Augment Co-Managed IT Services

In co-managed IT, an organization partners with a managed services provider when its in-house IT staff doesn't have enought time to support the business needs or perhaps doesn't have the specialized technology skills to manage certain aspects of the IT environment. For example, an organization may outsource helpdesk support to it MSP, but handle IT projects with existing staff. Or, a business may use an MSP to manage cyberescurity and compliance needs while the internal staff focuses on daily support tickets. The advantages of this collaborative, hybrid approach is scale, flexibility and easy access to expertise without hiring.

The primary factor in determining if a co-managed model is a fit for your organization is the presence of an in-house IT person or team. While any company can use co-sourced IT services, this model is primarily leveraged by midsized to large companies with a significant IT environment already supported by an IT staff. 

While there are different ways to approach co-managed IT services, at Exigent we start by pairing co-managed IT clients with a skilled Technical Advisor who serves as your point of contact and oversees the operations handled by our team. Think of that person as your virtual IT co-director. From there, clients pick the right co-managed subscription service depending on their needs: infrastructure management, end user support, or workstation management.  

Flexiblity is the #1 advantage, however there are many benefits to the highly collaborative co-managed IT services model, includiing: 

• Retain control over IT operations
• Dependable, experienced IT support
• Technology services tailored to specific requirements
• Quick access to experts while you avoid hiring, onboarding, and training new staff
• Lighter workload for in-house IT staff
• Scalability support and service accelerates business growth
• Adopt new technologies more quickly
• Expertise with specialty solutions

With fully managed IT, an MSP such as Exigent handles all aspects of IT management, while co-managed IT allows your internal IT team to retain control over specific tasks. Our team provides additional support where needed in the flexible, co-sourced IT model.

Co-Managed IT is ideal for organizations that:

• Have an internal IT team but need additional expertise
• Want to offload time-consuming tasks like monitoring, patching, or helpdesk support
• Need expertise with complex solutions such as advanced cybersecurity
• Require backup support for IT staff to ensure 24/7 coverage

While co-sourced IT may not fit all organizations, those looking for flexible, scalable IT support to work alongside existing IT staff often find co-managed IT a valuable option.

We hear this concern a lot. The co-managed model is designed to support your internal team, not replace it. You define which roles stay internal and which areas Exigent covers. We stand by our mission: "we win when you do." Our goal is to make your internal team shine and to ensure leadership sees your impact, both operationally and strategically.

A reputable MSP providing co-managed IT services should share a documented service level agreement with your team, and be held to those delivery promises - just as you would expect to do with a fully managed services agreement. 
That said, we understand that many IT providers over-promise and under-deliver, making this a concern to potential co-managed clients. As part of The Exigent Method, every one of our clients gets a clear scope of services, documented deliverables, and frequent checkpoints. We ensure everyone understands what Exigent is responsible for, what your internal team handles, and what "success" looks like — and then we measure against those.

At Exigent, co-managed IT contracts use the same framework as our fully managed service agreements. We maintain stability via annual agreements but offer a 90-day worry-free guarantee so you can ensure we're meeting expectations. If something isn't working, we're committed to working through it with you — with corrective action plans, reevaluation of roles, or adaptation of service mix until things align.

A reputable MSP will adhere to industry cybersecurity standards and legal regulations. Since security is foundational to how we operate, Exigent adheres to industry standards, uses minimal privileged access, enforces strong audit logging, background checks on personnel, and encryption. Transparency is key: we share evidence of security protocols and include you in review processes. 

Not at all. Co-managed clients receive responsive service and support following the same SLAs as fully managed clients. We use experienced technical staff across the board, and your Technical Advisor remains a constant touchpoint to maintain continuity and accountability.

We design the co-managed partnership to reduce friction, not add it. In your onboarding, Exigent helps define roles, responsibilities, tools, and communication workflows so that oversight is streamlined. Your technical advisor plays a central role to ensure alignment. Our clients typically see faster project delivery and less time "managing the MSP" because we do the heavy lifting and align our processes with yours.