Modern businesses depend on data for many of their strategic decisions. While technology can render massive assistance, security threats—not to mention constantly evolving IT requirements—can result in disruptive downtimes. This is where engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be hugely beneficial in smoothening processes in the cloud as well as optimizing cost and managing security challenges. MSPs are proving key to helping businesses get the most from their clouds, hybrid or public or on-premises. This article takes a closer look to understand why MSPs have become so indispensable.
Cost Optimization
Maintaining infrastructure in-house involves huge cost overheads, since you will be spending on acquiring tools and training in a manner that offers no economies of scale. This can be prohibitive for smaller businesses. Using the services of an MSP limits these costs as the MSP already has the tools you need and the resources needed to set up and maintain your infrastructure. Furthermore, you only pay for what you use and for the time you use it. This effectively reduces your OPEX and conserves capital, which can be spent of more urgent business needs. For medium and small organizations this spells significant savings in costs.
Infrastructure Optimization
Building and maintaining network infrastructure can be a complex process, involving many components and process that must be maintained and monitored for smooth functioning. This calls for continuous spends. When you partner with an MSP, a substantial portion of this responsibility is taken off, and so are the expenses. Migrating legacy business processes to the cloud can be a complicated affair; MSPs simplify and streamline it, helping you meet your business goals with more integrated business strategy. The MSP is responsible to provide 24×7 management services to ensure the infrastructure is secure and running at optimal levels. This ensures availability, reduces expense and removes responsibility and provides more scope to diversify and focus on core business needs.
Simplifying Processes
Every process and task has a dependency or effect on the rest of your infrastructure, so every decision you take to manage any discrete aspect of your infrastructure has an effect on any number of linked processes. Sorting out this complexity in the face of the constant need for updates and upgrades demands massive effort in monitoring and effecting change management. The ideal MSP takes over this responsibility, providing process, infrastructure and expertise to handle any problem that may crop up in day-to-day routines.
DM & DR
Loss of data or server failure is a nightmare that haunts businesses, especially those that operate their IT infrastructure on-premises. Any failure could adversely affect day-to-day operations and compromise growth. For them ensuring data recovery processes and tools are operational all year round is another expense. With an experienced MSP on the job, even the most catastrophic situation can be handles with minimal downtime.This is huge advantage in the list of benefits that come from using managed services on the cloud.
Automatic Upgrades
Information Technology is a dynamic industry with new technologies, tools and trends being released by the hour. Some require nothing more that a tweak or two, but others can call for major upgrades or new solution integrations, whatever is needed to keep up with changing business needs or regulatory compliances.
With a capable MSP at the helm, you can navigate these changes with minimal disruption, and without the cost of having to re-train your workforce or disrupt business.
Total Responsiveness
Be it a new requirement or an anomaly, quick response time is the difference between business as usual and a technological catastrophe. Partnering with a reliable MSP, ensures any unexpected development will be flagged and dealt with asap.
One of the key responsibilities of an MSPs is constant enterprise-level monitoring. This scrutiny is pre-empts problems, and detects anomalies before they grow into a security threats and/or compliance issue.
Augmented Workforce (As Needed)
With changing technologies comes the need for a workforce with the proficiency to deliver. This can mean the need to keep supplementing your workforce—a time-effort-cost intensive affair. Partnering with a qualified MSP gives you direct access to talent—with the certifications and experience to match—so you have a ready pool of talent whenever you need it.
24×7 Management
In a world where downtime can spell major losses, constant supervision is the key to business continuity. Working with a qualified and experienced MSP ensures your infrastructure is constantly monitored and requirements taken care of as they arise—such as updates or security patches or audits.
With your infrastructure under close scrutiny you can be sure that desired compliances are met, in a manner that syncs with your own business goals.
Free up Resources
A qualified and experienced MSP keeps 24×7 watch on your all your IT infrastructure and systems in the cloud, so you never have to be concerned about failure. Updates, and maintenance are handled routinely too. This effectively frees your organization’s resources from infrastructure- and process-related responsibilities, so they can focus on core business activities like product/services innovation, sales and growth.
Central Control
Your MSP uses a centralized data center (inside the cloud network) to manage your servers and applications. This also enables remote users to gain easy access to centralized data. It also allows storage and backup on the centralized network. So you can be sure of availability under any circumstance.
Conclusion
As we have seen, there are many benefits to partnering with the right MSP; however, the key word here is ‘right’. Choosing the right MSP for your business is critical to gaining all the advantages that the cloud offers.
Need help with your cloud? Teleglobal can help. As partners to AWS, Azure & GCP, we have the expertise and across-industry knowledge to help you meet your cloud goals, quickly and cost-effectively. Schedule a meeting with us today to learn more.
