Co-managed IT services -- why your team needs an independent provider
In-house IT teams across every industry can face all manner of challenges and disruptions in their day-to-day processes. While technology is becoming more accessible and demystified, it is important to ensure that you have a team that understands emerging technology. Research from Sharp found that 63 percent of businesses lack critical technology knowledge that could help push their evolution further.
This is where co-managed IT services, which offer a collaborative approach to supporting your organization, can act as a solution. Offering a collaborative approach to IT support with external resources and expertise for managed IT, co-managed IT services can remove some of the strain your in-house team experiences. But what exactly can they assist with?
Expertise and specialist resources
When you partner with a co-managed IT services provider, you unlock expertise and specialized skills that you may not have had access to previously. Your in-house team will have knowledge that excels in certain areas but may not cover all the information necessary to address every question, query, and challenge effectively.
This is where co-managed IT services providers are useful, as they have a deep level of expertise in various technologies in several sectors. As a result, your team receives comprehensive support regardless of their query, issue, or requirement.
Flexible and scalable
Every business has different demands for their IT infrastructure which can vary throughout the year whether that’s due to requirements from the wider business, seasonal trends, or unexpected dilemmas. Having a co-managed IT services provider can help your organization obtain a level of flexibility previously unavailable to them.
This means that they’re able to scale the resources available for requirements of all sizes flexibly. Whether you’re expanding into new markets, supporting unexpected user influxes, or dealing with large-scale software updates. No matter the significance, co-managed IT allows for responsive and reactive processes.
24/7 support
IT services rely on being able to respond to disruptions of all scales to prevent extended periods of downtime. Not only can downtime have a significant effect on operations within businesses but can also have a knock-on impact on customer satisfaction.
Outsourcing monitoring and support to co-managed IT services can be a game-changer and a proactive approach. Using tools and resources, they can offer help 24/7, minimizing downtime while increasing system reliability and improving productivity. This puts the focus back on achieving your business goals rather than being concerned with possible disruptions.
Strategic planning
Co-managed IT service providers can also support with strategic guidance and planning ahead for your organization to achieve long-term goals. This can be done through thorough examination and assessment of the existing infrastructure to identify areas of improvement and offer advice.
These can range from innovative solutions such as the integration of more modern technology, automation, and optimizing spending to support operational efficiency. Co-managed service providers can also help build out IT roadmaps for the future, meaning that no matter how quickly the landscape of technology changes, your in-house team will be able to adapt fast and stay competitive.
Cost-effective
Partnering with a co-managed IT service can be a cost-effective way to achieve your operational goals. Using the resources and expertise of the provider means that the costs associated with recruitment, training, and retention of quality in-house employees are removed completely from the process, making it a more cost-effective alternative.
They can also offer flexible pricing models to truly optimize what you’re spending to get the services that you require. Overall, this can be a cost-saving solution to maintain and grow your digital infrastructure without straining your budget.
By offering a strategic partnership that works closely with existing in-house IT teams, co-managed IT services offer a level of assistance that can leverage the expertise and resources necessary to keep your business optimal. It also allows companies to build strategies for their future better, with the knowledge of what’s required and the flexibility to scale these projects.
Barry O'Donnell is the Chief Operating Officer at TSG, offering managed IT support in London, with expertise across a range of areas including Office 365, Dynamics 365, document management and business intelligence.