Co-Managed IT: Level 3.5 Support in Action
Co-managed IT is all about partnership. One of our clients, a national company with its own internal IT manager, engaged us for advanced support with their network security. They were in the middle of deploying next-generation firewalls across their branches, including configuring IPsec VPNs, when they hit a wall. The internal IT team had documentation we provided and were hands-on with the install, but an unexpected error during the firewall configuration was beyond their familiarity. They called on our expertise to back them up â this is where "Level 3.5" support comes into play (going above and beyond typical Level 3 help).
The Challenge
The firewall refused to fully commit its new configuration due to some template and object issues. The client's engineer encountered a cryptic error and some networking settings that weren't applying correctly. On a call together, we quickly diagnosed the problems. One issue was a duplicated IP object that appeared in two sections of the config, causing a conflict. Another was related to inherited template values in their central management â a nuanced setting that needed a specific "force push" to override defaults.
While troubleshooting, we also discovered a quirk: the firewall had two subscription bundles assigned when it should have had one, leaving one device without proper security subscriptions. This licence mix-up wasn't immediately solvable on the spot, but we flagged it for the vendor to fix.
Our Level 3.5 Support
We guided the client's IT manager through each hurdle in real time. We showed them how to use the "force template values" option in the firewall management to resolve the template sync issue (and updated our documentation to highlight this step for future installs). We removed the duplicate IP object entry from one section and confirmed the configuration commit succeeded after that cleanup.
To address the licence issue, we gave a recommendation: proceed with the deployment but get the spare subscription issue corrected by raising a support ticket with the firewall vendor (so their next site wouldn't hit the same snag). After implementing these fixes, the firewall configuration was successfully applied and the branch's VPN tunnel came online.
Throughout the process, we not only solved the problems but also explained the why behind them, turning it into a mini training session.
Outcome
The client's IT team was able to move forward confidently â the new firewall was up and running securely, and they gained valuable knowledge in the process. We sent over an updated configuration guide with all the adjustments we made (removing a duplicate step, clarifying settings, adding versioning to the doc, etc.) so that their documentation stays aligned with the real-world environment.
This co-managed engagement demonstrated the power of having an expert partner "on call" for those hairy issues. The internal IT manager remarked that having us to fall back on gave him the assurance to tackle projects that previously felt daunting. In short, our collaborative effort not only resolved the immediate firewall issues but also empowered the client's team with new skills and a stronger comfort level for future network changes.
That's the essence of co-managed IT â leveraging external expertise to amplify internal capabilities, seamlessly and without finger-pointing. Result: a securely configured network and a happy client who felt supported every step of the way.
What is Level 3.5 Support?
Level 3.5 support goes beyond typical Level 3 escalation by providing:
- Strategic Expertise: Access to senior engineers and architects for complex problems
- Design Validation: Review and validation of network designs before implementation
- Real-Time Guidance: Live troubleshooting and problem-solving during deployments
- Knowledge Transfer: Explaining the "why" behind solutions, not just the "how"
- Documentation Updates: Ensuring documentation reflects real-world learnings
Benefits of Co-Managed IT
- Confidence to Tackle Complex Projects: Internal teams can take on challenging deployments knowing expert support is available
- Faster Problem Resolution: Complex issues are resolved quickly with senior-level expertise
- Skill Development: Internal teams learn from experts, building capabilities over time
- Reduced Risk: Expert oversight helps prevent costly mistakes and security gaps
- Documentation Quality: Real-world experience improves deployment guides and procedures
Ready to enhance your IT team with Level 3.5 support? Contact Vee Tech to discuss how co-managed IT services can augment your team's capabilities.