Co-Managed IT Services for Canadian Businesses With Internal IT Teams
Co-managed IT services give your internal IT team the senior backup, 24/7 NOC coverage, and security operations they can’t maintain alone. Fusion Computing works alongside your IT lead, not over them. Built for Canadian businesses with 1-to-5 person IT teams and 30-to-300 users, with CISSP-led oversight, 93% first-contact resolution, and a 1-hour critical response SLA.
first-contact resolution
critical response
security leadership
NOC & SOC coverage
2024 & 2025
What a free IT assessment covers
A 30-minute review with a senior Canadian engineer. We’ll run a free IT assessment and show where your internal team is most exposed.
- ✓ An honest look at your IT setup and the gaps your team can’t cover alone
- ✓ Your biggest security and after-hours risks, ranked
- ✓ A sized monthly number, no email required to see it
The co-managed stack we run beside your team
We work inside your existing tools where we can and layer the security stack on top. No forced tool migration on day one.
What are co-managed IT services?
Co-managed IT is a partnership model, a form of augmented IT support, where an external co-managed MSP works alongside your internal IT team rather than replacing it. Your IT lead keeps ownership of the help desk, the roadmap, and the vendor relationships. The co-managed provider fills the parts a 1-to-5 person team can’t sustain alone: 24/7 monitoring, security operations, Tier 3 escalation depth, and strategic advisory.
For a Canadian business with an internal IT lead and 30 to 300 users, Fusion Computing adds the senior bench your team can’t justify hiring for. A co-managed IT support engagement covers five things Fusion owns:
- 24/7 NOC monitoring: NinjaOne RMM watches every server, endpoint, and firewall around the clock, so your IT manager stops being the after-hours single point of failure.
- CISSP-led security operations: Huntress EDR, SentinelOne XDR, Fortinet management, and CIS Controls v8.1 alignment, run by a CISSP, not a help-desk account manager.
- Tier 3 escalation: when your team hits a wall on a complex infrastructure or security incident, a senior Fusion engineer takes it, with full ticket history in one ConnectWise PSA system.
- vCIO strategic advisory: quarterly business reviews, a three-year roadmap, budget forecast, and compliance posture your IT lead can present alongside.
- Compliance documentation: the audit artefacts your insurer and regulator ask for, mapped to PIPEDA (private-sector), Ontario PHIPA, SOC 2, and OSFI E-21.
Canadian co-managed MSPs price this by user, per month. Fusion runs co-managed from $130–$180 per user, because your team absorbs Tier 1 and Tier 2. Fully managed, where Fusion becomes your whole IT department, runs $160–$200. The split is set by user count, your regulatory framework, and how much of the stack you want Fusion to carry.
Statistics Canada’s 2025 Canadian Survey of Cyber Security and Cybercrime found 43% of Canadian organizations were targeted by a cyber attack in the previous 12 months, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security reports ransomware now moves from initial access to full impact in under 24 hours. Most internal IT teams can’t maintain a watch that fast. That gap, not a skills gap, is what co-managed IT closes. IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach report found organizations with integrated internal-and-external security operations contained breaches 74 days faster than peers working in siloes.
“Co-managed IT is where most Canadian SMBs with internal IT should sit. Keep the IT lead who knows the business, then layer on the CISSP-led security controls, the 24/7 monitoring, and the specialist skills you can’t justify hiring for. Two teams, one accountability chain, and the internal lead stays senior.”
No internal IT staff? You probably want fully managed IT services instead. Want just a responsive help desk? See IT support. This page is for the partner model.
What Fusion covers vs. what your team keeps
Co-managed IT is not a takeover. The first step of every engagement is a written responsibility matrix that states who owns what. No overlap, no gaps. Here is the default split: Fusion takes the parts that need 24/7 staffing and senior security depth; your team keeps everything that depends on knowing your business.
Fusion covers
- 24/7 NOC monitoring on NinjaOne RMM, with alerts routed to our NOC team day and night.
- Security operations (SOC): Huntress EDR, SentinelOne XDR, Fortinet, active threat hunting, security-awareness training, CIS Controls v8.1 hardening.
- Tier 3 escalation for complex infrastructure and security incidents, documented in ConnectWise PSA.
- vCIO strategic sessions: quarterly reviews, annual roadmap, budget modelling, risk-posture review.
- Patch management backup for operating systems, third-party apps, and firmware when your team is behind, on vacation, or on a project.
- Compliance documentation: asset inventories, risk registers, incident-response runbooks, and access reviews for PIPEDA, Ontario PHIPA, SOC 2, and OSFI E-21.
Your team keeps
- Help desk ownership. Tier 1 and Tier 2, password resets, onboarding, and day-to-day user requests stay with the people who know your business.
- Institutional knowledge. Which systems are quirky, which users need extra support. We supplement that context, never supplant it.
- Vendor relationships. Microsoft, your ISP, line-of-business apps, hardware suppliers. We don’t insert ourselves as a mandatory intermediary.
- Day-to-day user management. New-hire setups, account provisioning, internal training. You stay the face of IT to your staff.
- Project delivery. Office moves, Microsoft 365 migrations, hardware refreshes. We can assist on a project, but ownership stays with your lead unless you ask otherwise.
- Decision authority. Every purchasing call, architectural choice, and priority decision is your IT lead’s to make. We advise through the vCIO relationship.
Security is the layer most internal teams run thin on. Co-managed includes a CISSP-led baseline; for a dedicated managed detection-and-response program, see our managed cybersecurity services.
Co-managed IT vs. fully managed IT
The right model comes down to one question: do you have internal IT staff? If you do, co-managed preserves their ownership and fills the gaps they can’t cover. If you don’t, fully managed IT means Fusion becomes your entire IT department. Same engineering team behind both, so moving between them is a contract change, not a migration.
| Factor | Co-managed IT | Fully managed IT |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Businesses with a 1-to-5 person IT team | Businesses with no internal IT staff |
| Help desk ownership | Your team owns Tier 1 and Tier 2 | Fusion owns all tiers |
| NOC / SOC monitoring | Fusion, 24/7 via NinjaOne | Fusion, 24/7 via NinjaOne |
| Security operations | Fusion: Huntress, SentinelOne, CISSP lead | Fusion: Huntress, SentinelOne, CISSP lead |
| Technology roadmap | Your IT lead owns it, Fusion advises via vCIO | Fusion owns it as your IT department |
| Vendor relationships | Your team keeps them | Fusion manages all vendor contracts |
| Escalation path | Your team to Fusion Tier 2 / 3 | Fusion Tier 1 to 2 to 3 |
| Pricing per user / month | $130–$180 (scope-dependent) | $160–$200 (full stack) |
| User range | 30–300 users | 10–200 users |
Break-fix, for comparison, runs $150–$250 per hour with no 24/7 cover and no documentation, which is what most internal teams fall back on when they’re stretched.
Co-managed IT pricing
Co-managed IT runs $130–$180 per user, per month. Because your internal team absorbs Tier 1 and Tier 2, the scope Fusion covers is narrower than a fully managed engagement, so the price is lower. Final pricing is set by user count, the scope of Fusion coverage, and your compliance framework.
Co-Managed
$130–$180
per user / month. Your team keeps the help desk; we add 24/7 NOC, the CISSP-led SOC, Tier 3 escalation, and vCIO reviews.
Fully Managed
$160–$200
per user / month. We run the whole program end to end, no in-house IT staff needed. See managed IT.
Break-fix
$150–$250
per hour, for comparison only. No 24/7 cover, no documentation, no predictable budget.
What sets your co-managed price
- User count. 30 to 300 users. Larger user bases get volume efficiency.
- Scope of Fusion coverage. Security-only, versus security plus after-hours and overflow, versus the full co-managed layer.
- Number of locations. Single-site, multi-site, or remote-first.
- Compliance requirements. OSFI E-21, Ontario PHIPA, SOC 2, or PIPEDA audit prep add documentation scope.
Want your own numbers before you call? Try the IT cost calculator for a directional monthly and annual estimate, no email required.
Free 30-minute scoping call, no sales pressure. Or call: (416) 566-2845
How co-managed onboarding works
The process is built around your existing tools, workflows, and team structure. Nothing changes for your users on day one. Five weeks from signed agreement to fully operational, in three stages.
Documentation audit (weeks 1–2)
A Fusion senior engineer and your IT lead map every system, tool, vendor contract, and escalation point together. The output is a shared IT Glue knowledge base and a signed responsibility matrix that states who owns every domain. No ambiguity, no gaps.
Tool integration (weeks 3–4)
Already on NinjaOne, ConnectWise, or Datto? We work inside your stack. We don’t force a migration. Security tooling like Huntress and SentinelOne layers on top of what you have. Your team reviews and approves every alert-routing rule before the NOC goes live.
Handshake protocols (week 5 on)
Which tickets escalate automatically, which need a call from your lead first, who gets paged at what severity. All documented, tested with a tabletop exercise, and agreed by both teams. From week five the engagement is fully operational and the first quarterly vCIO review is calendared.
From Mike
A 120-seat financial services firm in the GTA had an IT director who was excellent at user-facing support but on call every weekend because nobody else watched the EDR queue. We started a co-managed engagement that left Tier 1 and Tier 2 with the internal team and added Fusion as the 24/7 NOC, security operations, and vCIO layer. The IT director kept day-to-day decision authority and recovered roughly 12 to 15 weekend hours a month. The cyber insurer renewed at flat premium after the first joint review, which had never happened before the handoff.
Mike Pearlstein, CISSP, CEO of Fusion Computing. About Mike
Why businesses with internal IT teams choose Fusion
Fusion Computing has delivered co-managed engagements across Canada since 2012, and about one in three of our clients use this model. Our help desk holds a 93% first-contact resolution rate, against an industry average closer to 70 to 80%. In co-managed that number matters more, not less, because Fusion handles your most complex escalations. A low resolution rate from your co-managed partner creates work for your internal team. We run a 4:1 technician-to-client ratio, where the industry norm sits near 12:1.
A CISSP, not an account manager
Most co-managed providers assign a help-desk account manager. Fusion assigns a CISSP-certified lead to every account. That matters when you need someone who can read an EDR alert, brief your board on an incident, and sign off on compliance documentation.
Proof, not adjectives
Named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies two years running (2024 and 2025). 4.9/5 on Google. 93% first-contact resolution on support tickets. Security operations aligned to SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
Canadian data residency
All client data is processed and stored in Canada, a requirement for regulated industries in Ontario and British Columbia. Three regional offices in Toronto, Hamilton, and Metro Vancouver. Canadian-owned since 2012.
A named account lead
Every co-managed client gets a named lead who attends every review and serves as the single point of contact for your IT manager. No ticket queues, no rotating agents reading your documentation for the first time.
What businesses with internal IT teams say
“We had an IT manager who was exceptional at the help desk but couldn’t keep up with security alerts on top of everything else. Fusion took the security layer and the after-hours monitoring off his plate. Now he focuses on projects and our users get faster support. We haven’t had a security incident since onboarding.”
“Our internal IT team of two was good at keeping the lights on. What we needed was someone senior to present to the board on cybersecurity posture and compliance. Fusion’s vCIO stepped into that role immediately. Our cyber insurer renewed at the same premium after their review, which had never happened before.”
“I was worried Fusion would try to take over from our internal IT person. The opposite happened. They documented everything, built the escalation paths around how we actually work, and my IT manager told me it was the first time he felt like he had real backup. The written responsibility matrix was something we should have done years ago.”
Recent engagements
- Co-Managed IT for a GTA Construction Firm
60% ticket-backlog cut and 97% patch compliance in 90 days. - Scaling a Design Studio: 35 to 205 users
Zero unplanned downtime through a four-month phased deployment. - Marketing Agency Cyber Recovery
Stabilized in 72 hours after a ransomware breach; the gap was closed in week one.
Their staff is very professional, reliable and trustworthy, able to handle absolutely all your IT needs and keeping all your data safe and secure. A must have for any business looking for IT solutions.
Truly a blessing to have them by your side and watching your back while you take care of day to day tasks.
4.9/5 on Google · Named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies, 2024 & 2025.
Who co-managed IT is for (and who it isn’t)
Co-managed works best when you already have internal IT staff who are excellent at the day-to-day but need backup on the pieces that require 24/7 staffing and senior security depth. Most teams cross one of three triggers before they move: the lead is overwhelmed, they’re between IT hires, or a cyber-insurance questionnaire needs evidence the team can’t produce.
✓ Good fit
- 1 to 5 internal IT staff serving 30 to 300 users, capable but structurally thin
- An IT manager who is a strong generalist but not a security specialist
- You need after-hours and vacation coverage without hiring a second shift
- Regulated fields (financial, healthcare, legal, professional services) needing documented controls
- You’re growing and want strategic IT guidance without losing internal ownership
✗ Not a fit
- No internal IT staff. Fully managed IT is the right model.
- 10 or fewer users, too small for co-managed economics
- You need Fusion to be your primary help-desk contact, which is fully managed, not co-managed
Compliance and regulated industries
Regulated industries face requirements that go beyond what a small internal IT team can document on its own. Co-managed IT layers a CISSP-led compliance program on top of your team’s operational knowledge, with the audit artefacts your assessor will request. Each regulated vertical inherits the same standard, with industry-specific regulator mapping.
OSFI E-21 (financial)
Operational-resilience and third-party risk documentation, incident-response testing, and continuous control monitoring for the audit package your assessor requests.
Ontario PHIPA (healthcare)
For Ontario health-information custodians, the technical controls: encryption, access governance, audit logging, and breach-detection capabilities.
SOC 2 audit prep
Change-management logs, access-review records, patch-compliance reports, and incident-response documentation for Type I or Type II readiness.
PIPEDA
Breach-classification and reporting workflows for the OPC notification requirement under Canada’s private-sector privacy law. Bill C-27 is still proposed and not yet enacted, so we plan around what applies today.
The same co-managed engagement runs differently inside a law firm than a clinic, a manufacturer, or a wealth practice. Follow a vertical for the full version: legal IT · healthcare IT · accounting IT · financial services IT · manufacturing IT · all industries.
We run co-managed IT from three regional offices in Toronto, Hamilton, and Metro Vancouver, with one shared change-control system and a defined escalation matrix, plus remote coverage across Ontario, British Columbia, and the rest of Canada.
Frequently asked questions about co-managed IT
Answers from our team. Need more detail? Book a free consultation and we’ll walk through your specific situation.
What is co-managed IT?
Co-managed IT is a service model where an external co-managed MSP works alongside your internal IT team rather than replacing it. The provider fills the parts that require 24/7 staffing, senior security expertise, and specialist depth that a 1-to-5 person team can’t sustain alone: NOC monitoring, security operations, Tier 3 escalation, and vCIO advisory. Your IT lead keeps the help desk, the roadmap, and decision authority.
How is co-managed IT different from fully managed IT?
The deciding factor is whether you have internal IT staff. In co-managed, your team owns Tier 1 and Tier 2 and Fusion adds the 24/7 NOC, security operations, Tier 3 escalation, and vCIO layers. In fully managed, Fusion runs every tier as your IT department. Co-managed runs $130 to $180 per user, per month, versus $160 to $200 for fully managed, because your team absorbs the help-desk load.
How much does co-managed IT cost in Canada?
Co-managed IT runs $130 to $180 per user, per month, for a scope that includes 24/7 NOC monitoring, CISSP-led security operations, Tier 3 escalation, vCIO quarterly reviews, and patch-management backup. Fully managed runs $160 to $200 per user. Break-fix work, for comparison, costs $150 to $250 per hour with no 24/7 cover. Your exact figure depends on user count, the scope you want Fusion to carry, locations, and your compliance framework.
What does a co-managed IT provider do?
A co-managed IT provider delivers the work your internal team can’t staff around the clock or at the specialist depth required. Fusion runs 24/7 NOC monitoring via NinjaOne RMM, CISSP-led security operations with Huntress EDR and SentinelOne XDR, Tier 3 escalation for complex infrastructure and security incidents, virtual CIO strategic advisory with quarterly reviews, and patch-management backup. Your team keeps the help desk, vendor relationships, and final decision authority.
Can co-managed IT work alongside our existing IT person?
Yes, and working alongside your existing IT person is the entire point. Fusion does not replace your IT manager’s decision authority or take over vendor relationships. The first step of every engagement is a written responsibility matrix that states who owns what, so there’s no overlap and no ambiguity. Fusion adds the 24/7 monitoring, security operations, Tier 3 escalation, and vCIO advisory your IT person can’t deliver alone.
Who is co-managed IT for?
Co-managed IT is for Canadian businesses that already have 1 to 5 internal IT staff serving 30 to 300 users. It’s a strong fit for regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, legal, professional services) that need documented controls for OSFI E-21, Ontario PHIPA, PIPEDA, or SOC 2. It’s not the right model if you have no internal IT staff, fewer than 10 users, or need Fusion as your primary help-desk contact. Those situations point to fully managed IT instead.
Can a co-managed provider help with OSFI, PHIPA, and SOC 2?
Yes, and this is where co-managed earns its place for regulated Canadian SMBs. Fusion maintains the audit artefacts your assessor requests: asset inventories, risk registers, incident-response runbooks, access-review records, and patch-compliance reports, mapped to CIS Controls v8.1 and NIST CSF. We cover OSFI E-21 third-party risk and operational resilience, Ontario PHIPA technical safeguards, SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria, and PIPEDA breach reporting to the OPC. Bill C-27 is still proposed and not yet enacted, so we plan around the frameworks that apply to your sector today.
How fast do you respond to critical issues?
Critical tickets run on a 1-hour response SLA, measured from ticket creation to a live human acknowledgement, with 4-hour on-site coverage across the GTA, Hamilton, and Metro Vancouver. In a co-managed engagement, Fusion handles the escalations your internal team routes up, and we hold 93% first-contact resolution across all priorities, against an industry average closer to 70 to 80%. The 7% that need deeper work get a named engineer, not a queue.
How do we get started with co-managed IT?
The first step is a 30-minute assessment call with a senior Fusion consultant, at no charge. We review your user count, internal team structure, current tooling, and the specific gaps you want to fill. From there we scope a co-managed engagement and provide a written proposal within five business days. Onboarding then runs five weeks: documentation audit, tool integration, and handshake protocols, with no user disruption throughout.
Free · No commitment
See if co-managed is the right fit
Tell us your team size, current setup, and the gaps you want to fill. A senior Canadian engineer will tell you whether co-managed makes sense for you and what it would cost. No pressure, no strings.
What does your IT team actually need?
Tell us what’s going on and a senior consultant will follow up within 1 business day. Fusion works with businesses that have an internal IT lead and need a co-managed partner, not one-time fixes. Your team keeps ownership; we carry the on-call burden.
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Useful next reads
Managed IT Services →
Fully managed IT with vCIO, roadmap, and monitoring for businesses without internal IT staff.
IT Support →
Responsive help desk and same-day on-site IT support across Canada.
Cybersecurity Services →
CISSP-led managed detection and response, MDR, and audit-ready compliance documentation.
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