When does co-managed IT make sense for a Spokane business?

You keep the person who knows your business and add a team behind them.

• Your in-house person handles on-site work, the day-to-day and the relationships.
• The outside firm brings 24/7 monitoring, after-hours cover and skills one person can’t have.
• The contract covers the gaps, not everything.

Instead of handing all of IT to an outside firm, you keep your in-house IT person and bring in an IT company in Spokane to work alongside them. Five of the seven firms we reviewed offer co-managed IT, and two have a dedicated page for it.

The outside firm can supply tools your team doesn’t have, such as security monitoring and patching software, plus extra hands for projects and cover when your person is away. For the full range of what these firms handle, see what a Spokane IT company actually does.

A typical split looks like this. Every arrangement is different, so agree yours in writing.

Co-managed IT usually makes sense when:

• You have one or two IT staff who are stretched thin.
• You need 24/7 security monitoring your team can’t provide.
• You’re growing faster than you can hire.
• You run specialized systems that your in-house person knows best.
• You have compliance work, such as HIPAA or CMMC, that needs extra help.

It probably isn’t the right fit when:

• You have no in-house IT person. A fully managed plan fits better.
• You already have a full internal team with round-the-clock cover.
• You want one company accountable for everything.

A network and systems administrator in the Spokane area earns an average of $93,060 a year, and a help desk specialist $64,400, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023), before benefits and payroll taxes. Co-managed IT adds outside cover without a second hire.

We didn’t find published co-managed prices at any of the firms we reviewed, so expect a custom quote. For fully managed price ranges, see what IT support costs in Spokane.

1. List what slips today. Write down what your IT person does now and what doesn’t get done.
2. Decide what you want covered: hours, security, projects, or all three.
3. Ask each firm how it works with in-house staff: shared ticketing, shared tools, who holds admin access and who makes the final call.
4. Put the split in writing, including what happens if your IT person leaves.

If you have an IT person who is good but stretched, co-managed IT gives them a team behind them without replacing them. If you have no IT staff at all, a fully managed plan is usually the simpler choice. Either way, get the division of work in writing.