Top 5 Best Co-Managed IT Services in Los Angeles

Co-managed IT can be a strong fit for Los Angeles businesses that already have an internal IT team but need additional capacity. Instead of replacing internal IT, co-managed providers can take on help desk, cybersecurity, patching, backups, monitoring, and specialized projects.

Our top picks are:

• Tech Kooks: Best for affordable remote help-desk augmentation

• AllSafe IT: Best for cybersecurity and established local support

• Alcott Enterprises: Best for fast response times

• Intelecis: Best for cybersecurity and compliance support

• Intelligent Technical Solutions: Best for larger and multi-location organizations

We compared providers based on co-managed capabilities, pricing, local presence, cybersecurity services, company experience, and their ability to complement an existing IT department.

Difference Between Co-Managed and Fully Managed IT Services

The primary difference between co-managed and fully managed IT services is who retains responsibility for daily technology operations. With fully managed IT, the provider effectively becomes the outsourced IT department and may handle support services, cybersecurity, infrastructure, backups, cloud platforms, vendor management, and technology planning.

Co-managed IT uses a hybrid approach in which the internal IT department retains control while an outside provider assumes selected responsibilities. For example, an internal IT director might manage infrastructure, vendors, projects, and strategy while the provider handles remote support, endpoint monitoring, patching, data backups, and managed security.

Cost of Co-Managed IT Services in Los Angeles

Co-managed IT pricing depends heavily on which responsibilities are outsourced, so exact service components are more useful than broad estimates. Tech Kooks publishes plans at $39.99, $49.99, and $59.99 per user per month, while remote and onsite support is $150 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments.

Using those rates, a 50-user business on the $49.99 Professional plan would pay $2,499.50 per month for its user and endpoint stack. Adding 20 hours of technical support would bring the total to $5,499.50 per month, while a 100-user organization using the $59.99 Enterprise plan with 40 hours of technical support would spend $11,999 per month.

The right comparison therefore depends on which services the internal IT department intends to keep and which responsibilities it wants to delegate. A company outsourcing only endpoint management and help desk support will have a very different cost structure from one outsourcing cybersecurity, backups, cloud administration, and after-hours monitoring as well.

Top 5 Best Co-Managed IT Services in LA

1. Tech Kooks: Best for Remote Support Services

Tech Kooks is our first choice primarily for companies that already have internal technology leadership and want to augment their team with affordable remote support services. Tech Kooks provides managed IT services alongside cybersecurity, monitoring, backup, consulting, infrastructure management, and cloud services.

Its model can be particularly useful when an IT director wants to keep strategic control but reduce the amount of time internal employees spend resolving routine tickets. The company publishes three plans:

• Basic: $39.99 per user/month

• Professional: $49.99 per user/month

• Enterprise: $59.99 per user/month

• Remote or onsite support: $150/hour

Professional adds endpoint monitoring, device backup, patch management, antivirus, ransomware detection, and endpoint detection and response. Enterprise adds 24/7 Managed Detection and Response, creating a more complete security layer for businesses that need continuous monitoring.

For a hybrid internal and outsourced IT environment, this pricing structure offers flexibility. An internal IT team can maintain ownership of projects, infrastructure, vendor relationships, and technology planning while Tech Kooks handles repetitive remote support, endpoint maintenance, and security services.

The main drawback is company tenure, as Tech Kooks launched under its current brand in 2026 and has a substantially shorter track record than the other service providers in this comparison. Businesses that prioritize decades of operating history may therefore prefer a more established provider, even if the pricing is higher.

Pros

• Transparent and affordable pricing

• Plans start at $39.99 per user

• Remote support available at $150 per hour

• No advertised onboarding or setup fees

• Strong fit for help-desk augmentation

• Endpoint and data security included in its plans

• Local Los Angeles presence

Cons

• Much newer than most competitors

• Fewer publicly verified company-level certifications

2. AllSafe IT: Best for Security Services

AllSafe IT is an established Southern California provider with more than 20 years of operating history. The company is headquartered in Pasadena and had a 4.8-star Google rating across 63 reviews in our research.

Its managed IT services include co-managed support, cybersecurity, infrastructure, cloud platforms, network management, communications, and automation. AllSafe's security services are one of its strongest differentiators, particularly because the company holds SOC 2 credentials and advertises Microsoft expertise.

That combination can make AllSafe attractive to clients that require stronger technical governance or more formal security controls. A typical co-managed relationship could allow an internal department to retain business applications and technology strategy while AllSafe handles security monitoring, endpoint management, backup, cloud administration, and other operational services.

Its local presence and industry experience may also appeal to organizations in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, construction, nonprofits, hospitality, retail, and professional services. For companies with more complex environments, that breadth can be useful when selecting a long-term co-managed provider.

Pros

• More than 20 years in business

• SOC 2 credentials

• Microsoft expertise

• Established local presence

• Extensive cybersecurity capabilities

• Broad industry experience

• Suitable for clients with more complex environments

Cons

• Exact co-managed pricing is not publicly disclosed

• May provide more services than a small internal department requires

• Potentially less economical for companies seeking primarily basic help-desk support

3. Alcott Enterprises

Alcott Enterprises is a Torrance-based provider founded in 2014, with services that include managed IT services, co-managed support, cybersecurity, infrastructure, cloud technology, backup and recovery, help desk, and virtual technology leadership. The company's main differentiator is responsiveness, particularly for organizations that place a high priority on rapid support.

Alcott advertises service commitments including sub-five-minute response, two-hour onsite arrival, and 99.9% uptime. Those commitments can make the company especially relevant for an IT director whose internal department already has technical expertise but lacks enough employees to consistently respond to every user issue.

An organization could retain responsibility for network architecture, technology strategy, major applications, and business projects while Alcott handles user support, monitoring, cybersecurity, backups, and routine maintenance. Alcott also serves clients across several specialized industries, including legal, manufacturing, hospitality, government, real estate, nonprofits, and other SMB environments.

Pros

• Founded in 2014

• Local Torrance office

• Strong response-time commitments

• Broad technical services

• Co-managed support available

• Experience supporting specialized industries

Cons

• Exact co-managed pricing requires consultation

• Contracts can involve longer commitments

• May cost more than providers offering highly modular support

4. Intelecis

Intelecis is particularly compelling for companies that need cybersecurity expertise rather than simply additional help-desk personnel. Founded in 2010, the Southern California firm offers managed IT services, cybersecurity, compliance, cloud infrastructure, backup and disaster recovery, network management, incident response, and co-managed support.

Its model works well when an internal department has general IT capabilities but needs specialized knowledge around managed security, compliance, threat response, or data protection. For example, an IT director could continue managing internal applications, users, vendors, and infrastructure projects while Intelecis provides security monitoring, technical controls, incident response, and specialized security expertise.

Its experience with healthcare, manufacturing, legal, accounting, engineering, construction, hospitality, and education may also be valuable for organizations where regulatory or industry-specific requirements affect how systems and data are managed. This makes Intelecis particularly relevant for businesses that need deeper security services without fully outsourcing their internal IT function.

Pros

• Founded in 2010

• Strong cybersecurity focus

• Incident response capabilities

• Experience with compliance environments

• Co-managed model available

• Broad industry experience

Cons

• Exact pricing is not published

• Security-heavy approach may exceed the needs of smaller clients

• Headquarters is in Fullerton rather than central Los Angeles

5. Intelligent Technical Solutions

Intelligent Technical Solutions, commonly known as ITS, is the largest company included in this comparison. Founded in 2003, ITS has approximately 201 to 500 employees and offers managed IT services, co-managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud computing, compliance, VoIP, analytics, and AI-related services.

Its size can be particularly valuable to larger clients with multiple offices, more complicated infrastructure, or requirements that extend beyond LA County. ITS also has experience across industries including healthcare, finance, biotechnology, construction, nonprofits, automotive, architecture, and professional services.

The company's published fully managed pricing begins at approximately $135 per user per month, although co-managed services can be tailored according to the responsibilities retained by the client's internal team. That makes ITS a stronger fit for organizations prioritizing scale, depth, and operational coverage rather than simply finding the lowest-cost remote support option.

Pros

• Founded in 2003

• Large engineering and support organization

• Broad managed IT services

• Strong cybersecurity and compliance capabilities

• Appropriate for multi-location clients

• 24/7 support capabilities

• Extensive technical resources

Cons

• Higher published pricing than Tech Kooks

• May be excessive for smaller organizations

• Less focused on a small, local-provider experience

• Co-managed pricing requires customization

How to Divide Services Between Internal IT and a Co-Managed Provider

An IT director should approach co-managed IT by identifying which responsibilities benefit from internal knowledge and which responsibilities can be handled more efficiently by an external team. Functions involving company strategy, budgets, leadership, business applications, and long-term technology planning generally belong internally, while repetitive or highly specialized work may be easier to outsource.

Tasks that require high ticket volume, repetitive maintenance, specialized skills, or 24/7 coverage are often better candidates for outsourcing. The table below shows one possible division of responsibilities between an internal team and a co-managed provider.

For many companies, remote help desk is the easiest place to begin because an internal IT director already understands the company's people, infrastructure, applications, business priorities, and long-term roadmap. It is often inefficient for that person to spend a large percentage of the day handling password resets, printer problems, laptop issues, and routine application requests.

Moving those support services to an external provider can improve efficiency while preserving internal control. The relationship can then evolve over time, with a company initially outsourcing help desk and endpoint monitoring before adding backups, cybersecurity, data protection, cloud administration, or managed security services.

This is one of the major advantages of a tailored co-managed model because the external provider does not need to replace internal IT. Instead, it can fill gaps in staffing, expertise, availability, or technical capacity while the internal team continues to manage the areas where its business knowledge is most valuable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Managed IT Services in Los Angeles

What Are Co-Managed IT Services?

Co-managed IT services involve an outside technology company working alongside an organization's existing IT department. The internal team may remain responsible for strategy, infrastructure, applications, and business technology decisions while the provider handles services such as user support, endpoint management, cybersecurity, backups, cloud administration, or after-hours monitoring.

This creates a hybrid model between fully internal IT and fully outsourced managed IT services. It can be particularly useful for organizations that already have strong technology leadership but need additional capacity or specialized expertise.

Can Managed IT Services Work With an Existing IT Department?

Yes. Co-managed IT is specifically designed for organizations that already have internal technology employees, allowing a provider to supply additional engineers, help-desk personnel, cybersecurity specialists, monitoring technology, or project expertise without replacing the existing department.

This can be particularly effective when the internal team understands the business well but lacks the time or resources to manage every technical responsibility. The internal team continues setting priorities while the service provider contributes additional capacity where it is most useful.

What Support Services Should an Internal IT Team Outsource?

Common support services include Level 1 help desk, password resets, user account problems, endpoint monitoring, patch management, laptop troubleshooting, Microsoft 365 administration, after-hours support, and routine maintenance. These tasks can consume a large amount of internal IT time even when they do not require senior-level technical expertise.

Outsourcing these services can allow experienced internal employees to focus on infrastructure, security, automation, projects, data management, and technology initiatives that have a greater impact on the business. The exact mix should be tailored to the company's staffing, workload, and internal capabilities.

What Security Services Can a Co-Managed Provider Handle?

A provider may handle endpoint detection and response, antivirus, security monitoring, phishing protection, email security, vulnerability management, backup monitoring, incident response, and managed security operations. The internal IT director can still determine security policy while the outside provider handles monitoring and technical execution.

This arrangement can be especially useful for organizations that need 24/7 security services but do not want to build a complete internal security operations team. It can also provide access to specialized tools and expertise that would be expensive to maintain internally.

Is Co-Managed IT Cheaper Than Fully Managed IT Services?

It can be because the company purchases only the services it needs rather than outsourcing the entire IT function. An organization with an experienced IT director, for example, may not need to pay for outsourced strategic leadership and can instead purchase managed IT services covering help desk, endpoints, cybersecurity, backup, and after-hours monitoring.

The economics depend on the division of responsibilities, which is why businesses should compare exact service scope rather than simply comparing monthly prices. A narrowly tailored co-managed engagement can look very different financially from a comprehensive fully managed agreement.

How Does Co-Managed IT Protect Business Data?

Co-managed providers can assist with data backups, endpoint protection, access controls, cloud security, disaster recovery, email protection, and security monitoring. Responsibility for data should be clearly documented so both the internal IT team and the external provider understand their respective obligations.

Internal IT might define retention requirements and access policies while the provider monitors backups, tests recovery systems, and manages the technical tools protecting the data. This division can provide additional protection without requiring the business to give up internal oversight.

Should We Choose a Local Los Angeles Provider?

Local presence can matter when a company regularly needs technicians onsite, particularly for networking projects, hardware installation, office moves, or emergency troubleshooting. A provider with an office in or near LA County may be able to supplement remote services with faster onsite assistance.

Location should not be the only consideration, however. Companies should also evaluate pricing, responsiveness, technical expertise, security capabilities, industry experience, and how well the provider's service model fits the internal department.

What Should We Look for in Co-Managed Service Providers?

Start by defining exactly which responsibilities the internal team wants to retain and which gaps the outside provider is expected to fill. Then compare service providers based on help-desk capabilities, escalation procedures, cybersecurity tools, response commitments, local coverage, contract terms, pricing, documentation, technical expertise, and experience working with internal IT departments.

The best provider is not necessarily the company offering the most services. It is the company that can deliver the right combination of expertise, capacity, efficiency, flexibility, and support around the IT department already in place.