Why You Need Co-Managed IT Services for Your Business
Many organizations are realizing more and more just how integral IT services are becoming to their daily operations. In the past, IT might have just been a small group that did troubleshooting on common computer problems; but today, entire groups and divisions rely on an IT team to set up infrastructures, maintain communication systems, and troubleshoot complex issues.
As important as they may be, paying for the cost of in-house IT solutions can get very expensive for many companies, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. One solution that many are turning to is to co-manage their IT needs with an IT solutions company—which refers to a collaborative effort between in-house IT and outsourced professionals. Read on to find out some of the advantages of co-managed IT services as compared to traditional IT service models.
Advantages of a Co-Managed IT Service
Streamlined and More Competent Workforce
If your business places a great demand on IT to keep moving quickly and with flexibility, then you might not have time for individuals who are still learning the ropes to be guided by more experienced staff.
By streamlining your employees and pairing them with experts from an outsourced IT company, you’ll have a team that can provide your business with the support you need at any time. Both teams will be competent and have different sources of talent to solve issues that are unfamiliar to one party or the other.
Customized Services
A co-managed strategy affords you more flexibility with custom-tailored IT plans, and how your co-managed IT strategies move forward needs to be agreed on by both parties. Being able to haggle in the process could lead to getting the full benefits of a standard cloud plan for a much lower price.
IT Services Provided Around the Clock
IT never stops for most businesses, so having services around the clock is important to keep the gears turning. If you were to keep your in-house IT staff working overtime or doing night shifts, then you’d end up paying much more! By co-managing your IT services, you can assign night shift troubleshooting services to your partner, who will ensure that your infrastructure and connection are running smoothly all throughout the night.
Access to Better Equipment
Investing in equipment for IT can be extremely expensive if your company decides to offer these services in-house. By partnering with an IT service provider, you could opt to pay a monthly fee to use their infrastructure rather than messing around with servers, routers, and the like.
Though you have less control, a co-managed plan balances out the need to outsource infrastructure and the management of company records. Co-managed plans are also more affordable because of the split responsibility: while you do the legwork, they grant you access to more advanced technology.
Better Security
Many people will argue over the security of cloud versus keeping everything on in-house servers. This will depend entirely on the expertise of the team you have managing your security. However, if you feel that completely outsourcing your security over to another IT company is compromising some of your privacy and security, then a co-managed option is the most beneficial for your business security.
This works because you, as a business owner, have a greater level of influence on how to manage your IT. Everything that’s absolutely essential for your security can be managed in-house, with your service provider taking care of the next levels of security required. By establishing layers of protection, data intrusion and unauthorized is much less likely.
Conclusion
While IT services are becoming more important than ever, there are more affordable and effective ways to get their benefits than nurturing your own fully-blown IT team in your company. Keeping key individuals who can manage your IT system’s core while partnering with a solutions provider will yield superior results without relinquishing control over your data, security, and processes. If you are aiming to let your team focus on strategy and have someone take care of the day-to-day operations, then a co-managed IT service strategy might just work for you.
Are you looking for a provider of co-managed IT services? Here at Bracer Systems, Inc., we specialize in providing enterprise-level IT service solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in Alberta, Canada. We do this while remaining transparent, trustworthy, and vendor agnostic. Contact us to know how our services can help your business today!