Today’s small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are under constant pressure to maintain operational continuity, safeguard data, and keep pace with evolving technology, all while controlling costs. Yet most SMBs face the same dilemma: they can’t afford a full in-house IT team, and they can’t go without support either.

Enter co-managed IT services.

Co-managed IT is a modern, flexible approach that bridges the gap between outsourcing everything and doing it all yourself. It empowers your internal team — whether that’s one person, a lean IT department, or even a tech-savvy office manager — with enterprise-grade tools, security, and support without breaking the budget.

At palmiq, we specialize in co-managed IT support tailored specifically for small teams. Backed by Acronis’s advanced cybersecurity and backup platform, we help SMBs scale securely and efficiently.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• What co-managed IT actually means
• Why it’s perfect for growing businesses
• How palmiq + Acronis transforms this model into a cybersecurity powerhouse
• Real-world examples of how it works
• Steps to get started

Let’s dive in.

What Is Co-Managed IT?

Co-managed IT is a collaborative approach where your internal team works hand-in-hand with an external IT provider — like palmiq — to manage and secure your technology infrastructure.

Instead of replacing your IT staff, co-managed support enhances their capabilities by:

• Offloading day-to-day monitoring, patching, and updates
• Providing 24/7 security oversight and backup management
• Offering access to enterprise-grade tools and expertise
• Filling skill or resource gaps (like cloud, cybersecurity, or compliance)

Think of it as a force multiplier — your team retains control and visibility, while we handle the heavy lifting, repetitive tasks, or areas that require deeper specialization.

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Why Co-Managed IT Is a Game-Changer for Small Teams

If you’re running a growing business, chances are you’ve faced at least one of these challenges:

• One IT person supporting 50+ employees
• Limited cybersecurity skills in-house
• Outdated backup systems (or none at all)
• Overworked help desk without enough hours in the day
• A cloud migration project that never gets done

Co-managed IT solves all of the above by making high-performance IT support accessible and affordable.

Here’s how:

1. You Get Flexibility — Not One-Size-Fits-All
   You define what your internal team handles vs. what you want us to manage. Whether it's Tier 1 support, patching, endpoint protection, or full-stack cybersecurity — we’ll support only where you need it.
2. Enterprise-Grade Security Without the Enterprise Cost
   Using Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, we deliver layered security, AI-based threat detection, backup, disaster recovery, patch management, email filtering, and more — all included in a single platform.
3. 24/7 Monitoring and Support
   Even small teams need round-the-clock coverage. Co-managed means you’ll have expert monitoring, alerts, and remediation, even after hours.
4. Predictable Costs and No Surprise Hiring
   Avoid costly recruiting, onboarding, and training by supplementing your team instead of expanding it.
5. Accelerated Projects and Reduced Downtime
   Free your internal team to focus on high-impact work while we manage time-consuming tasks like system updates, documentation, and ticket resolution.

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How Co-Managed IT Works at palmiq

Every business is different, so we tailor the co-managed model to your environment, capacity, and goals. Here’s how a typical engagement with palmiq looks:

1. Discovery & Assessment
   We meet with your internal IT lead or office manager to understand your current setup, goals, and pain points. We also conduct a security and backup assessment using Acronis Cyber Protect tools.
2. Co-Management Plan Design
   We create a customized co-management plan that outlines roles, responsibilities, and which tools and services we’ll provide. Common options include:

• Endpoint detection & response (EDR)
• Automated patch management
• Backup and disaster recovery (BaaS/DRaaS)
• Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace protection
• Ticketing and help desk escalation

3. Implementation & Handover
   We configure and deploy the Acronis platform, train your internal team, and set up shared dashboards so you can see everything we see.
4. Ongoing Monitoring, Support, and Reporting
   We handle 24/7 monitoring, incident response, monthly reporting, and continuous optimization — all while staying aligned with your internal priorities.

Why We Chose Acronis for Co-Managed Cybersecurity

Acronis isn’t just a backup provider — it’s a unified cyber protection platform that enables us to deliver comprehensive services to SMBs in one place.

Here’s what sets Acronis apart for co-managed IT environments:

• Unified Dashboard: Your team and ours see the same alerts, tasks, and metrics.
• Integrated Security: Combines antivirus, antimalware, EDR, firewall, URL filtering, and vulnerability scanning in one agent.
• Disaster Recovery: Instant failover to the cloud with built-in testing and recovery plans.
• Microsoft 365 & Google Backup: Protects mailboxes, files, calendars, and shared drives.
• Patch Management: Automated patching for OS and third-party apps.
• Remote Management: Secure access and troubleshooting from anywhere.
• Scalability: Supports businesses from 5 to 500+ endpoints with ease.

With Acronis, we’re not just co-managing — we’re co-protecting.

Real-World Scenarios: Co-Managed in Action

Here are just a few ways small businesses are using palmiq + Acronis to stay secure and productive:

‍💻 Scenario 1: The Overloaded IT Manager
A single IT admin at a 40-person company was drowning in help desk tickets and couldn’t keep up with patching or security alerts. With palmiq, they offloaded monitoring, patching, and endpoint protection — allowing them to focus on strategic projects and user experience.

🏥 Scenario 2: The Nonprofit with Compliance Needs
A nonprofit handling sensitive data needed backups, DRaaS, and compliance documentation but had no cybersecurity staff. Palmiq deployed Acronis across their endpoints, managed all updates and backups, and created compliance-ready reports for their board.

🏗️ Scenario 3: The Growing Startup
A startup scaling rapidly couldn’t hire IT staff fast enough. They used palmiq as their backend team for backup, remote support, and endpoint security — giving their developers and ops team peace of mind without the overhead.

Who Is Co-Managed IT Best For?

✅ Companies with 1–3 internal IT personnel
✅ SMBs that can’t afford a full security team
✅ Organizations running Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or hybrid environments
✅ Growing businesses scaling faster than their IT resources
✅ Firms needing cybersecurity, backup, and compliance — but not sure where to start

Benefits at a Glance

Traditional IT provides high control and visibility, along with strong internal knowledge retention. However, it tends to lack cost predictability, often has cybersecurity gaps, offers limited after-hours support, and scaling as the business grows can be painful.

Fully Outsourced IT, on the other hand, delivers fixed costs, full cybersecurity coverage, after-hours support, and easy scalability. The downsides are reduced control and visibility, and a lack of internal knowledge retention.

Co-Managed IT, such as palmiq’s offering, strikes a balance between the two. It provides shared control and visibility, fixed costs, and full cybersecurity coverage via Acronis. Additionally, it supports internal knowledge retention, includes after-hours support, and scales easily with business growth.

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Co-managed IT isn’t about giving up control — it’s about gaining strength where it matters most. Whether you’re dealing with limited resources, growing pains, or increasing security demands, palmiq + Acronis helps you build a resilient, secure IT foundation without the need for costly expansion.

You don’t have to do it alone. You just need the right partner.

👉 Book a free consultation today at www.palmiq.com/contact

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