Article Summary
- As technology evolves, many businesses are re-evaluating their IT support models to keep pace with growth and rising complexity.
- Total IT is a fully outsourced service model that replaces the need for an internal IT team and delivers all-inclusive, proactive support.
- Co-Managed IT supplements your internal team by sharing responsibilities, providing extra coverage, and offering access to specialized expertise.
- Total IT is ideal for businesses without internal IT staff or those seeking a flat-rate, full-service solution.
- Co-Managed IT is best for organizations with internal teams that are stretched thin or tackling projects outside their scope.
- Key differences between the two models include ownership, control, cost structure, and level of internal team involvement.
- Businesses should consider their goals, budget, in-house resources, and compliance needs when choosing an IT model.
- Both models reduce risk, improve uptime, and empower businesses to shift from reactive to strategic IT planning.
- Mirazon helps clients design the right support model — whether that’s full-service Total IT or collaborative Co-Managed IT.
- With engineer-led service, transparent pricing, and long-term strategy, Mirazon offers IT partnerships that scale with your business.
How to Decide Between Total IT and Co-Managed IT
Your Business Is Evolving — Your IT Strategy Should Too
These days, IT isn’t just a support function. IT is the backbone of your operations. Every ticket, every network hiccup, every missed patch or phishing email has the potential to slow your business down or even bring it to a halt.
But as technology gets more complex and threats grow more sophisticated, many business leaders are finding that their current IT setup just isn’t cutting it. The big question remains: Should we fully outsource our IT operations, or bolster our internal team with external support?
This choice leads to two main IT outsourcing models: Total IT and Co-Managed IT.
Each has its strengths, and thee right fit depends on your structure, goals, and risk tolerance.
Below, we’ll break down the differences, benefits, and real-world use cases so you can make a confident decision and get back to growing your business.
What Is Total IT? Our Comprehensive Outsourced Model
Total IT Services is the most comprehensive service model. It replaces the need for in-house IT with a fully outsourced IT department staffed by a team of professionals who, if you choose the right IT partner like Mirazon, have expertise specific to your industry.
This is more than a simple help desk – it’s an all inclusive IT support solution offering enterprise-level support and complete coverage from a single provider which includes:
- Unlimited on-site and remote support: Help desk and field engineers available around the clock..
- Continuous proactive monitoring: Constant system oversight to prevent downtime.
- Cybersecurity and compliance built in: Layered protection with recovery plans and audits.
- vCIO-level strategy: Technology roadmapping, budgeting, and digital transformation planning.
- Vendor management: Software licensing, renewals, and vendor coordination — simplified.
- Cloud optimization: Migration, backups, and hybrid performance tuning.
Basically, if it touches technology, Total IT covers it.
Businesses choose Total IT for a variety of reasons, most often because they’re experiencing rapid growth and need scalable support Many don’t have the time or desire to manage internal IT staff, and they’ve often had frustrating experiences with break/fix vendors that left them reacting to problems instead of preventing them. Total IT offers a more strategic, proactive approach, along with flat, predictable costs that eliminate billing surprises. Ultimately, it allows business leaders to shift their focus from constantly putting out fires to planning ahead with confidence.
You can think of it as “IT in a box” – one contract, one team, and no gaps in coverage. With Total IT, you’re not just outsourcing tasks, you’re gaining a proactive technology partner who ensures your business is ready for what’s next.
Consider this example:
A 60-person logistics firm in the Midwest was juggling a patchwork of tech vendors, overwhelmed by outages and rising support costs. They had no full-time IT staff, only the operations manager, who doubled as the tech point of contact. After a costly ransomware scare, they partnered with Mirazon under a Total IT model. We deployed full network monitoring, upgraded their security stack, migrated key workloads to the cloud, and now handle all user support. The ops manager? She’s back to focusing on logistics, not lost passwords.
What Is Co-Managed IT? We’re a Collaborative Extension of Your Team
Co-Managed IT is a shared-responsibility model that pairs your internal IT team with the resources and support of an outside Managed Service Provider (MSP) like Mirazon. Think of it as adding extra horsepower to your existing engine. With this shared-responsibility service model, your team stays in the driver’s seat, but now has more tools, greater visibility, and backup when it matters most.
Businesses often choose Co-Managed IT services when their internal IT team is capable but stretched thin. It’s a practical solution for organizations tackling complex projects that fall outside their team’s expertise, or those needing reliable after-hours support without the cost of hiring a second shift. Co-Managed IT also provides access to enterprise-grade tools that might otherwise be out of reach, offering a way to reduce risk and increase capacity, all without expanding the payroll.
Co-Managed IT is a scalable, customizable solution that includes:
- Shared responsibilities: You decide what stays internal and what we manage.
- Help desk overflow and escalation: Extra hands when your team reachescapacity.
- Proactive monitoring and patching: Keep systems secure without added workload.
- Project-based support: Cloud migrations, upgrades, and compliance audits.
- Access to specialized skills: Network engineers, cybersecurity experts, and strategic consultants.
- Collaborative planning: Regular reviews to align technology with business goals.
Co-Managed IT doesn’t replace your people. It empowers them.
Consider this example:
A regional manufacturer has two IT staff members supporting 100 employees. They’re excellent at end-user support but overwhelmed by compliance reporting and downtime due to outdated infrastructure. Mirazon comes in to handle patching, cybersecurity monitoring, and Office 365 backups. We also support their transition to a new ERP platform. Their internal team is now free to focus on business-critical needs and can do so confidently without burnout or bottlenecks.
Total IT vs. Co-Managed IT: Key Differences at a Glance
When deciding between Total IT and Co-Managed IT, it helps to compare the two models side by side. Here’s a quick breakdown of the key differences to guide your decision.
| Category | Total IT | Co-Managed IT |
| Ownership | Fully outsourced | Shared between internal team and MSP |
| Control | Provider-led | Collaborative |
| Internal IT Team | Not required | Required and retained |
| Cost Model | Flat-rate, predictable | Scalable, based on need |
| Ideal For | Small to midsize businesses without IT | Mid-sized orgs with internal teams |
| Support Coverage | 100% of IT functions | Selected functions (monitoring, projects) |
| Strategic Input | Provided by vCIO | Shared between vCIO and internal leadership |
| Tools & Stack | MSP-owned stack included | Often hybrid (MSP tools and in-house tools) |
Both co-managed and fully managed models reduce downtime and improve reliability, but the right fit depends on your structure and goals.
How to Choose the Right IT Model for Your Business
Still unsure which model is right for you? Here are five key questions to help narrow it down:
1. Do you have an internal IT team?
- No: Total IT is likely the better fit.
- Yes: Co-Managed IT can give your team the lift they need.
2. Do you want to reduce risk — or reduce workload?
- Reducing risk through proactive coverage and strategy? Either model works.
- Reducing workload for internal IT? Co-Managed may be the smarter move.
3. Is budget flexibility or cost predictability more important?
- Predictability: Total IT gives you a flat, all-inclusive monthly rate.
- Flexibility: Co-Managed can scale up or down based on needs and projects.
4. Are you trying to grow — or just survive?
- If you’re scaling fast or planning digital transformation, Total IT provides stability and strategy.
- If you’re just trying to stay afloat without burnout, Co-Managed gives breathing room without disruption.
5. Are compliance and cybersecurity critical?
- For regulated industries (like healthcare, finance, or manufacturing), either model works, but only if your provider builds security into the DNA of the service.
We’ve seen every kind of IT structure, from one-person teams to overworked departments buried in tickets. No matter where you are today, we’ll help you build a model that works for where you’re going.
Why Clients Choose Mirazon for Both Models
At Mirazon, we offer white-glove IT services for both Total IT and Co-Managed IT and help clients figure out what works best for them, not what’s easiest for us to sell. Here’s why businesses stick with us:
- Engineer-Led: You won’t get sent to a script. Real engineers answer the phoneand solve the problem.
- Local and Loyal: We started in Louisville but serve businesses nationwide. When we say we’re your loyal tech companion, we mean it.
- Human-Focused: We talk like people, not jargon generators. And we build relationships — not just ticket queues.
- Recognized Excellence: Best Places to Work winner and 5-star rated on Clutch Louisville MSP Rankings.
- Transparent Pricing: Flat rates and clear scopes. You’ll never get surprise invoices or vague service tiers.
- Strategic Mindset: Whether you’re planning a cloud migration, prepping for a CMMC audit, or just trying to sleep better at night, our vCIOs help you turn tech into strategy.
Find the Fit That Works for You
By now it should be clear that choosing between Total IT and Co-Managed IT isn’t about which is better, it’s about which best fits your business. Here’s a quick recap:
Choose Total IT if:
- You want a full-service, flat-rate model
- You’re looking to offload IT entirely
- You want proactive, strategic support from day one
- You don’t have (or don’t want to manage) internal IT staff
Choose Co-Managed IT if:
- You already have internal IT staff
- You need more coverage, tools, or expertise
- You’re tackling compliance or infrastructure challenges
- You want to reduce stress on your team without adding payroll
Either way, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Mirazon makes sure your IT is secure, scalable, and aligned with your goals. Get the right IT partnership for your business.
Reach out to Mirazon to build a support model that fits your team, your budget, and your goals. Our experience proves that great IT isn’t just about having the right tools. It’s about having the right people. And we’re here when you’re ready.