The Cloud platform is the foundation of a game-changer strategy. However, navigating the complex environment of SaaS, IaaS and PaaS is easier said than done. No matter which level of expertise your organization’s IT department has, there will still be an extensive learning curve and wide-ranging analysis involved, before you can successfully migrate your infrastructure to Cloud and manage it. To smoothen the transition to Cloud infrastructure, efficiently support your application, ensure maximum security, minimize downtime and leverage the scalability that Cloud offers, you must partner with a managed service provider (MSP). This will enable your internal workforce to manage your products/services rather than securing and managing the platform that they run on.
What are Managed Cloud Services?
Managed Cloud Services refer to outsourced IT support for Cloud-based infrastructure and applications as well as the technical support which help to automate processes, improve security and enhance business efficiency. Often, organizations, especially those trying to scale with rapid growth, do not have the necessary resources and skills to ensure proper monitoring and maintenance of Cloud environment. It is here that certified MSPs can assist them with managing Cloud storage, network operations, security, disaster recovery and more.
Reasons why you must avail managed Cloud services when moving to the Cloud
Cloud migration is a complex process, encompassing a number of tasks that will put all your IT capabilities through tests. Any gap in understanding or inaccurate resourcing can lead to expensive mistakes down the line. Partnering with a trusted Managed IT Service (MSP) is the most viable option to make sure that the transition is seamless and that the migration actually improves overall business efficiency. We have made a list of the five key areas where managed services can benefit your business at this crucial stage.
1. Bridging the Knowledge and Technology Gap
Moving to a Cloud-based infrastructure would amplify the efficiency of your existing processes, technologies, enhance your management and security controls. This upgradation calls for both knowledge and skills enhancement that would enable better understanding of the new infrastructure and, in turn, better management. Making the shift to Cloud often proves to be taxing for internal teams, who may already be too encumbered with managing the current infrastructure to effectively prepare for the future. On the other hand, an MSP is already equipped with the scalable infrastructure, expertise and experience of successful on-premise to Cloud migrations. By bridging this gap, the MSP not only helps to reduce the migration time significantly but also ensures a smooth transition with minimized downtime.
2. Strengthening Security
As per research, 82% of IT professionals said they have either already partnered with, or plan to partner with, a managed security service provider. This is because, growing businesses, multi-national organizations and government bodies are often faced with security issues, especially while making the shift to Cloud, where leaked data sometimes become their Achilles heel. Availing the services of a certified MSP, solely dedicated to monitoring and managing your security can enable you to take a proactive approach towards Cloud security instead of a reactive one. An MSP, post an on-site consulting, will conduct thorough assessment of your existing security measures and strategize for the future. Their service would include round-the-clock remote monitoring to detect intrusion and security breaches at the slightest sign of an anomaly and resolving the issue immediately before it can cause serious issue to the organization. Besides vulnerability analysis, intrusion detection with regular penetration testing, software/ hardware technology upgrades, overseeing patch management and upgrades, performing security assessments and audits, responding to emergencies and disaster recovery also fall in the scope of managed security services for Cloud infrastructure.
3. Moving from CapEx to OpEx
The benefit of moving from an on-premise capital expense driven cost model to a Cloud-based expense driven cost model is obvious. However, it definitely needs considerable training, planning and strategizing from the organization’s core team to positively impact the business’ bottom line. Besides selecting the solution that would best suit their business goals, they also need to ensure optimum consumption of the SaaS/IaaS. A managed IT service provider can help with the budgeting and tracking of on-demand or in-use Cloud solution by perfectly modeling out and managing your capacity plans. An MSP will usually offer you a comprehensive OpEx setup that would allow you to pay just one bill without having to worry about underlying costs. Instead of overestimating and spending more, as is often the case with the CapEx setup, the MSP will help you adjust your budget as the solution is scaled to meet the needs of your growing business.
4. Ensuring Better Service and Support
It isn’t just about ensuring minimized downtime while you are moving to the Cloud, it is also about managing the new infrastructure well for maximum efficiency after all the workloads have been migrated. This would require a team with a defined set of skills for service and support. While your current IT team may need time to learn these skills, by availing the services of a managed service provider you will get a dedicated team with the diverse skillset and operational expertise to prioritize, mitigate and resolve a multitude of issues, right from the very start.
5. Improving Internal Team’s Focus
With the daily infrastructural management tasks outsourced, your core team will be free to focus on more important business processes that directly impact the bottom line. Of course, right after the migration, when your staff will need workshops and training from your Cloud management partner to adapt to the operating processes of the new infrastructure. Once the relationships are built and the Cloud strategy has been implemented, your team can focus on growing the business and working towards fulfilling the company’s mission.
In a nutshell, Cloud platforms are the gold standard for ensuring sustainability and success for today’s organizations and Cloud Managed Services are key to bring complex Cloud migration and ongoing Cloud management both technically and financially within the reach of an organization. Outsourcing the management of your Cloud infrastructure to an MSP like Embee can significantly reduce your time to market new solutions while enhancing your business’ efficiency, productivity and scalability. Having built a clientele of 2000+, completed 300+ Cloud projects, migrated over 300,000 users to the Cloud and won more than 25 national and global awards, Embee is one of the top 3 Cloud Partners in the country.
