Managed Services

Co-Managed IT is NOT the Same as Managed IT

Enterprises that are looking to change the way that they manage technology generally have three options. The first is to manage all of their technology on their own with an internal IT department. The second is to work with a co-managed IT service provider to lessen the workload on your internal team through the use of outsourcing. The third is to rely wholly on a managed service provider, freeing your organization of the responsibility of managing IT solutions completely.

While co-managed IT is quite different from managed IT, there are several aspects of both that are similar, or the same outright. Here are eight of them. The following are the same for both co-managed IT and managed IT:

  • Downtime is eliminated and costs are reduced: With more eyes on your network, you’ll be less likely to encounter problems with your technology infrastructure. This means that expensive downtime is mitigated and you’ll spend less on repairing (or even replacing) hardware solutions.
  • Professional technicians with years of experience: By working with a managed IT provider in at least some capacity, your IT department gains access to valuable insight regarding how to best manage and maintain technology solutions. This is thanks to the years of dedication and proficiency attained by these managed IT providers due to years of practice.
  • Valuable insight into compliance and regulations: IT providers know how to best approach regulatory compliance requirements, like HIPAA, HITECH, PCI, and many more. The requirements change by industry, so it’s best to work with professionals, even if you have an internal IT department.
  • Less work for human resources and onboarding: Hiring new employees is tiresome, as you’ll undoubtedly spend valuable assets attracting qualified workers and adding new salaries to your budget; and that’s not even mentioning the exhaustive onboarding process. You wind up saving more in the long run by working with an IT provider.
  • There is always a team at the ready: One of the biggest advantages of working with an IT provider is that there will always be someone on-hand to assist with technology troubles–even after hours, depending on the service level agreement. For example, you can have someone monitoring your critical systems even when your technicians are out of the office.
  • Remote access makes maintenance easy: In the event that your network needs maintenance, remote access allows technicians to easily perform it without an on-site visit. This is great because it cuts downtime and allows for more efficient service on both ends, as most problems can be resolved without an on-site visit.
  • Help desk services allow for quick support: Have you ever been in a situation where your IT department simply doesn’t have time to answer every question that your staff might have about technology? A help desk solution allows your employees to put in tickets regarding their technology troubles, which are then processed and handled by your managed service provider. Giving them access to such a valuable solution helps them be more autonomous with their workflow and takes some of the pressure off of your internal IT department.
  • Vendor management is handled: Dealing with countless vendors for all of your software and hardware solutions can be tiresome, but a managed IT provider handles this responsibility for you, providing a single point of contact for all of your technology needs. This alleviates some of the headache of working with technology, as you won’t have to deal directly with vendors–all you have to do is reach out to the managed service provider.

Here is a brief chart explaining the differences between co-managed IT services and managed IT services. If nothing else, they showcase that managed IT is valuable in that it completely frees your enterprise from any technical obligations, allowing them to focus on other, more important tasks. On the other hand, if you’d rather work together with a managed service provider like IronEdge Group via a co-managed IT service, you can benefit from being more involved in the IT implementation process and take a more hands-on role in the management of your technology solutions.

Co-Managed IT Managed
Shared responsibility with in-house IT department Fully assumes the role of your IT department
More flexible to meet changing needs, adding new operations as needed Autonomous and requires less resources from the company
Frees up current IT staff for innovation Can act like a virtual CIO
Eliminates need to hire IT altogether

Possible Consumer Concerns
Of course, anything as ideal as managed IT services looks like it should have some downfalls. IronEdge Group is here to clear up some of the most common misconceptions about outsourced IT service, for both co-managed IT and fully managed IT.

  • Misconception 1: Outsourcing leads to a drop in customer service: Some organizations are under the impression that outsourcing their needs creates a lack of customer service, due to the task at hand being handled by someone who isn’t a part of their internal IT department. The exact opposite is true–since the nature of our relationship with our customers relies on transparency and clear-cut communications, we endeavor to provide the absolute best customer experience possible for our clients. It’s just like any other service, after all. By providing quality customer service, managed service providers cement brand loyalty and build relationships with clients that can’t be found elsewhere–particularly with break-fix IT providers, like big box retailers.
  • Misconception 2: You have to outsource to an offshore IT company: Enterprises will often look for outsourced IT, but only find offshore services from other countries. This can lead to discrepancies in operations, including time zone differences and language barriers. However, you don’t have to resort to offshore support if you want managed IT services. IronEdge Group is a United States-based managed service provider from Texas, and we want to help your enterprise flourish in its chosen industry.

Curious about the cost of managed IT services or ready to hand off the technology management responsibility to an expert managed service provider? At IronEdge, we believe in a solution that will safely, securely and reliably propel your business forward. Find out more here.

Ruben Lombrana