Your computer won’t connect to the network.
Someone forgot their password.
Microsoft 365 is doing… something.
The printer isn’t the problem this time.
Now who do you call?
Well, funny you should ask.
Did you know Applied Innovation offers Managed IT services?
Yup. As in, your IT.
Managed IT gives your business an experienced team to help support, monitor, secure, and plan your technology—whether you need a complete IT department or extra support for the team you already have.
Not just someone you call when everything is already broken. An actual team helping keep your technology working and your business moving.
Can Managed IT Be Your IT Department?
Sure can.
For businesses without an internal IT team, Applied can manage the day-to-day technology that keeps your business running.
That can include:
- 24/7/365 Help Desk – Real people available to help when your employees have technology problems.
- Managed Network Services – Monitoring and managing servers, routers, firewalls, operating systems, patches, and more.
- Managed Security Services – Helping protect your users, devices, and network from evolving threats.
- Backup + Disaster Recovery – Protecting your data and helping get systems back online when something goes wrong.
- Virtual CIO (vCIO) – Strategic guidance to help you plan technology investments around where your business is headed.
- Professional Services – Extra expertise for projects like cloud migrations, infrastructure upgrades, and other major IT initiatives.
- Vendor Management – Helping manage conversations with technology vendors so you don’t have to translate everything yourself.
In other words:
We’re not just there to fix the laptop. We’re there to help make sure your technology is actually supporting your business.
Already Have an IT Team? Meet Co-Managed IT
Good!
Keep them.
This might actually be one of the biggest misconceptions about Managed IT.
Working with a Managed IT provider doesn’t have to mean replacing your internal IT team.
Applied also offers Co-Managed IT, which means your existing team stays exactly where they are and gets additional resources where they need them.
Maybe your IT manager doesn’t have time to handle every help desk ticket and work on bigger technology initiatives.
Maybe your team could use additional cybersecurity expertise.
Maybe there’s a major infrastructure project coming up.
Or maybe your IT person would just really like to take a vacation without bringing their laptop.
Co-Managed IT gives your team backup without taking over.
Because "the IT person" is doing A LOT
Think about everything that falls under IT today.
Networks.
Computers.
Microsoft 365.
Cybersecurity.
Cloud environments.
Backups.
Software.
Hardware.
User accounts.
Compliance.
And, of course:
“Hey, while you’re here…” (Oops, I do this one far too often.)
Technology touches almost every part of the business, which means the list never really ends.
For a one-person IT department or even a small internal team, keeping up with daily support while also planning for security, infrastructure, and future growth can be a lot.
That’s where having an entire team behind them can make a difference.
Managed IT Isn't Just About Fixing Things
There’s another misconception we should probably clear up.
IT support doesn’t have to look like this:
Something breaks → Everyone panics → Someone calls IT → We wait.
Managed IT takes a more proactive approach.
Systems can be monitored around the clock. Updates and patches can be managed. Security risks can be monitored and addressed. Backups can be checked. Potential problems can be identified before they become Monday morning emergencies.
And when something does go wrong?
There’s a team ready to help.
As one Applied Innovation Managed IT customer put it:
“The best thing about Applied Innovation is there is always someone there.”
That’s the idea. The goal isn’t just to fix IT problems faster. It’s to have fewer IT problems interrupting your business in the first place.
Managed IT Helps You Plan What's Next
Keeping everything running today matters.
But what about next year?
What technology will you need as you grow?
Is your infrastructure ready for it?
Are you replacing equipment before it becomes a problem or after?
Are you spending money in the right places?
That’s where strategic IT planning comes in.
Applied’s Managed IT services include access to a Virtual CIO, or vCIO, who helps businesses look beyond today’s support tickets and build a technology roadmap around where the organization is actually headed.
Because IT shouldn’t just keep the lights on.
It should help you figure out where you’re going next.
So, Did You Know?
Applied Innovation offers Managed IT.
24/7 help desk? Yup.
Network management? Sure do.
Backup and disaster recovery? Absolutely.
Strategic IT planning? You bet.
Support for your existing IT team? That too.
Your IT team doesn’t need replacing.
And if you don’t have an IT team?
Well… now you know someone who does.
Turns out, the people you knew for printers can help with a whole lot more than the printer.
Ready to see what Managed IT could take off your plate? Explore Applied Innovation’s Managed IT services or let’s talk about what the right level of IT support could look like for your business.
Managed IT FAQs
What are managed IT services?
Managed IT services give your business ongoing technology support without requiring you to handle everything internally. That can include help desk support, network management, cybersecurity, backup and disaster recovery, technology planning, vendor management, and more.
Can Managed IT replace an internal IT department?
It can support businesses that don’t have an internal IT department, but it doesn’t have to replace an existing team. With Co-Managed IT, your internal IT employees can stay in place while getting additional expertise, resources, and support where they need it.
What is Co-Managed IT?
Co-Managed IT is a partnership between your internal IT team and an outside Managed IT provider. Your team keeps doing what they do best while getting extra support for areas like help desk requests, cybersecurity, infrastructure projects, strategic planning, or coverage when someone is unavailable.