Using Co-managed IT Services to Set Up Your Remote Workforce

co-managed services, IT staff augmentation

If you want to enable your users to work from home, you’ll need to have the right technology to do so.

Once you realize what components you’re missing, you’ll have to design a plan to implement them.

As a managed services provider (MSP), The KR Group ensures our customers have all the technology needed when setting them up to work from home. In fact, we have an entire article dedicated to how fully managed IT services can help businesses adapt to a remote workforce.

If your business already has an IT department, though, and you are looking for assistance navigating the IT needs for a remote workforce, an MSP can help with co-managed IT services

If you’re considering this option for help configuring and supporting your remote workforce, there are four ways an MSP can assist:

  1. Support the additional workload adding remote infrastructure
  2. Build remote work infrastructure
  3. Adjust to supporting a remote workforce
  4. Monitoring your remote workforce

With all of these options, an MSP acts as an advisor and provides support to whatever level you need it. However, you should keep in mind co-managed services aren’t restricted to this use, and you might find the relationship is beneficial after your remote workforce is set up, too. 

1.   Co-managed IT services support the extra workload

When you’re setting up a remote workforce, your other IT problems don’t go away to allow your IT department adequate time to install and configure the necessary remote technology.

Depending on how many users you need to set up, preparing the technology for a remote workforce can be time-consuming. An MSP can take this off your hands and allow your IT department to continue supporting your regular IT requests.

As an added benefit, MSPs have experience setting up remote workers, so they’re able to use their experience to efficiently take on this area of extra IT support.

2.   Building remote work infrastructure

co-managed services, IT staff augmentationIf you’ve never had a remote infrastructure and would like an advisor to assist you in configuring it, leaning on an MSP to augment IT services would be an option.

There are many components to setting up a remote workforce.

For connectivity, you’ll need to ensure you have enough bandwidth and set up VDI (virtual desktops) or RDS (remote desktop) and VPN connections.

When it comes to remote collaboration (sharing audio, video, and content), you’ll need to consider if you need to provide home office phones, set up softphones, or configure call forwarding. These all allow your employees to continue to make and take business phone calls.

A strong security posture is imperative to a successful remote workforce. While installing endpoint protection may be straightforward enough, if you need assistance configuring home segmentation, DNS filters, and multi-factor authentication, an MSP can provide that knowledge.

Even if you simply want an extra set of eyes to look over what you’ve configured, an MSP can be an invaluable resource to lean on when building remote infrastructure.

3.   Adjusting to a remote workforce

Once your workforce is working remotely, there is still IT work to be done, except now you’ll do it all remotely.

If your IT department is having a difficult time serving employees remotely, an MSP can help you navigate these difficulties by supporting your remote workforce.

MSPs provide around 80% of their support without needing an in-person visit. With remote-only contracts, even a larger percentage of requests are supported remotely.

All of this is to say, MSPs have experience providing remote support, and they can do it for you or help train your IT department to also provide remote support.

4.   Monitoring your remote workforce

Along with providing support, MSPs can also help you monitor your users. This is primarily important to ensure no threats have made their way onto your users’ desktops.

A remote workforce comes with a heightened security risk since your users are relying on multiple networks and they’re not completely under your control.

This makes monitoring for security risks especially important. However, it’s a responsibility on top of the other ways your IT department supports your employees.

If you’re looking for assistance or an eye for detail, an MSP can take over these tasks to help support your transition to a remote workforce.

IT support for a remote workforce

Implementing and supporting the infrastructure for a remote workforce adds new demands to your IT department.

If you think you need help, an MSP can provide co-managed services to work in tangent with your IT department to support your new needs.

Whether you are looking to rely entirely on an MSP or want it to supplement your existing IT, you’ll need to consider your needs for supporting the additional workload, building the infrastructure, monitoring, and adjustments that come with transitioning to a remote workforce. 

For other remote workforce needs, download our free checklist.

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