How to Get Started with Co-Managed IT

For managed service providers (MSPs) looking to grow their business or take advantage of new revenue streams, consider co-managed IT services. MSPs who are used to serving any and all IT needs for their clients can broaden their service offering with co-managed IT services, which is when an MSP teams up with an internal IT team to achieve its IT goals.

With a co-managed IT offering, MSPs can broaden their target market beyond businesses who fully outsource their IT needs and complement the skills of a business’s internal IT team. For example, a business may have internal IT staff to manage day-to-day IT needs like workstation troubleshooting but lean on the MSP for a business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) strategy or management of their cloud productivity services, such as Microsoft or Google.

What MSPs say about co-managed IT

We spoke with MSPs around the world–from Florida to Australia to the UK–to get their perspectives on co-managed IT, how they approach it with prospective clients, and the value it brings to their business. Here are some highlights from the insights they shared.

“Co-managed IT allows MSPs to access more clients. We no longer have to see a company with an internal IT department as off-limits to our services. Trust needs to be built up so that they see that we are not ‘after their jobs’. We are there to provide overflow services, and services their staff may not be trained or don’t have time to provide.”
- Tim Taylor, Owner, TaylorWorks

“In a co-managed model, you have to be more than just a vendor and offer something beyond what their internal IT team can, you become part of their team—an extension. You have to let go of the ego and work alongside their team. It’s also important to be kind and offer a high level of professionalism.”
- Karen Giles, Syntech IT

“To make a co-managed IT partnership successful, you have to take the best of what you do as an MSP and allow the internal team to be the best they can be. Stay focused on the service agreement you’ve made with the client and be clear about how you can accommodate their existing investment and grow with them.”
- Adam Warren, Aabyss

For MSPs looking to venture into the world of co-managed IT, take a look at our eBook, The MSP’s Guide to Co-Managed IT to learn tips for getting started with a co-managed IT offering, the benefits both MSPs and SMBs experience with a co-managed IT relationship, and the technology needed to provide effective co-managed services.