At AmericanPCS, we believe IT should enable your business,not slow it down.
Whether you’re running a mission driven nonprofit, a family-owned company, or a growing professional firm, the need for reliable, scalable IT support is clear. But when it comes to how that support is structured, many organizations find themselves asking the same question:
Should we fully outsource our IT operations, or partner with a provider to support our internal team?
This is where Fully Managed and Co-Managed IT Services come in—and where American PCS delivers flexible, proven solutions to fit your needs.
In this article, we’ll walk through the differences between these two service models, explain how each supports your growth, and help you determine which path is right for your business or nonprofit.
What Are Fully Managed and Co-Managed IT Services?
Fully Managed IT Services are exactly what they sound like: American PCS becomes your outsourced IT department. We handle everything—helpdesk support, cybersecurity, infrastructure and vendor management, cloud services, budgeting and strategic planning. You don’t need in-house IT staff. We take full ownership of your technology environment and work proactively to protect and enhance it.
Co-Managed IT Services are designed to augment your existing team. If you already have IT professionals on staff, we partner with them to provide additional tools, expertise, and capacity. We don’t replace your internal team—we support and empower them.
The choice depends on your current resources, long-term goals, and how involved you want to be in managing IT operations. And how confident you feel about your Internal IT team’s ability to stay on top of the fast changing cybersecurity environment without the support of a dedicated cybersecurity partner like American PCS.
Comparison Table: Fully Managed vs. Co-Managed IT Services
Here’s a side-by-side look at how the two models compare across core features:
Fully Managed IT: End-to-End Peace of Mind
With our Fully Managed IT serviceswe take full responsibility and accountability for your IT and cybersecurity. You get enterprise-grade support without needing to build or manage an internal IT department.
Comprehensive Support
We monitor and maintain every aspect of your IT environment. That includes desktops, servers, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, backups, compliance, end-user support, vendor management, budgeting and strategic planning. You focus on your mission—we handle the rest.
Predictable Costs
One of the most appealing aspects of fully managed IT is financial clarity. With American PCS, you get fixed monthly pricing that includes all core services. No surprise invoices. No reactive billing. Just a partnership built on transparency and consistency.
Purpose-Driven Flexibility
We’re not a massive national company with call centers in other time zones. We’re a local company with deep roots in the community. That means you get a highly responsive team that truly understands your organization’s goals and challenges. We’re small enough to care and big enough to execute at scale—whether you’re a 10-person nonprofit or a 200-seat professional services firm.
Co-Managed IT: Amplify Your Internal Team
Already have an in-house IT team but need support for high-level strategy, special projects, or additional bandwidth? That’s where Co-Managed IT makes the most sense.
Strengthen What You’ve Built
We work side-by-side with your internal team, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to do more. Whether it's implementing advanced security frameworks, deploying automation, or providing 24/7 helpdesk overflow, we fit into your existing structure and help it scale.
Specialized Expertise on Demand
Most internal IT professionals are generalists by necessity. Our Co-Managed IT clients gain access to deep expertise in cloud infrastructure, security, compliance, network architecture, and more. We complement your team’s knowledge and take on the heavy lifting where needed.
Eliminate Bottlenecks
When your team is stretched too thin, critical initiatives get delayed or missed entirely. We can help prevent burnout, accelerate rollouts, and remove technical roadblocks—without disrupting your internal operations.
Use Cases: Which Model Is Right for You?
Every organization is different, but here are a few scenarios that help illustrate when Fully Managed or Co-Managed IT might be the better fit:
Choose Fully Managed IT If:
- You don’t have internal IT staff—or don’t want the overhead and headaches associated with hiring and managing that team
- You want a single point of contact and accountability for your entire technology environment
- You prefer a predictable, all-in-one pricing model
- You need an expert partner to manage I vendors, cybersecurity, compliance, and day-to-day operations
- You’re scaling fast and want IT to keep pace without slowing you down
Choose Co-Managed IT If:
- You have internal IT staff but they’re overwhelmed or under-resourced
- You’re taking on major projects like cloud migrations or compliance initiatives
- You need deeper cybersecurity, monitoring, or automation than your team can currently handle
- You want strategic guidance on long-term technology planning
- You’re looking to improve processes without losing internal control
If you’re not sure which model is right for you, we can help. Our initial consultations are designed to understand your current challenges and recommend the best structure based on your organization’s size, staffing, and goals.
Why American PCS?
There are plenty of MSPs out there—but American PCS takes a different approach. We combine enterprise-level capability with community-driven values.
Local and Invested
We live and work in the community, and we care deeply about the businesses and nonprofits that shape our area. When you call us, you speak directly with someone who understands your organization—not a far-off help desk.
IT Is All We Do
This isn’t a side offering or a bolt-on service. IT is our sole focus. We’re passionate about helping local organizations leverage technology to grow, protect, and succeed.
Built to Scale, Designed to Serve
We’ve developed systems, automations and partnerships that allow us to deliver consistent, high-quality service to organizations of all sizes. But we never lose sight of what matters: personalized support, best-in-class cybersecurity, strategic alignment, and results you can measure.
Let’s Build Your IT Strategy—Together
Whether you’re looking to fully offload your IT operations or supercharge your internal team, American PCS is here to help.
We believe in building long-term partnerships based on trust, transparency, and results. If your organization is ready to rethink IT support—on your terms—we’d love to talk.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. Together, we’ll design a support model that aligns with your goals, protects your operations, and grows with you.
