Co-Managed IT in Westlake Village: How We Partner with Your In-House IT
For many businesses in Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and surrounding areas, having an internal IT person or small department is a great start—but it’s not always enough. As technology demands grow and cybersecurity risks increase, IT departments are often stretched thin, juggling end-user support, infrastructure, compliance, and projects all at once.
That’s where co-managed IT support comes in. At Urban IT, we specialize in working with your in-house IT—not replacing them. Think of us as a force multiplier. We’re here to fill the gaps, bring enterprise-grade tools to your environment, and take pressure off your internal team so they can focus on what they do best.
In this post, we’ll break down what co-managed IT really means, how it works, and how companies in Westlake Village benefit from it.
What Is Co-Managed IT?
Co-managed IT (also called “hybrid IT”) is a collaborative support model where your internal IT staff handles some functions, while an external Managed Service Provider (MSP)—like Urban IT—handles others. It’s a flexible and strategic partnership, not an outsourced takeover.
This model is ideal for businesses that:
- Already have one or more internal IT staff
- Are growing and need more technical horsepower
- Want 24/7 monitoring and security without overburdening staff
- Need help with projects, compliance, or helpdesk overflow
It’s not “all or nothing”—it’s a smart mix tailored to your needs.
Common Reasons Companies Choose Co-Managed IT
Here’s why businesses around Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and Agoura Hills bring in a co-managed IT partner:
1. Bandwidth Issues
Even your best IT technician can’t do it all. Between patching servers, supporting users, onboarding employees, and evaluating vendors, things slip through the cracks. We provide the extra hands (and heads) needed to keep IT running smoothly.
2. Specialized Expertise
Maybe your IT person is great at desktop support, but less comfortable with advanced networking, compliance, or cybersecurity. We bring depth and experience across a wide range of technologies—firewalls, Microsoft 365, cloud migrations, backup strategy, and more.
3. Project Assistance
Need to roll out a VoIP system, replace an aging server, or implement MFA organization-wide? We step in for one-off projects or seasonal surges without hiring additional staff.
4. 24/7 Monitoring and Support
Your internal team goes home at 5 p.m.—cyber threats don’t. Our team monitors your systems around the clock, responds to alerts, and proactively addresses issues before they become major problems.
5. Cybersecurity and Compliance
If you’re in a regulated industry (legal, healthcare, financial), we help align your IT operations with compliance frameworks like HIPAA, CMMC, or SOC 2. We implement controls, monitor risks, and document everything.
What We Bring to the Table
When you work with Urban IT in a co-managed setup, you gain access to:
🔧 Advanced Tools and Platforms
We use enterprise-grade tools for RMM (remote monitoring and management), ticketing, documentation, antivirus, patching, and backup—and you benefit from them without paying full freight.
👨💼 Escalation Support
If your internal IT hits a wall, we’re the next call. We act as Tier 2 or Tier 3 support, helping with tougher troubleshooting, vendor issues, or complex systems like firewalls, servers, and networking.
🔍 Proactive Monitoring
Our system keeps an eye on your endpoints, servers, and network 24/7. When something is off—like low disk space, a failed backup, or unusual login activity—we step in.
🔐 Security Layering
We implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), DNS filtering, endpoint detection and response (EDR), Microsoft 365 hardening, vulnerability scans, and security awareness training. These layers help block threats and ensure resilience.
📁 Backup & Disaster Recovery
From local backups to cloud-based disaster recovery, we design solutions that match your recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO), keeping your data safe.
🧾 Compliance Documentation
Need help with policies, audits, or compliance reports? We use tools like Vanta or Drata to maintain continuous compliance and give your leadership peace of mind.
How the Relationship Works
We don’t bulldoze your IT department. Instead, we schedule an initial discovery session to understand how your current team operates, what tools you use, and where your team is getting stretched.
Then we identify:
- What you want to keep in-house
- What we should handle
- Which systems we’ll both access
- Communication protocols for tickets, alerts, and escalations
The end result? A clear line of collaboration. You maintain control, and we become your trusted IT ally.
Flexible, Customizable Services
Every co-managed agreement is different. Some businesses want helpdesk overflow and patching. Others want high-level guidance and project work. Our services are modular, and we adjust as your needs evolve.
Common co-managed areas:
- Helpdesk overflow or after-hours support
- Patch management and updates
- Firewall and network maintenance
- Microsoft 365 and Azure management
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Cybersecurity monitoring and remediation
- Documentation and asset tracking
- Compliance and audit readiness
You decide what you want us to take off your plate.
Why Westlake Village Businesses Trust Urban IT
We’re local. Based right here in Westlake Village, we know the business climate, we understand the pace, and we’re just minutes away when onsite help is needed. Our clients range from law firms and medical practices to construction companies and finance teams—so we’ve seen it all.
We also don’t lock clients into cookie-cutter solutions. Every business has its own way of doing things, and our role is to complement your setup—not reinvent it unless you want us to.
Getting Started
If your IT person is wearing too many hats, or you’re not comfortable with your current security posture, let’s have a conversation. We’ll audit your existing environment, discuss goals, and put together a simple co-managed game plan that works for both sides.
We’re not here to compete with your IT—we’re here to back them up.
Let’s Talk Co-Managed IT
Located in Westlake Village and serving Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, and the greater Conejo Valley, Urban IT is your strategic partner for hybrid IT support.
To see how we can support your internal IT team, reach out at www.urbanit.com/contact or call us at (818) 914-5152.