Co-Managed IT
Backup for the
person you already have.
You have an IT person or small internal team. We work alongside them: cover for projects, after-hours, cybersecurity, Microsoft 365, escalations, and strategy. Same standards as full managed, without taking over.
What we typically cover
-
Cybersecurity uplift and monitoring: endpoint, identity, email, backups, Essential Eight alignment
-
Microsoft 365 and identity: configuration, security baseline, licensing optimisation
-
Project delivery: migrations, network upgrades, office moves, cloud uplift
-
Escalations: senior support for issues beyond your team’s capacity or specialisation
-
After-hours and holiday cover: so your team can take leave without IT becoming a bottleneck
-
Technology strategy and roadmap: vCIO / vCISO advisory for the strategic questions internal IT often doesn’t have time for
-
Vendor and procurement support: second-opinion calls before big purchases, licensing reviews, vendor coordination
Augment, don’t replace.
A capable internal IT person is genuinely valuable. They know your business, your people, and what’s sitting in the corner of the server room. The problem is they can’t cover everything: cybersecurity, projects, after-hours, M365 deep-dives, and strategic planning all pull at the same one or two staff.
Co-managed IT lets you keep what works - the internal relationship, fast desk-side support, business knowledge - and add the depth you don’t have on staff. We bring the security tooling, the senior escalation bench, the project capacity, and the second opinion when it matters.
We treat your internal IT as a peer, not a customer. Shared documentation, shared visibility, shared decisions. The shape of the engagement is up to you.
When it fits
Co-managed makes sense when…
Your IT team is one or two people
They’re great at what they do, but they can’t be the cybersecurity team, the project team, the M365 specialist, and the helpdesk all at once.
Cybersecurity is now a real conversation
Insurance, customers, or board are asking for evidence. Your internal IT doesn’t have time to build a full security practice on top of BAU.
Projects keep getting pushed
M365 migrations, SharePoint, office moves, security uplifts - all important, all delayed because there’s no time to scope, plan, and deliver them.
You need after-hours and holiday cover
Your team should be able to take leave. Outages don’t respect business hours. Co-managed cover gives both your team and the business a safety net.
You want a strategic second opinion
Before signing a five-year vendor commitment or buying a stack of licences, a senior outside view from someone who’s seen the alternatives is worth its weight.
Your IT person needs more depth or capacity
One person cannot do everything well. When cybersecurity, projects, and after-hours all compete for the same time, something gets dropped. Co-managed adds the depth and capacity without the cost of a second hire.
Common questions
Will your team go around our internal IT person?
No. Your internal IT remains the relationship owner. We share documentation, sit in the same support channels where it makes sense, and route work to whoever it makes sense for. The model is "your team plus us", not "us instead of your team".
Do staff submit tickets to us or to internal IT?
Usually to your internal IT first, and they escalate to us when needed. Some customers prefer a shared queue. We work with whatever fits your team. The important thing is one clear path for staff so requests don’t go missing in Teams DMs.
Is co-managed cheaper than fully managed?
It depends on scope. If we’re only covering cybersecurity tooling, M365 management, and after-hours escalations, the per-user cost is lower than fully-managed because the helpdesk load sits with your internal team. If we’re also taking on projects and BAU support spikes, it can be similar.
What if our IT person leaves?
Because we share documentation and monitoring from day one, we can step up to full coverage quickly if needed, or hold the fort while you hire a replacement. That continuity is one of the underrated reasons businesses go co-managed in the first place.
Can we trial it before committing?
Most engagements start with a defined first piece of work - usually a cybersecurity uplift, an M365 review, or a specific project - and a shorter initial term. If that goes well, the relationship scales. We’d rather earn the next phase than lock you in.
Want a hand without losing what works?
Tell us what your internal team owns today and where you’d like cover. We’ll work out the shape with you.
Get in Touch