Real Talk: Why IT Leaders Push Back on Co-Managed IT

After nearly three decades of running a Managed Service Provider (MSP), I recently took a step I had only dabbled in previously. I got active on Reddit. Not to sell or to pitch, but to listen.

I've spent my career working with IT managers and CIOs across small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, and even some large enterprises. Many of them have adopted co-managed IT services, where we partner with our clients' internal technology staff to provide supplemental support, including specialized skills and after-hours assistance. We have built collaborative, effective partnerships with internal IT teams with clients in New York, New Jersey, Denver, and LA.

Throughout the years, I've also met IT leaders who want nothing to do with the co-sourced IT model, and I wanted to understand why. That led me to post this question in the r/ITManagers subreddit:

👉 If You're a "Hard NO" on Co-Managed IT, I'd Love to Hear Why

The responses? Blunt, unfiltered, and deeply insightful. Below are some of the most compelling objections, along with my sincere responses.

Key Takeaways

• Co‑managed IT amplifies internal IT team effectiveness—filling skills gaps and providing after‑hours support while letting your team remain in control.

• Trust matters:  Not all MSP models work. Successful partnership depends on long‑term alignment, experienced senior engineers, and consistent execution.

• Co‑managed IT is built for collaboration, not replacement—it avoids headcount concerns and supports strategic leadership visibility.

The co-managed IT model isn't perfect, so I'm the first to admit some skepticism is warranted.

Co-Managed IT Objection #1: You're Not the MSP's Top Priority

"For every good MSP, there are five shifty ones. You get locked into long-term static contracts and lose the ability to pivot. You're not their #1 priority."

My Response: You're not wrong, and that's the problem. Too many MSPs chase growth, not trust. At Exigent, we've been in business since the late '90s because we focus on the long game. 

Our co-managed IT services support your internal staff by working collaboratively with different departments to ensure proper resource allocation and effective management. Your IT department is supplemented to fill skills gaps and improve efficiency, allowing your team to focus on strategic initiatives. 

We back you up when you're stretched thin. Our best co-managed clients? They used to be employees who left for in-house IT roles and called us when they needed help again.

Co-Managed IT Objection #2: The C-Suite Might Cut Internal IT Staff

"It opens the door for the C-suite to cut internal IT in favor of the MSP."

My Response: This is a real fear, and sadly, not unfounded. Some MSPs pitch themselves as full replacements. But we've never been in the business of cannibalizing our partners. 

Co-managed IT allows your IT department to retain full control over critical functions while leveraging external expertise as needed. We win when you do. Our goal is to make you look good, not redundant.

Co-Managed IT Objection #3: Overpromised, Underdelivered

"Managed Service Provider salespeople promise the moon and deliver a box of rocks. They don't understand our IT environment. They oversell and pray we don't need the support they sold us."

My Response: I've seen this. I've competed against it, in some of the most competitive markets in the entire country: NJ, NYC, Denver, and Los Angeles. Early in my career, I might've pitched a little too hard myself. But we've learned that co-managed IT isn't about packaging; it's about execution. We don't bet on you not calling. We build our model assuming you will, and we're ready for it.

Co-Managed IT Objection #4: The A-Team Vanishes After the Sale

"The smart systems engineer you met in the sales process disappears. You're left with underqualified techs who slow everything down."

My Response: The "bait-and-switch" is one of the worst offenses an MSP can commit. At Exigent, our pre-sales engineers stick around. Our senior techs stay engaged. Our support personnel bring advanced expertise and technical knowledge to every interaction, so you know you're receiving high-quality service at all times.

You get real help, not someone learning on the job at your expense.

Co-Managed IT Objection #5: Lose Either Way

"If the MSP does well, I risk losing headcount. If they do poorly, I have to burn time and political capital evicting them. There's no win-win."

My Response: Exigent's co-managed IT leverages both internal and external resources to deliver solutions that are aligned with your organization's goals. We're here to amplify, not replace. 

If your leadership doesn't see your value because you brought us in, that's a leadership problem, not yours. And we'll support you in protecting your role.

Co-Managed IT Objection #6: More Work Than It's Worth

"I spend more time managing the MSP and building work packages than if I just did it myself. They don't share my vision, and they optimize for profit, not value."

My Response: If we add management debt, we've failed. Our co-sourced IT approach is built around reducing friction and amplifying your goals, not overriding them. Strategic planning is at the core of our service, ensuring that we deliver cost-effective solutions while minimizing the time-consuming tasks involved in IT management.

If we can't help you move faster and more strategically, we're not the right co-sourcing IT partner for you.

Co-Managed IT Objection #7: Burn and Churn

"I'm a CIO at a bank. My role is to oversee IT strategy and make sure my team has the necessary technical expertise to support the organization's needs.

Every MSP I've used lacked the skills needed and forced their stack on us. I often know more than their 'experts.' They hire cheap, burn them out, and keep the mediocre."

My Response: This was a sobering read. You're not asking for magic. You're asking for competence, ownership, and respect for your existing IT environment. That shouldn't be rare, but unfortunately, it is. 

At Exigent, we train our team to support your IT systems, not force ours onto you. And when we don't know something? We admit it, then we fix it. That's why many of our clients have partnered with us for more than 10 years.

Co-Managed IT Objection #9: I Can't Subject Users to External Technical Support Again

"I've used MSPs. I get that I can't do it all in-house. But I refuse to subject my users to the daily pain of MSP support again."

My Response: This was raw and real. And it reminded me that user experience matters more than uptime charts. We earn the right to interact with your people, and if we don't make them feel supported, we don't belong in that part of the engagement. 

Many of our co-managed IT setups keep us backend only. That's OK. We go where we're trusted. You don't survive in these highly competitive markets without understanding the audience. 

Co-Managed IT Objection #10: I Control My People — Not Yours

"I don't control your employees. I do control mine."

My Response: Trust, accountability, and outcomes are all easier when you sign the paychecks. We get that. That's why we behave like we're on your team — with your processes, culture, and priorities — even though we're not on your payroll. If we can't earn that trust, we shouldn't be there. We make sure we work all those details out before we start, so alignment is there from Day 1.

Bonus Co-Managed IT Objection: A Broken Service Model?

"I've spent the past year undoing an MSP setup. We went in-house for the same cost and got better outcomes. The whole industry is tarnished. Most are racing to the bottom and put businesses at risk."

My Response: I can't argue with your experience, and I won't. But I will say that some of us are doing the whole IT co-sourcing thing differently. We're not in it for a quick win. We're in it to build relationships, restore faith in this model, and support people like you who've seen how wrong it can go.  

As an MSP founder, I can name several relationships built around co-sourcing that have lasted decades with the original IT staff that we work with still in place (not displaced). A few of them happen to be some of the largest grossing law firms in the entire state of NJ. 

Final Thoughts

• To everyone who commented on the Reddit thread, thank you. I posted to learn, and I did.
• If you're looking for a co-sourced IT partner who works with (not against) your team, let's talk.
• If you've sworn off co-managed services and/or MSPs completely, I get it.
• If you're on the fence, I hope this gives you reason to hope.
  
  

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