You know your business needs IT support. The question is how much and what kind.
Maybe you have someone internal who gets overwhelmed when real problems hit. Maybe you’re wearing the IT hat along with five other hats. Maybe you’re just hoping nothing breaks.
The good news is IT support is more flexible than you think. Whether you need a full IT department or just expert backup for your internal team, there’s a solution that fits.
Understanding Fully Outsourced IT Support
Fully outsourced IT means you hand the whole operation to an external team. They become your IT department handling server management, user support, security monitoring, software updates, vendor relationships and strategic planning.
This approach works best when you’re too small to justify a full-time IT person. If you have 5-20 employees, hiring someone full-time is expensive and probably unnecessary. Fully outsourced IT support gives you access to an entire team of specialists for a predictable monthly cost that’s typically less than hiring one employee.
It also makes sense when nobody on your team wants to be the IT person. With outsourced IT services, technology becomes someone else’s full-time responsibility. This leaves your team free to focus on your real, everyday work.
When Co-Managed IT Services Make More Sense
Does this sound familiar? Your IT team is brilliant, but they’re drowning. They’re stuck playing helpdesk hero with password resets and network hiccups instead of focusing on projects that actually grow your business.
Co-managed IT means you have someone internal handling day-to-day tasks while an external partner provides expertise and backup. Your internal IT person handles password resets and new computer setups. Your external partner handles complex network issues and security strategy.
This works when you already have capable internal IT staff who need support. Even good internal IT people can’t know everything or be available 24/7. Co-managed IT services give your internal person access to senior-level expertise when they hit something beyond their skills.
It also works when your internal IT person is overwhelmed. If they’re drowning in tickets and working nights and weekends, they need help. Co-managed IT provides immediate relief.
Comprehensive or Co-Managed? Explaining F1 IT’s Approach to Both
Our Comprehensive IT Support Plan stops your team from wasting talent on IT fires. Your people won’t spend hours every week on tech problems instead of their real jobs.
You get CTO-level expertise without the salary. 24/7 IT management gives you access to senior-level knowledge without hiring internal IT staff. We handle emergencies at any hour. Printer problems and network crashes become our problem, not yours.
Our Co-Managed IT Plan is for teams that need backup, not replacement. What if your IT team could focus on innovation instead of interruptions? F1 IT’s Co-Managed IT Plan fills the gaps: 24/7 helpdesk support, cloud storage, vulnerability scanning, critical patch work and strategic consulting.
We handle day-to-day maintenance so your team can run your business. Ready to give your IT heroes the backup they deserve?
Choosing the Right IT Support Model for Your Business
You might start with fully outsourced IT when you’re small, then transition to co-managed services as you grow and hire internal staff.
The best approach depends on a few key questions:
- Do you have anyone internal with real IT knowledge and bandwidth? If no, fully outsourced makes sense. If yes but they’re stretched thin, co-managed is right.
- What’s your budget? If you can’t afford a full-time IT salary plus benefits and tools, outsourced IT services are more cost-effective. If you already have someone, co-managed extends their capabilities.
- How complex are your technology needs? Basic email and file sharing? Fully outsourced works great. Industry-specific applications, compliance requirements or advanced security? You need the combination co-managed provides.
How F1 IT Approaches IT Support
We work with businesses in both fully outsourced and co-managed arrangements because different companies need different things.
For fully outsourced clients, we become your IT department handling everything from daily user support to strategic planning. For co-managed clients, we work alongside your internal IT person providing backup, specialized expertise and additional coverage.
Serving businesses in Fort Worth and across Texas, we handle the complex world of technology so you can focus on serving your clients and growing your business.
Finding Your IT Support Solution
The real question isn’t which option is better. The real question is which option fits your business right now.
Technology problems don’t wait. They compound, create vulnerabilities and waste time your team should spend on actual work.
Not sure whether fully outsourced or co-managed IT makes sense for your situation? Let’s talk through it. We’ll help you understand what each approach would look like for your specific needs.
FAQ
What is the difference between co-managed IT and fully outsourced IT? Fully outsourced IT means an external team handles all your technology needs and becomes your complete IT department. Co-managed IT means you have internal IT staff who handle day-to-day tasks, while an external partner provides backup, specialized expertise and 24/7 support for complex issues.
How much does fully outsourced IT support cost? Fully outsourced IT support typically costs less than hiring a full-time IT employee with benefits. Pricing varies based on company size, technology complexity and support needs, but most small businesses find it more cost-effective than maintaining internal staff.
What size business benefits most from fully outsourced IT? Businesses with 5-20 employees typically benefit most from fully outsourced IT support. At this size, you need professional IT management but don’t have enough work to keep a full-time IT person busy or justify the expense of hiring internal staff.
How does co-managed IT support help overwhelmed IT staff? Co-managed IT provides backup for after-hours emergencies, handles complex projects that would monopolize your internal person’s time, offers specialized expertise for security and compliance, and provides the additional coverage that prevents burnout and ensures business continuity.