Co-Managed IT vs. Managed IT: What’s the Difference?

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When it comes to IT support, businesses no longer have to choose between handling everything in-house or outsourcing all operations. Today’s organizations can opt for a solution that matches their needs, budget, and internal resources. Two popular options are Managed IT Services and Co-Managed IT—but what’s the difference, and which is right for your business?

At iVenture Solutions, we specialize in helping businesses make the most of their IT investments. Here’s a closer look at both models and how to determine which is the best fit.

What Is Managed IT?

Managed IT is a fully outsourced approach. Your business relies on a dedicated provider like iVenture to manage every aspect of your technology environment. From day-to-day support to long-term strategy, the IT partner becomes your full-service team.

This model is ideal for companies without internal IT staff or for those looking to eliminate the burden of hiring, training, and managing a technical team. Managed IT ensures your systems are secure, supported, and scalable—without the overhead of building your own department.

With managed services, you gain 24/7 support, proactive monitoring, cybersecurity protection, and access to expert guidance—all for a predictable monthly cost.

What Is Co-Managed IT?

Co-Managed IT is a collaborative model. Instead of replacing your internal IT team, it strengthens it. iVenture works side-by-side with your staff to support your infrastructure, handle overflow tasks, and provide expert-level guidance where it’s needed most.

This partnership allows your internal team to stay focused on strategic projects while we fill in the gaps—whether that means monitoring systems, managing cybersecurity, or providing advanced technical support.

Co-managed services are especially beneficial for businesses with a small IT staff that may be stretched thin or looking for help with specialized areas.

Which Is Right for You?

If your business doesn’t have internal IT resources or needs end-to-end support, Managed IT may be the better fit. It offers simplicity, consistency, and peace of mind knowing your entire environment is handled by experts.

If you already have an IT team but need to expand capabilities, reduce stress, or tackle complex challenges, Co-Managed IT can deliver the right blend of control and support. You keep your team in place while gaining access to the tools, talent, and technologies of a full-service provider.

Why iVenture?

At iVenture Solutions, we understand that no two businesses are the same. That’s why our IT services are designed to scale with your needs—whether you’re starting from scratch or supplementing a growing internal team.

We offer more than just technical support. We become your strategic partner, helping you make smarter decisions that align with your goals and fuel growth. Whether you choose managed or co-managed IT, our mission remains the same: to provide world-class service and eliminate IT headaches for good.

iVenture Solutions is a Florida based managed service provider offering nationwide coverage.  Gain peace of mind with iVenture Solutions, where your technology needs are secure and expertly managed. Our team delivers seamless IT solutions that keep your operations running smoothly and position your business for future success. Contact us today to discover how our customized services can help you achieve more and worry less.

What businesses need to know about cyber insurance in 2025

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Cyber insurance was once an optional add-on for business. It’s now becoming a requirement.

With cyber incidents rising dramatically and the potential for significant financial loss, cyber insurance acts as a critical safety net. It’s no longer a question of if you’ll be hacked, but when you’ll be hacked. What you have in place today could be the difference between staying in business or shutting down tomorrow.

We’ve seen first-hand how AI can drive efficiency and innovation. But we also recognize that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Businesses need to critically look at their operational needs before deciding how AI fits into their strategy.

The biggest misconceptions about cyber insurance

Many businesses assume they are covered under their existing insurance policies, but cyber liability is often a separate item. They also assume that working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) means automatic coverage. It doesn’t. Each business needs its own policy.

Additionally, businesses often rush through cyber insurance forms, checking boxes without fully understanding the requirements. If you can’t prove you have the necessary technologies and processes in place, your claim may be denied. This is why reviewing your policy with an expert is essential.

How the cyber insurance market has evolved

In 2025, the total economic impact of cybercrime in the US is estimated to be $350 billion, according to industry projections. Reported losses alone are climbing to nearly $15 billion.

Since 2021, the number of businesses affected by cybercrime has risen by nearly 70%. This is caused by increasingly sophisticated attacks such as phishing. These scams have surged and are fuelled by AI which helps craft highly customized and convincing emails.

Obviously, this escalation has also led to a surge in cyber insurance claims, prompting insurers to enforce stricter requirements such as multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, and regular training. Premiums are rising, coverage limits are tightening, and exclusions are growing, making it critical for businesses to stay proactive and informed in order to secure affordable protection.

Most common cyber insurance claims

The most common claims businesses are submitting for cyber insurance include:

  • Ransomware attacks: Demands for ransom payments after systems are encrypted.
  • Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent email schemes leading to unauthorized fund transfers.
  • Data breaches: Exposure of sensitive customer or employee information.
  • Phishing attacks: Social engineering tactics to steal credentials and gain access.
  • Third-party vendor breaches: Security incidents involving external service providers. These common claims highlight the critical need for businesses to implement strong cybersecurity measures to reduce risk and secure favorable insurance terms.

What to consider when choosing a cyber insurance policy

When selecting a cyber insurance policy, businesses should consider key factors such as:

  • Coverage limits: Ensure the policy covers the potential financial impact of breaches, including legal fees, recovery costs, and reputational damage.
  • Exclusions: Understand what is not covered, such as certain types of attacks, outdated systems, or inadequate security measures.

Incident response requirements: Some policies require businesses to have an incident response plan in place, including specific tools and processes for managing breaches. Evaluating these elements helps businesses choose a policy that not only meets their needs but also aligns with their cybersecurity posture and risk tolerance.

Proactive steps to reduce cyber risk

Cyber insurers spend millions researching the best software and services to mitigate losses. Even if you don’t have cyber insurance yet, adopting these guidelines which are easily accessible online can protect your business and prepare you for future coverage. Listening to the experts ensures your defenses are aligned with industry best practices.

How iVenture can support your business 

We work with clients to create comprehensive IT roadmaps, including cybersecurity protections that meet insurance standards. We also help clients ensure their forms are accurate and advise on cost-effective ways to meet insurer requirements.

We have an in-house Security Operations Center that is led by our Chief Information Security Officer. They ensure we stay up to date with industry changes and help our clients do the same. With a dedicated team of cybersecurity professionals, we can confidently provide guidance, protect our clients, and remediate incidents when and if they occur.

Invest in cyber insurance today. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

AI for business: turning complexity into opportunity

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It’s not one size fits all with AI tools. These AI use cases demonstrate how to successfully integrate AI into your business.

AI has transformed our entire world. It has reshaped industries, enhanced productivity, and expanded human capacity. But with its immense promise comes complexity and uncertainty. For many businesses, AI feels like the early days of cloud computing. While it was an exciting opportunity, it was also full of questions about implementation, application, and impact.

We’ve seen first-hand how AI can drive efficiency and innovation. But we also recognize that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Businesses need to critically look at their operational needs before deciding how AI fits into their strategy.

A Modern industrial revolution

Similarly to how the Industrial Revolution expanded our ability to mass produce, AI is enhancing our capacity to process, analyze, and act. And while its potential is immense, businesses shouldn’t view it as the ultimate solution to every problem. It’s a tool – one that’s most effective when used thoughtfully and strategically.

Before jumping into AI, businesses should first evaluate:

  • Their current operational challenges.
  • The processes that could benefit from automation or enhanced analysis.
  • Whether AI is the most suitable solution or if other tools would suffice.

Off-the-shelf 

Many business applications are already incorporating AI functionality – knowing it’s vital to staying ahead. Here are two examples from our own experience:

  1. Ticketing
    Our team uses an AI-powered tool to streamline client interactions and ticket management. It categorizes and prioritizes tickets in real-time based on urgency and impact – following ITIL standards. It also auto-generates time entries and allows us to quickly filter through ticket histories. This task previously consumed hours of manual effort. The result is more time and ability to use our expertise in order to solve our clients’ problems efficiently.
  2. Learning  and development
    AI has changed how we create training materials. By uploading various types of content such as videos, PDFs, or images, and inputting specific prompts, the software can transcribe, analyze, and generate simple or comprehensive training courses with flashcards, quizzes, and more. This capability has dramatically increased the volume and quality of the training we produce. It has saved us a lot of time and increased our capacity to develop employees.

Custom solutions 

While off-the-shelf tools can address common challenges, some businesses need a more tailored approach. Custom AI solutions are incredibly powerful but require a clear understanding of the specific problem that needs to be solved. Their success depends on precise task definition and collaboration with experts to build and refine the solution.

For example, we’ve collaborated with a custom AI developer to track our ticketing data. Here’s how it works:

Customer sentiment analysis: The AI evaluates our interactions with customers to gauge sentiment and identify behavior patterns.

Proactive relationship management with AI insights: By analyzing historical ticket data, our AI identifies early signs of potential relationship challenges with clients. These subtle indicators, often unnoticed in day-to-day interactions, serve as early alerts, enabling us to intervene proactively.

With these insights, we can address concerns before they escalate, ensuring that small issues don’t grow into significant problems. This approach strengthens client relationships, enhances trust, and fosters long-term loyalty, all while improving overall customer retention. By catching and resolving relationship challenges early, we create opportunities to not only retain clients but also deepen their confidence in our partnership.

Beyond big-names

When most people think of AI, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini usually come to mind. While these tools are impressive and reputable, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. The real game-changer is how everyday business applications are integrating AI capabilities and allowing companies to stay competitive.

At iVenture, we specialize in guiding businesses through the fog of AI. We help them navigate its complexities and uncover its potential. Whether you’re exploring automation, enhancing efficiency, or gathering customer insights, we’re here to help.

Let’s get started. 

Practical steps and expert insights to integrate AI into your business

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Thinking about AI? Let’s compare two popular tools and review when and how to integrate them into your business.

Businesses typically innovate to increase revenue, reduce costs and mitigate risks. With the rise of AI, companies now have an even greater opportunity to achieve these goals. Because not only can the tool swiftly enforce improved processes, it can help organizations reach unprecedented levels of accuracy, efficiency and ultimately success.

Let’s explore how to integrate AI into your operations and workflow, and the best applications for your needs. We’ll dive into a comparison between two popular AI applications – ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot; share insights on how to pick the right AI projects; and feature real-life examples of businesses that have successfully implemented AI and the outcomes achieved.

A comparison of ChatGPT and Copilot
Understanding the differences between ChatGPT and Copilot is the key to deciding on how to use each tool and for what purpose. Let’s explore some of their features:

Copilot by Microsoft ChatGPT by OPenAI
Platform Integrated directly into Microsoft applications like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, Word. Standalone AI, not limited to specific software; customizable and integrable into various applications.
Capabilities Automates tasks, generates content, analyzes data, summarizes emails and meetings. Drafts emails, creates content, provides customer support, ability to drag and drop attachments for summaries.
Ease of use Integrated within tools businesses use daily; contextual and easy to use in Microsoft products. More versatile and interactive; easier to interact with and get information from. Better at summarizing and analyzing documents and extracts data more effectively.
Customization Limited customization within Microsoft apps. Highly customizable; can fine-tune for specific needs and use in multiple software environments.
Interaction Not as fluid in terms of conversation style as ChatGPT. Human-like interaction; can act as a persona for specific tasks.
Data privacy Data remains within Microsoft’s secure ecosystem. Free version data is viewable globally; customized version keeps data local to users.
Prompts Requires specific prompts to be effective. Requires highly specific prompts for accurate output.
Cost $20/user/month for license $25/user/month for the team version (for data privacy)

 

In terms of security, Microsoft Copilot is generally more secure by default because it operates entirely within Microsoft’s infrastructure, thus benefiting from its strong security and compliance standards. ChatGPT can be secure in customized versions and offer better control over data privacy, but the free version includes more risk since the data can be accessed globally by anyone.

Overall, from a user standpoint, Copilot is easier to use because it is built directly into familiar tools like Word, Excel, and Teams that businesses already use- they don’t need to switch platforms or learn a new interface. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is easier for general-purpose tasks. It’s conversational, and offers natural, human-like interactions and a broader range of applications.

Deciding how and when to use each tool
Clearly think about where your business should spend its time and money in terms of AI. For example, businesses should use Microsoft Copilot for automating tasks and enhancing productivity within the familiar Microsoft Office suite, where it offers strong data privacy and seamless integration. It’s ideal for companies that prioritize workflow efficiency and security in tools they are already familiar with like Word, Excel, and Teams. ChatGPT is better for versatile tasks like customer service, content creation, and personalized communication, because it offers more flexibility and customization.

Establishing a clear AI policy is essential to ensure proper use, data security, and maximum benefit from both tools.

How to pick the right AI projects and when does it make sense for your business?
Businesses should prioritize projects based on impact versus effort. Select ones with high potential ROI and low implementation difficulty – such as off-the-shelf solutions that already exist. For complex, high-impact needs, consider custom AI development to tailor solutions for specific workflows.

Consider the following questions when deciding on whether AI can be integrated into your business:
1) Does the problem you’re trying to solve have a clear-cut answer that can be easily answered by AI?
2) Is the task time-consuming i.e. does something need to be summarized, automated, or analyzed?
3) Does the task include complex patterns that AI can analyze quickly?
4) Is the task repetitive?
5) Do you have enough data to automate this task?
6) Is there an off-the-shelf solution or should we consider a customizable one?
7) Who would the stakeholders be?
8) Are there obstacles to implementing AI?
9) What’s the potential ROI?

All in all, think about how much time you’re spending on a certain task and how much human expertise it takes. If it’s easy to train a person on the task, it will be just as easy to train a computer and will result in high ROI.

Case study on how an off-the-shelf AI solution helped:
The problem: Employees at a health center had to manually transcribe hundreds of thousands of patient phone calls every month.
Goal: Go from a 5% automation rate to a 30% automation rate without losing any content.
Results: Delivering 60% automation. Faster and more accurate than a human. Freed up 4-5 people from manual work.

Case study on how a customized AI solution helped:
The problem: A document processing software company needed to correctly process, and route submitted claims.
The goal: Automate 90% of forms with only 5% error.
Result: Automated and correctly routed 96% of forms without human intervention.

As you consider integrating AI into your business, remember that the right tools can be the difference between staying competitive and falling behind. Start by identifying processes where AI can help automate tasks, improve efficiency, or enhance the customer experience, and evaluate the expected business impact against the resources required. Of course, effective AI governance is crucial as is ensuring alignment between AI initiatives and business goals.

Now is the time to explore how AI can transform your business. We too recognize its power and have seen the benefits firsthand. We can help you choose the right solution, guide you through the integration process, and ensure your organization achieves the best results. Contact us for a thorough assessment.

2024 Technology Trends

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Navigating the changing tech landscape can feel daunting at times, but iVenture is here to help you make sense of it all. We’re constantly exploring ways to enhance, invigorate, and leverage all this innovation, offering even more ways for businesses to optimize their IT. To that end, we’re exploring some of the emerging trends for 2024, shining a light on the tapestry of both existing technology and behaviors in the IT space that are set to be critical in the coming year, and new innovations gaining attention.