging
Another sign that an internal IT staff could use some support comes down to a lack of expertise, especially when it comes to implementing special projects. Business strategies, and the technological solutions available are ever-changing. Internal IT staff are bound to come up against a special project that is beyond their capabilities.
Co-Managed IT Services can provide a wide range of experience and a depth of knowledge that empowers a business to accomplish any objective. Common special projects can include:
- Network Infrastructure Upgrades
- Server Upgrades
- Deployment of Managed IT Services
- Vulnerability Scanning for Compliance Purposes
- Microsoft 365 Migrations & Implementations
- Internet & Telecommunications Upgrades
- Cloud/Modern Computing Migrations & Implementations
A Co-Managed IT Service can afford an internal IT team the ability to plan, implement, and maintain key technologies that can fuel an organization’s growth, and technological sophistication.
3. Cybersecurity Strategy is Lacking
One of the biggest reasons an IT department might be overworked is cybercrime & the mitigation of modern cyberthreats. Rates of cybercrime are skyrocketing. Hackers grow more advanced in their tactics with every passing day. The pressure to implement and maintain a secure network is enough to drive anyone into overwhelm.
Most IT staff will likely have an IT Security plan in place, but the truth is that cybersecurity requires a layered approach. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to protect your business from all cyberthreats. A solid cybersecurity plan will include:
- Staff Cybersecurity Awareness Training
- Phishing Attack Simulations
- Email Security & Encryption
- Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR, Next-Generation Anti-Virus)
- Cloud DNS Web Filtering
- Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
- Security Patching & Management
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Implementing & maintaining these modern cybersecurity solutions requires access to resources, experience & expertise. Given this information, an outsourced Co-Managed IT Service provider is best suited to help develop your company’s formal cybersecurity plan.
Benefits of Co-Managed IT Services
10 reasons to outsource your IT department:
Staffing Resources
A common pain-point for business leaders is managing their IT personnel. When IT staff is out of the office or unavailable, it is easy to determine that it takes a team to support & manage an organization’s IT operations efficiently. A major benefit of Co-Managed IT Services is the additional “hands on deck” when needed most.
Cost Effective
Regardless of industry, a cost-effective IT Support solution is crucial to an organization’s success. A Co-Managed IT service can offer the flexibility to bring on additional IT support resources when required most, and the client will only pay for services delivered.
Technical Expertise
IT is a complex landscape that grows more challenging by the minute. It is impossible for any single IT professional to know everything. A Co-Managed IT Service can provide on-demand access to certified experts who are equipped to handle the most complicated IT challenges.
Security, Backups & Disaster Recovery
As cybersecurity threats grow increasingly more sophisticated, securing an IT environment can be a complex undertaking. A Co-Managed IT Service will work with an organization’s internal IT team to:
- Mitigate Network Vulnerabilities
- Proactively Monitor the IT Environment
- Ensure a Backup & Disaster Recovery Solution Adheres to Specific Business Requirements
- Disaster Recovery Simulations
- Implement a Business Continuity Plan
Special Projects
Most organizations are sitting on special projects that their IT team just cannot handle. A Co-Managed IT Service can assist with executing complex & specialized IT projects. Co-Managed IT Solutions can also offer end-to-end IT Services from end user support to a complete systems & network redesign.
Productivity & Efficiency
Imagine what a business could achieve if technical issues were resolved quickly and more efficiently. Co-Managed IT Solutions can provide staff with the IT support needed to complete their work most efficiently.
Compliance & Security
Businesses in specialized industries are often required to maintain regulatory compliance. These regulations change frequently which require the expertise and resources of professionals to execute properly. A Co-Managed IT Service can advise and execute these unique regulations to keep a company fully compliant.
Additional Bandwidth
Most in-house IT staff are bombarded with daily tickets and end-user emergencies. They often do not have enough hours in the day to address all the issues a modern organization faces. Co-Managed IT services can instantly take the pressure off an overworked IT staff.
IT Strategy
An IT infrastructure is only as strong as its strategy. With two teams working together to achieve the goals of the business, there is collaboration on critical components of the IT environment. Together, the two teams will develop a personalized stack of IT services & solutions to adhere to the needs & requirements of a business.
24/7 Helpdesk
A quality Co-Managed IT Service Provider will offer a 24/7 helpdesk. Call anytime, day or night. Rely on an experienced IT Support team to assist with resolving all your technical matters, regardless of time or complexity.
NOYNIM IT Solutions
When a business engages an IT firm like NOYNIM IT Solutions for Co-Managed IT Services, their internal IT team will receive additional support from a team of certified IT professionals with specialized expertise, who have access to additional Managed IT Services that can fuel their company’s growth.
At NOYNIM, we offer comprehensive & completely customizable Co-Managed IT Services. NOYNIM was founded on the belief that all businesses deserve the same centralized support capabilities as large corporations, but at a fraction of the cost. Our goal is to perpetuate the growth of our clients while supporting them as their outsourced IT department.
NOYNIM offers Co-Managed IT Services in Denver, Ft. Collins, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. We also service clients nationwide.