Co-Managed IT Services
Support for Internal IT Teams Who Need Depth, Not Replacement. Enhance your internal IT team with expert backup, security, and scalable resources, all while maintaining full control.
The Reps Behind Every Recommendation
The firewall count is one part of it. Here’s what the same seven months looked like across the rest of the network.
7 Switch Replacements
Completed across our client base in the same seven months as the firewall work.
2 Phone System Cutovers
Full migrations, completed without disrupting the businesses that depend on them.
1 VM Host, 3 Servers
Completed in the same stretch, with two more VM host replacements and roughly eight additional servers scheduled before year end.
7 Locations, Zero Downtime
A fully redundant network across seven sites means any one location, or all seven at once, can lose its circuit without anyone noticing.
That volume builds specific knowledge, like which firewall model has a documented firmware bug or which vendor’s licensing renews in a way that catches people off guard. It also means we already know what usually breaks during a cutover, so we resolve it ahead of time instead of in the middle of the night.
Who Co-Managed IT Is For
Co-managed support fits a specific kind of company. Here’s how to know if that’s you.
If any of these sound familiar, the next section covers what happens once your internal team and Coastal are both in the picture.
- Stretched Thin on Support
Your internal team spends most of its time on daily tickets and urgent issues, with little room left for anything else. - A Small IT Department
One person or a small team covers the entire organization, without the depth a larger environment usually needs. - Growing Systems and Security Needs
Your systems, operations, or security requirements are expanding faster than your internal team can keep up with. - Responsible for Uptime and Continuity
Your IT leader is accountable for keeping systems running and the business protected, often without the resources that the job requires.
Is Co-Managed Right for Your Team?
Bringing in a co-managed partner can feel like an uncomfortable conversation to raise with an internal IT team.
Here’s what co-managed support means for the person already doing the job.
It Comes Down to Volume
An outside team spends every working day on network design, security monitoring, and escalation, building pattern recognition that volume alone can create.
Your Team Keeps Control
Your internal IT person keeps control over strategy and day-to-day decisions.
Institutional Knowledge Stays Put
They know your business, your people, and the small details that keep everything running, and no outside company can replicate that.
Real Time Off
Co-managed support means your internal person can take two weeks of vacation or a sick day, because a team is covering the gap behind them.
Room to Keep Learning
Being backed by a larger team gives your internal person somewhere to turn when they hit something new, which keeps them engaged in the role.
Fewer Interruptions
Print issues, password resets, and other end-user requests move off your internal person’s plate, which frees time for network design and forward planning.
Escape Ineffective IT Project Management
Facing challenges with unclear project goals, overspending, or missed deadlines? Our IT project management solutions keep your projects on course, aligned with your business goals, and delivered with accuracy.
Co-Managed IT
Control: Your internal team keeps control over IT decisions
Cost: Pay for support where needed, not a full replacement
Flexibility: Adjust as priorities change
Risk: Shared responsibility reduces single-point failure
Scalability: Grow without extra hires
Fully Managed IT
Control: Outsourced IT decisions
Cost: Fixed monthly cost for complete management
Flexibility: Less adaptable to internal workflows
Risk: More reliance on external provider
Scalability: Best for businesses without IT staff
How We Divide Responsibility
Co-managed relationships tend to go wrong for one reason: ambiguity about who owns what. Before any engagement with Coastal begins, we put the division of responsibility in writing.
- The Risk We Name
If both sides assume the other is handling backups, nobody is handling backups, and you typically find out on the worst possible day. - This Is Yours
Your team keeps policy control, priorities, and day-to-day decisions about how the business runs. - This Is Ours
Coastal owns the scope we agree on in writing. This includes monitoring and the security stack, patch cadence, and major projects. - This Is the Escalation Path
A documented path spells out who gets contacted first when something breaks. - This Is Who Gets Called at Midnight
A named contact is set before the engagement starts, so nobody is guessing during an after-hours issue.
What Falls Under Coastal’s Side
Once responsibility is divided in writing, here's what typically falls under Coastal's side of that split.
Escalation and Advanced Support
We take on the complex issues that go past your internal team's day-to-day scope, so escalations reach engineers who see that specific problem regularly.
Cybersecurity and Monitoring
Continuous monitoring, threat detection, and guidance are built around your actual business risks, not a generic checklist.
After-Hours and Holiday Coverage
Nights, weekends, and holidays are covered without asking your internal team to stay on call.
Project Delivery and Migrations
System upgrades, cloud transitions, and other infrastructure changes are handled by a team that runs this type of project on a regular basis.
Tooling, Standards, and Documentation
Consistent tools and documentation are put in place across your environment, so nothing depends on one person's memory.
What Our Resolution Times Show
Most managed service providers publish a response time. Response time measures how quickly someone answers a ticket. It doesn’t measure whether the underlying problem got fixed. We publish resolution time instead, because that’s the number that reflects a real outcome.
52.5%
Of tickets were resolved the same day they came in.
71.6%
Were resolved within three business days.
95%
Were fully resolved and closed.
20.5 Hours
Our median time to a full fix is close to what much of the industry only manages as its time to reply.
What Co-Managed Support Costs
These are national published market ranges, not a Coastal rate card, included so you can gauge where your business falls before a conversation with us.
$60 to $125
Per user, per month, for co-managed support.
$125 to $250
Per user, per month, for fully managed support. Most businesses land between $150 and $200.
$25 to $90
Added per user, per month, for compliance work such as HIPAA, SOC 2, or CMMC Level 2, plus a one-time readiness project for CMMC.
Why Timing on Hardware Matters
Hardware prices have climbed sharply, with server pricing more than doubling since December. Adam has been quoting servers throughout that period and has told clients as early as March to buy needed hardware right away, because prices were likely to double again by the end of the year. A co-managed partner who quotes equipment regularly can flag that kind of cost increase while there’s still time to plan around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is co-managed IT right if we already have IT staff?
Co-managed IT is built to support internal IT teams. Your team keeps control over strategy and day-to-day decisions. Coastal steps in for escalation support, after-hours coverage, and ongoing cybersecurity monitoring, the parts of the job that stretch a single internal team thin.
How does co-managed IT pricing work?
Co-managed IT typically runs $60 to $125 per user per month, based on published industry ranges and how much of the work you want Coastal to own. Compliance requirements such as HIPAA, SOC 2, or CMMC add cost on top of that range. We define the division of responsibility in writing before your engagement starts, so the final number reflects exactly what you’re getting.
What security responsibilities are shared?
Security follows a shared responsibility model. Your internal team keeps policy control and oversight. Coastal provides monitoring, threat detection, escalation support, and cybersecurity guidance, tied to the specific division of responsibility we put in writing before starting.
How quickly can support be added?
Support can be added quickly once priorities are agreed. We build the rollout around your existing systems and schedule, so onboarding doesn’t interrupt the work already in progress.
Let’s Talk About Co-Managed IT
If your internal IT team requires support, rather than a full replacement, a co-managed approach might be the ideal solution.
- Maintain complete control over IT strategy and decision-making
- Alleviate burnout and reduce reliance on a single internal resource
- Gain access to expert knowledge precisely when you need it
- Expand IT capabilities without the immediate need for new hires
- Strengthen security posture and enhance operational resilience
We begin with a conversation to understand your unique environment, challenges, and objectives – no obligation, no pressure.