IT Services: Co-Managed or Fully Managed?

Definitions 

Co-Managed Services: When you’re getting co-managed IT services, it means that you’re looking to supplement your existing IT team. You might need to do this because your current team is overloaded, or they might not have the skills and/or experience to implement a service your company needs.   

Fully Managed Services: Fully managed services mean you’re putting all the responsibility for your company’s technical needs in the hands of the service you’re contracting. This can be a great option when you don’t have an internal IT department or if you don’t have the time to manage one. 

Co-Managed Services 

Pros 

Co-managed services allow you to have more control over everything that happens, as your staff will have a share of responsibility. This might mean your staff handles hardware issues and simple troubleshooting, while the contracted company handles network monitoring and any tickets your staff escalates. Though you get to make the final call on how responsibilities are sorted.  

Co-managed services can be great for companies that have an existing IT department. These services serve as an expansion to your current system, rather than a replacement. The IT company would take on part of the workload to ensure your current staff isn’t overloaded and that they have proper support when things get tough.  

Cons 

The downsides to co-managed services include taking on more responsibility and incurring higher internal costs. There also needs to be clear communication beforehand about what tasks belong to either side. Otherwise, response times might be delayed while the teams figure out who's responsible for troubleshooting. 

Finally, you’ll have to plan how your team will handle absences. With fully managed services, the company usually has enough staff to accommodate employee absences without interruption to your services. When you have co-managed services, you’ll need to accommodate your team’s absences. Luckily, the Silverlight Technology Group can create a custom package where we fill in for absences on your team. 

Fully Managed Services 

Pros 

With full-managed services, you’re able to focus on what’s important to your business and let your IT company handle the rest.  There will be fewer communication issues, and response times will be quicker as the IT company knows that each issue is in its domain to fix. Most companies also have sufficient staff members to ensure that there are no interruptions to your services, even in the event of employee absences. Another benefit is that you won’t be responsible for the continual training that comes with running an IT department.  

Cons  

The most evident issue with fully managed services is that you give up some level of control, as you’ll be working with contractors instead of direct employees. Service may feel less personal if you go with fully managed remote services, as you won’t always be interacting directly with your IT Team. 

A Brief Comparison 

	Co-Managed	Fully Managed
Level of Responsibility	High	Moderate-to-Low
Level of Direct Control	High	Moderate
Cost	Higher Internal Costs	Higher External Costs
Coverage	Will need to manage coverage for internal team absences	Unlikely to experience disruptions in service
General Education & Training	Will need to be provided to your internal team	Will be provided by the IT Company

Conclusion 

There are a lot of differences between the two kinds of services, and it’s up to you to decide which one is a better fit for your business. If you have a good understanding of your company’s technological needs, feel comfortable hiring technical professionals, or already have an internal IT team, then co-management might be the package for you.  

If you want that responsibility taken out of your hands and want one team to communicate with, then you might want to look into a full management package. Fortunately, no matter what you need, the Silverlight Technology Group is here to answer your questions and find a custom solution for you. Contact them today to schedule a consultation. 

Let us know about your experiences with co-managed or full services, and I’ll be back with a new topic soon. Stay supported!