How MSPs Market Co-Managed IT
Co-managed IT opens organizations too large for a fully outsourced model. Marketing it means winning over the internal IT person, not going around them.
What is co-managed IT and who buys it?
Co-managed IT is a service where an MSP supports an organization's internal IT staff rather than replacing them, filling gaps such as after-hours monitoring, security tools and expertise, help desk overflow, projects and holiday cover. It suits organizations large enough to employ IT people but too small to staff every specialty, often between about 100 and 1,000 employees.
Security is usually the biggest gap. Statistics Canada's 2023 cyber security survey found that Canadian businesses spent $11.0 billion on preventing and detecting cyber security incidents that year, and small internal teams struggle to run those tools around the clock.
The buyer is usually a combination of the IT manager, who knows the gaps, and a finance or operations leader, who controls budget and worries about the risk of depending on one or two people.
| Gap | Who feels it | What you offer |
|---|---|---|
| After-hours and weekend cover | IT manager, executives | Monitoring and on-call response |
| Security expertise and tools | IT manager, finance | Managed detection, patching, security reviews |
| Help desk overload | IT team, staff | Overflow help desk with escalation to internal team |
| Projects | IT manager | Engineers for migrations and upgrades |
| Key-person risk | Executives | Documentation and backup cover |
How do MSPs win over the internal IT manager?
MSPs win over the internal IT manager by making clear that the service supports them, respects their decisions and makes them look good to leadership. Ask about their priorities and frustrations, share tools and visibility rather than hiding them, and agree on who handles what. An IT manager who feels threatened will block the deal or make the relationship fail.
| Threatening | Supportive |
|---|---|
| "We'll take IT off your plate." | "You keep the decisions. We add monitoring, security tools and engineers when you need them." |
| "Outsource your IT department." | "Cover for evenings, weekends and holidays, so you can take a real vacation." |
| "Our team will run everything." | "Shared tools and tickets, with escalation to you for anything that matters." |
How should MSPs reach co-managed IT buyers?
MSPs reach co-managed buyers through LinkedIn targeting of IT managers and finance leaders at organizations of the right size, search ads on co-managed terms, niche communities and events for IT leaders, and partnerships with vendors whose products these teams use. Outbound works when it offers something useful to the IT manager, such as a security tooling review.
Targeting is covered on LinkedIn Ads for MSPs, and co-managed ad copy on Google Ads examples.
Sell to the IT manager's problems, not around them.
The fastest way to lose a co-managed deal is to pitch the CFO on replacing their IT person.
How should co-managed IT be packaged and priced?
Co-managed IT should be packaged around the gaps the client actually has, with a clear responsibility split, shared tools and response commitments. Common structures are a base fee for monitoring and tools plus blocks of hours or per-user help desk, and project work quoted separately. Write down who does what, so there are no gaps or arguments.
| Area | Internal IT | MSP |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and vendor decisions | Owns | Advises |
| Business-hours help desk | First line | Overflow and escalation |
| After-hours monitoring and response | Notified | Owns |
| Security tools and patching | Approves | Operates |
| Projects | Leads | Provides engineers |
Pricing structures are covered on proposals and pricing.
How do co-managed relationships grow?
Co-managed relationships grow when the MSP proves value in reports the IT manager can show leadership: incidents handled after hours, patches applied, projects delivered, risks reduced. Regular reviews surface new needs, such as security upgrades, cloud projects or a second site. A co-managed client that trusts you often becomes a larger account.
Reviews that drive this growth are covered on QBRs and expansion. The switching dynamics for larger organizations are on how SMBs buy IT services, and niche choice on positioning.
What should a co-managed IT page say?
A co-managed IT page should say who it is for (organizations with internal IT staff), which gaps you fill, how responsibilities are split, which tools are shared, how escalation works and what reporting the IT manager receives. Include a case study from a similar organization and a first step aimed at the IT manager, such as a tooling and coverage review.
Frequently asked questions
What is co-managed IT?
A model where an MSP supports an organization's internal IT staff with tools, cover and expertise.
Who is the buyer for co-managed IT?
Usually the IT manager together with a finance or operations leader.
How do I avoid threatening the internal IT person?
Position the service as support, share tools and visibility, and agree responsibilities clearly.
How is co-managed IT priced?
Often a base fee for monitoring and tools plus help desk or hour blocks, with projects separate.
What size of organization suits co-managed IT?
Often 100 to 1,000 staff with a small internal IT team, but it varies.
Is co-managed IT a stepping stone to fully managed?
Sometimes, but many clients stay co-managed. Do not push.
How do I prove value to leadership?
Regular reports on incidents handled, patches, projects and risks reduced.
Sources & further reading
Platform rules and local programs change. These sources let you check the facts on this page, last checked October 21, 2026.