Co-Managed IT Services for Canadian Businesses
Co-managed IT services give your internal IT team the backup they need without taking over. Sometimes called augmented IT support or hybrid IT support, this model lets Fusion Computing handle monitoring, security, after-hours coverage, and overflow tickets while your IT lead stays in charge.
One partner for security, monitoring, and backup support; built for Canadian businesses with 30–150 employees.
Named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies two years running (2024 & 2025). See our certifications →
Co-managed IT services for Canadian businesses
Fusion Computing is a Canadian co-managed IT services provider delivering augmented IT support and hybrid IT support from three regional offices in Toronto, Hamilton, and Metro Vancouver, with remote coverage for clients across Ontario, British Columbia, and the rest of Canada.
Regional offices
Toronto · Hamilton · Vancouver
Canadian-owned since 2012. Remote coverage nationwide. On-site capability across the GTA, Hamilton area, and Metro Vancouver.
SMB niche focus
30–150 users · your IT lead stays in charge
Co-managed IT provider for Canadian SMBs that already have an internal IT lead. Fusion Computing fills the security stack, 24/7 monitoring, and overflow-ticket gaps.
Compliance coverage
PIPEDA · PHIPA · CIS Controls v8.1
CISSP-led security overlay that holds up for legal, accounting, healthcare, and professional-services clients. Canadian data residency.
What makes co-managed different from fully-managed IT
A co-managed engagement is not a junior version of fully-managed IT. The structural difference shows up in five operating practices that are absent from a fully-managed contract by design.
1. Your IT lead stays the decision authority.
In a co-managed engagement, your internal IT manager owns the technology roadmap, the vendor selection, the project priorities, and the budget. Fusion takes the work the internal lead delegates — not the work Fusion thinks should be delegated. That is the inverse of a fully-managed engagement, where Fusion is the IT department.
2. Written responsibility matrix in week one.
Every co-managed engagement opens with a two-week assessment that produces a written responsibility matrix: who runs the help desk by tier, who patches what, who is on-call after hours, who signs off on changes, who renews vendor contracts. The matrix is reviewed quarterly and revised as the internal team grows or the scope shifts. Fully-managed engagements skip this artifact because Fusion owns everything by default.
3. Tool coexistence, not tool replacement.
If your internal IT team already runs NinjaOne RMM, ConnectWise Manage PSA, Datto BCDR, IT Glue documentation, or another vendor stack, Fusion works inside it. Co-managed clients keep their existing tooling investments. We do not force a tool migration as a condition of engagement. The fully-managed engagement model is the opposite — tooling standardization is part of the value proposition.
4. Overflow-ticket handoff via PSA, not parallel ticketing.
Co-managed tickets handed to Fusion route through the client’s PSA (typically ConnectWise Manage or HaloPSA) with a documented escalation script: tier-1 stays internal, tier-2 with after-hours timestamps routes to Fusion, security-event triage routes to Fusion regardless of hour. The internal IT lead sees the same ticket history Fusion sees, in one system. There is no parallel ticketing layer.
5. Named CISSP-led security overlay separate from help desk.
The co-managed security program has its own named CISSP-certified lead distinct from the help-desk account lead. This separation matters because most internal IT teams are excellent at help-desk operations and short on dedicated security capacity. The CISSP overlay is the part of co-managed that is hardest for an internal team to staff — CIS Controls v8.1 alignment, EDR / XDR tuning, vulnerability-management cadence, incident-response runbooks, security-awareness training program. That overlay is the thing co-managed clients buy when they cannot justify a full-time CISO.
A fully-managed engagement collapses these five practices into Fusion ownership of the entire stack. A co-managed engagement keeps them as five distinct operating contracts between Fusion and the client’s internal IT team. If you have an internal IT lead who runs the day-to-day well but is short on after-hours coverage and security-program depth, co-managed is the right fit. If you do not have an internal IT lead at all, fully-managed is.
What Co-Managed IT Services Include
Your IT person handles the day-to-day. In other words, Fusion Computing takes on the work that one person can’t keep up with: round-the-clock watching, security tools, vendor calls, and extra help when tickets pile up.
24/7 Monitoring
We watch your servers, laptops, and network around the clock using NinjaOne RMM. Alerts go to our team 24/7 so your IT person isn’t the only one on call.
Security Stack
Huntress EDR, SentinelOne XDR, and Fortinet firewalls, all lined up with CIS Controls v8.1. A CISSP-certified lead keeps an eye on everything.
Overflow Tickets
When your team is swamped, Fusion Computing picks up the harder tickets through ConnectWise PSA. Clear handoff steps keep response times on track.
After-Hours Support
Evenings, weekends, and holidays are covered. If something breaks at 2am, we handle it. Your IT lead gets a clear summary the next morning.
How Co-Managed IT Works
Your IT person stays in charge. Fusion Computing adds extra hands, know-how, and around-the-clock coverage so nothing falls through the cracks.
We look at your setup, tools, and day-to-day workflows. If you already use NinjaOne, we work right inside it. No forced tool swaps.
In the first two weeks, we write down who does what. Fusion Computing takes on watching, security, patching, and after-hours. Your team keeps projects, user help, and business apps.
A named account lead meets with your IT person on a set schedule. The scope changes as your business grows. No turf wars.
Why Fusion Computing for Co-Managed IT
Fusion has been running co-managed setups since 2012. Today, about one in three of our clients use this model. Here’s what sets us apart from other providers.
Tech-to-client ratio (industry avg is ~12:1)
Certified lead on every account
Google review rating across 500+ clients
First-contact resolution rate
Co-Managed IT vs. Fully Managed IT
Co-managed IT keeps your internal team in charge while Fusion Computing fills the gaps. In contrast, fully managed means Fusion Computing runs everything. Here’s how they compare side by side.
| Factor | Fully Managed | Co-Managed |
|---|---|---|
| Internal IT role | None (MSP handles all) | Retains ownership of strategy |
| Cost per user/month | $180–$250 | priced separately based on scope |
| Best for | No IT staff | 1–3 person IT team |
| Escalation path | MSP help desk | Internal IT + MSP tier 2/3 |
| Knowledge retention | MSP builds from scratch | Internal team preserves context |
Need the full outsource model? See fully managed IT services →
Co-Managed IT Pricing
priced separately based on scope/user/month
What you pay depends on how many users you have, how much Fusion Computing takes on (after-hours, security, overflow), and how many offices you run. We price each deal after a free look at your setup so you don’t pay for things you don’t need.
I called Fusion in a panic at 9pm on a Friday. By Monday morning our team walked in and got back to work like nothing happened. Every file recovered. No ransom paid.
Sandra M. , CEO, Industrial Supply Company, Mississauga
We went from 35 to 70 employees in under a year. Every new hire needed a laptop, accounts, and security configured within 48 hours. Fusion handled every onboarding without us having to micromanage it.
Priya R. , Operations Director, GTA
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.
Who Co-Managed IT Is For
Co-managed IT support works best when you already have one or more people handling IT in-house. Whether you call it augmented IT, hybrid IT support, or co-managed services, the principle is the same: your team leads, Fusion Computing fills the gaps. If any of the items below sound like your situation, this model is a good fit.
- You have 1–3 IT staff who are stretched thin on projects, tickets, and security
- Your IT person is strong on business apps but needs security or infrastructure depth
- You want after-hours coverage without hiring a second shift
- You're growing and your single IT generalist can't scale with the business
- You need an IT partner who won't try to displace your internal team
Frequently Asked Questions
Pure managed IT (without an internal team) in your city: managed IT services in Toronto, managed IT services in Vancouver, and managed IT services in Hamilton. If you do not have internal IT staff to co-manage with, those fully outsourced programs are the right starting point.
Why co-managed IT fits the Canadian SMB market: Statistics Canada reports that 97.9% of Canadian employer businesses are small or medium sized, and most run with one or two internal IT staff who cannot realistically cover 24×7 incident response on their own. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security puts ransomware as the top cyber threat to Canadian organizations, with small and medium businesses disproportionately targeted because of thin staffing and weak after-hours coverage. ISED data on digital adoption shows internal IT teams are stretched across cloud migration, Microsoft 365 governance, and compliance work at the same time, which is exactly the gap a co-managed model fills by layering CISSP-led security operations and overflow helpdesk on top of the internal team rather than replacing it. Sources: statcan.gc.ca, cyber.gc.ca, ised-isde.canada.ca.
Below are the questions we hear most from IT leaders thinking about a co-managed setup. If yours isn't listed, reach out and we'll answer it.
What Does Your IT Team Actually Need?
Every business has a different IT setup. If you're not sure whether co-managed is the right fit, book a 20-minute call with a senior consultant. We'll talk through your needs at no charge.
Tell us what's going on and a senior consultant will get back to you within 1 business day. Or visit our contact page to book a call now.
Fusion delivers co-managed IT from our Hamilton, Toronto, and Vancouver offices. For dedicated IT support in Hamilton, see our local page.
Related Resources
Last reviewed: April 2026. Fusion Computing
How co-managed IT splits work between your team and ours
Co-managed IT services supplement your existing internal IT team with 24/7 monitoring, advanced cybersecurity tooling, specialist skills (cloud, security, compliance), and surge capacity – without replacing in-house staff. Fusion Computing provides co-managed IT for Canadian SMBs with internal IT leads, typically from $130/user/month depending on scope.
According to 2024 MSP industry research, co-managed IT is the fastest-growing segment in Canadian IT services – up 41% year-over-year as internal IT teams face cybersecurity workload that exceeds their bench strength.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2025 Canadian Survey of Cyber Security and Cybercrime, 43% of Canadian organizations were targeted by a cyber attack in the last 12 months – most internal IT teams lack the 24/7 coverage required to respond in time.
According to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, ransomware attacks now typically move from initial access to impact in under 24 hours – faster than most internal IT teams can detect without supplemental MDR.
IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach report found, organizations with integrated security operations between internal and external teams contained breaches 74 days faster than peers operating in siloes.
“Co-managed IT is where most Canadian SMBs should sit: retain the internal IT lead who knows the business, layer on the CISSP-led security controls, 24/7 monitoring, and specialist skills you can’t justify hiring for. Two teams, one accountability chain, and the internal lead stays senior.” – Mike Pearlstein, CISSP, CEO, Fusion Computing
