Co-Managed IT Support

Co-managed IT support that supercharges your internal IT team

Cloud platforms, ever growing cyber security threats, new compliance requirements, and end-user expectations can stretch even the most capable in-house IT departments to their limits. That’s why many of our larger clients choose to appoint Opus for co-managed IT support services instead of fully managed IT support that’s typically designed for businesses without large internal IT teams.

Our co-managed IT support works with your current IT team and empowers them with additional resources, enterprise-grade tools, and specialist expertise, without taking away their control. It’s designed for businesses that need extra capacity or advanced skills without the cost of hiring new costly IT consultants.

Flexible co-managed IT support services

Whether your business requires after-hours coverage, enhanced security operations, or support for large IT projects, our co-managed IT support contracts give you the flexibility to scale efficiently while working together as one united team.

By combining your in-house IT knowledge with the capabilities of a managed service provider, you can strengthen cyber security, improve resilience, and maintain compliance more effectively than ever before.

Co-managed IT support offers the best of both worlds: the control of an in-house team with the scalability and advanced resources of a trusted IT partner.

Don't just take our word for it,
We've received industry recognition...

in 2024, Opus were ranked by the Channel Futures MSP 501 awards as one of the top 501 MSPs globally. We are the only managed service provider to hold the Service Mark accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service.

Understanding the co-managed hybrid IT support model

Co-managed IT support is a hybrid IT support model that blends the strengths of your internal IT team with the resources and capabilities of a Managed Service Provider (MSP). Unlike a fully managed IT support arrangement, you decide which responsibilities stay in-house and which ones are handled by your MSP partner. Here’s some useful tips if you are considering a co-managed it support provider right now.

Our larger clients sometimes prefer to keep end-user support managed internally but lean on us for 24/7 network monitoring, patch management, and cyber security operations. Or you may need your internal IT team to focus on strategic projects while we take care of routine maintenance, help desk overflow, and/or third-party vendor management.

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Co-managed IT support coupled with a focus on outstanding customer experience

With faster issue resolution, reduced operational costs and proactive problem-solving, Opus ensure minimal disruptions to your business.

NET PROMOTER SCORE

Month on month we survey our customers to ensure our customer experience levels remain consistently high

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

97.5 %

CSAT is measured closely to ensure our customers are satisfied with their products, services, and interactions with Opus

FIRST TIME FIX ON A P1

99.2 %

We pride ourselves on delivering fast first time fix rates to ensure faults are resolved quickly on P1 incidents

Co-managed IT support helps your business extend your internal IT capacity

The co-managed IT support approach enables you to increase capacity, extend coverage, and access specialist IT consultancy all while maintaining visibility, control, and oversight of your IT environment.

Our co-managed IT support arrangements are highly flexible and tailored to your specific requirements, but most of our clients choose to include a blend of service desk support, proactive monitoring, security operations, cloud management, and strategic IT consultancy.

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Our strategic partners

Providing helpdesk overflow, monitoring and endpoint management

On the service desk side, businesses often rely on Opus to provide overflow for 1st and 2nd and 3rd line tickets, ensuring that internal teams are not overwhelmed during busy periods. Out-of-hours coverage and holiday support can also be included.

With round-the-clock monitoring and alerting in place, your IT environment is constantly observed to catch issues before they become service-affecting. Patch management and vulnerability scanning ensure that systems remain up to date and resilient against cyber threats. Meanwhile, asset and endpoint management helps to maintain visibility across devices and ensure compliance with company policies

CLIENT CASE STUDY

We helped modernise Westminster Wealth Management’s IT infrastructure to cut monthly costs by £3,000 and boost productivity by 15%.

Download our case study

Strengthening security and business continuity with co-managed IT support

Security and business continuity are at the centre of our co-managed IT support offering. We can provide additional advanced security tools and services, such as endpoint detection and response (EDR), managed detection and response (MDR), and SIEM solutions, all of which deliver real-time threat detection and incident response.

Alongside this, backup and disaster recovery planning ensures your data is protected and recovery playbooks are tested, while identity and access management solutions like MFA and conditional access protect users and sensitive information.

Microsoft 365, Teams and Azure management

Most of our clients rely heavily on Microsoft technologies, and our co-managed IT support also extends to Microsoft 365 and Azure environments. We help govern and secure your tenant, harden email and collaboration tools such as Teams and SharePoint, and manage Azure infrastructure to improve performance and control costs.

From cloud migrations and optimisation programmes to structured change processes, we deliver projects efficiently while keeping your internal team fully engaged. Detailed documentation, knowledge transfer, and strict governance ensure that improvements are sustainable and aligned with your business strategy.

Ensuring IT compliance, security and improvement

Regular service reviews, customer satisfaction reporting, and compliance support for frameworks such as Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001 give you the confidence that IT is performing at its best and is protected from potential threats. This ongoing partnership ensures that your IT environment is not only secure and compliant but also continuously improving in line with business needs.

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The difference between co-managed and fully managed IT support

Aspect	Co-Managed IT Support	Fully Managed IT Support
Ownership & Control	Shared: you retain administrative rights and strategy; the MSP supports agreed areas.	Outsourced: the MSP assumes full responsibility for daily operations and strategy.
Scope	Flexible and modular, choose support, monitoring, security, or projects as needed.	End-to-end support of the entire IT function, including staff replacement and all responsibilities.
Best For	Businesses with in-house IT that need extra skills, capacity, or tools.	Businesses with little or no IT staff, or those seeking a fully outsourced arrangement.
Speed to Value	Rapid: services can be activated quickly to fill gaps or cover projects.	Quick, but requires more extensive onboarding and cultural alignment.
Cost Model	Scalable: pay only for the services you need, with the ability to flex up or down.	Fixed: predictable monthly fee covering the full IT function.
Tooling	Access to enterprise-grade monitoring, ticketing, security, and documentation platforms.	All tooling is provided, owned, and operated by the MSP.
Outcomes	Greater efficiency for your IT team, stronger security, and faster project delivery.	Clear accountability, reduced management overhead, and a single point of contact.

Why do businesses choose Opus for co-managed IT support?

Opus deliver proven service levels backed by contractual SLAs and transparent reporting, giving your team complete visibility and confidence in performance. As a Microsoft Partner with ITIL-aligned processes, we follow industry best practices to provide reliable, scalable, and secure IT outcomes.

Our security-first approach ensures that every service from patching to MDR is delivered with cybersecurity in mind, while also supporting compliance with standards like Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001. At Opus, our core aim is to develop a long-term strategic partnership with your business, delivering value and outstanding CX every step of the way.

Our world class managed IT solutions are designed to enable your business
to operate securely and efficiently around the clock

Here are some of our other managed IT services

IT Consultancy

Our specialist team of IT consultants will help you to design and deliver your IT strategy using market leading technologies.

Managed IT Infrastructure

Peace of mind with monitoring, maintenance, updates, security, and infrastructure troubleshooting around the clock.

Managed Cloud Services

We provide partial or full management of your cloud infrastructure, ensuring your cloud environment runs smoothly

Outsourced IT Support

Benefit from a team of specialist IT professionals and an on demand service desk to assist your with IT issues as they arise.

Business Continuity

We help you form a strategy to sustain critical operations during and after disruptive events with our business continuity services.

Disaster Recovery

We help our clients formulate an IT disaster recovery plan (DRP) to outline procedures that help them respond to unplanned incidents.

Cyber Essentials

Gain cyber compliance to with the Cyber Essentials Plus certification, that’s often achieved in addition to ISO 27001.

IT Security Consultancy

Protect your business with market leading IT security expertise to effectively defend and protect against cyber threats.

Frequently Asked Questions - Co-managed IT Support

What is co-managed IT support?

Co-managed IT support is a hybrid model where your in-house IT team partners with a Managed Service Provider (MSP). You keep control of strategy and day-to-day oversight, while we provide additional resources, specialist expertise, and enterprise-grade tools to strengthen your IT operations.

How does co-managed IT support differ from fully managed IT support?

Fully managed IT support outsources your entire IT function to an MSP, while co-managed IT supplements your existing team. With co-managed IT, you decide which tasks stay in-house and which ones are handled by us, such as monitoring, helpdesk, cybersecurity, or projects.

Who is co-managed IT support best suited for?

Co-managed IT support is ideal for businesses with an internal IT team that needs extra capacity, specialist skills, or 24/7 coverage. It’s particularly valuable in industries where compliance and security are critical, such as healthcare, finance, construction, logistics, and professional services.

What services are included in co-managed IT support?

Typical services include helpdesk support, 24/7 monitoring, patch and vulnerability management, endpoint management, cloud and Microsoft 365 administration, cybersecurity operations (EDR/MDR/SIEM), backup and disaster recovery, and strategic consultancy such as vCIO guidance.

Can co-managed IT support help with cybersecurity?

Many businesses choose co-managed IT support specifically for advanced security. We provide access to enterprise-grade security tools, real-time threat monitoring, managed detection and response (MDR), backup and recovery planning, and compliance support for frameworks like ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.

We are looking at putting out an RFP for co-managed IT Support, what should we include?

A good RFP should clearly outline your business objectives, existing IT setup, the role of your internal IT team, and the areas where you need support. Be specific about requirements such as helpdesk coverage, 24/7 monitoring, cybersecurity, cloud management, and compliance. This ensures providers can propose a solution that fits your exact needs. Read our useful RFP guide that outlines all the sections to include.