If you have an IT director, IT manager, or one or two IT staff already on payroll, you do not need a managed services provider that wants to replace them. You need a partner that makes them more effective. Co-managed IT is exactly that — we work alongside your internal team, taking on the 24/7 coverage, specialized security and cloud expertise, after-hours load, and project muscle they do not have time for. Your IT person keeps their seat and the business knowledge that comes with it. We backstop everything else.
23 Years
Operating in Ohio
40–60%
Cheaper than full outsourcing
Modular
Add or remove services anytime
Why Mid-Market Columbus Companies Pick Co-Managed Over Full Outsourcing
Your IT Person Is Buried
One or two internal IT staff cannot cover helpdesk, security, infrastructure, projects, AND strategic planning. They run hot, get burned out, and ship slower than they want to.
After-Hours Is a Problem
Your IT director should not be answering 11pm pages from a manufacturing line or a server reboot at 3am. We take the after-hours and on-call load off their plate.
Specialized Expertise Gaps
One generalist cannot be a security expert AND a cloud architect AND a network engineer AND a vCIO. Co-managed gives you that bench depth without hiring three more people.
PTO and Vacation Coverage
When your IT person is on vacation, who covers? With co-managed, we already know your environment and step in seamlessly.
Strategic Work Falls to the Floor
Internal IT spends 80% of their time firefighting and 20% planning. Co-managed flips that ratio — we take the routine ops so they can do the strategic work.
You Need Scale Without a Full Hire
Growth, M&A, a major project, or a compliance push — you need bandwidth this quarter, not a 6-month hiring cycle.
Most managed services providers want to replace your IT team. We don’t. The smartest mid-market companies in Columbus keep their internal IT person AND bring us in alongside them. Your team stays close to the business; we bring the bench depth, the after-hours coverage, and the strategic peer they don’t have on staff.
What They Keep, What We Take
Every co-managed engagement is configurable, but most settle into a split that looks roughly like this:
What Your IT Team Keeps
- Day-to-day decisions and priorities
- Direct end-user relationships and trust
- Internal business and process knowledge
- Tool selection authority (we advise, they decide)
- Vendor and software relationships you have built
- The voice of IT in leadership meetings
What We Take Off Their Plate
- 24/7 monitoring and SOC alerting
- After-hours and weekend on-call coverage
- Tier-1 helpdesk overflow
- Specialized security, MDR, and compliance work
- Cloud and Microsoft 365 architecture depth
- Carrier negotiation and telecom expense management
- Project staffing during peak demand
- vCIO peer and 3-year strategic roadmap
Co-Managed Service Modules — Pick What You Need
24/7 SOC & MDR
Around-the-clock threat monitoring, MDR, and incident response. Your team sleeps. We watch.
After-Hours & On-Call Coverage
Defined escalation tiers so your IT person is not the only phone that rings at 2am.
Helpdesk Overflow
Tier-1 ticket coverage during peak hours, holidays, or when your team is buried in a project. They route to us; we resolve and escalate back.
Cybersecurity Depth
NGFW management, MFA rollouts, EDR, email security, vulnerability scanning, and compliance program work. More on cybersecurity →
Cloud & M365 Architecture
Azure, hybrid cloud, M365 advanced configuration, migrations, and cost optimization. More on cloud →
Network & SD-WAN
Multi-site network design, SD-WAN deployment, carrier negotiation, and connectivity optimization. More on SD-WAN →
Compliance Program Management
HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, CMMC documentation and continuous monitoring. We supply the controls and evidence; your team manages the auditor relationship.
vCIO & Strategic Advisory
Quarterly technology reviews, 3-year roadmaps, and budget planning. Gives your IT director a peer to think with.
Project Staffing on Demand
M&A integration, office moves, ERP rollouts, hardware refreshes — we bring the engineers when you need scale, then step back when you do not.
In-House Only vs. Co-Managed vs. Fully Outsourced
| Factor | In-House Only | Co-Managed (Buckeye) | Fully Outsourced |
|---|
| Internal IT staff | Yes — doing everything | Yes — focused on what matters | Eliminated or reduced |
| Business knowledge retention | High | High | Lost over time |
| 24/7 coverage | Burns out your IT person | Yes — we cover after hours | Yes |
| Specialized expertise | One generalist | Full bench on tap | Full bench |
| Strategic capacity | Crushed by firefighting | Restored once we take ops | Depends on vendor |
| Hiring & retention risk | High — if they leave, you are exposed | Low — we backstop transitions | N/A |
| Monthly cost (100 employees) | $8,000–$14,000 (1 FTE) | $10,000–$18,000 (1 FTE + co-managed) | $7,500–$15,000 (no in-house) |
| Total business resilience | Low | High | Medium |
Co-Managed Engagement · Manufacturing
Ohio Manufacturer Keeps IT Director — Cuts WAN Costs 54% and Eliminates Outages
A 12-location Ohio manufacturer had one IT director who was on call 24/7 and could not get to a major SD-WAN project. We came in co-managed: took the 24/7 monitoring and after-hours coverage, ran the SD-WAN deployment, and handed the optimized network back to him. He kept his job, his vacation, and his sanity.
Read the full case study →
Industries Where Co-Managed Works Best
Mid-market companies that already have at least one internal IT person typically need co-managed augmentation, not full outsourcing. Pages with industry-specific solutions:
Frequently Asked Questions
We have an IT director. Will you replace them?
No. Co-managed IT is specifically designed to make your internal IT team more effective, not replace them. Your IT director stays in their seat — we handle the work they do not have time or specialized expertise for. Most clients keep their IT director for years after engaging us.
What does my IT team keep doing, and what do you take?
Your team keeps day-to-day decisions, end-user relationships, internal business knowledge, and tool selection authority. We typically take 24/7 monitoring, after-hours coverage, helpdesk overflow, specialized security and cloud expertise, compliance program management, and project staffing during peak demand. The split is configurable per engagement.
How does co-managed IT pricing compare to fully outsourced managed IT?
Co-managed pricing is typically 40–60% less than fully outsourced because you keep your internal team and only pay us for the modules you need. A typical 100-employee Columbus business pays $2,000–$5,000/month for co-managed services, vs $7,500–$15,000/month for fully outsourced.
Will our internal IT person resist bringing in a co-managed partner?
This is the most common concern, and the opposite usually happens. Internal IT staff at mid-market companies are typically overworked, on-call 24/7, and isolated. A good co-managed engagement gives them backup, a peer team to collaborate with, and time to focus on the strategic work they actually want to do. We design every engagement so your IT person comes out stronger, not threatened.
Can we add or remove specific services as we go?
Yes. Co-managed engagements are modular by design. You might start with after-hours coverage and 24/7 SOC, then add cloud architecture support during a migration, then add vCIO once your IT director needs strategic backup. We do quarterly reviews to right-size the engagement.
What happens when our internal IT person takes vacation or leaves?
For vacation or PTO, we step in seamlessly because we already know your environment. For an internal departure, we provide bridge coverage while you hire a replacement, then onboard the new person and hand context back. No client we have served has experienced an IT downtime gap during a personnel transition.
Talk to an Advisor — 15-Minute Call, No Deck
Tell us about your current IT setup — team size, what they own, and where they are stretched thin. We will tell you whether co-managed makes sense for your business or whether something else fits better. No sales pitch.