Recent years have seen businesses turning away from traditional physical infrastructure and increasingly adopt the cloud as the backbone of their network. Transitioning to a cloud-based system can be complex, and unless you’re in technology, you may be at a loss as to how you can successfully migrate to the cloud. This is why it is essential that you partner with an experienced cloud managed service provider.
Without comprehensive cloud management, your business is susceptible to security threats, data loss, and costly downtime. Whether you have a multi-tenant or hybrid cloud environment, cloud managed service providers possess extensive cloud knowledge to support your environment, fill in management gaps, and provide cloud compliance services. They can then be essential in providing you with the support that you need to transition to and maintain a cloud-based network, as a managed service provider can take care of your cloud infrastructure so that you can focus on your core business.
Still wondering what exactly cloud managed services providers do, and what the benefits are of working with a cloud managed service provider? Keep reading as we explore what cloud managed services are and the reasons why you should consider partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) to support your cloud infrastructure.
What Are Managed Cloud Services?
Managed cloud services involve outsourcing the daily management of cloud-based IT infrastructure and technical support to a third party. These services aim to automate and optimize business operations. A fully managed cloud service typically includes updates, upgrades, maintenance, security, and help desk support—all handled by the provider, who takes full responsibility for managing and maintaining the organization’s cloud network.
Many internal IT departments often lack the specialized skills needed to effectively monitor and maintain a cloud environment. In these situations, a company will typically hire a third-party cloud managed services provider to manage cloud security, computing, storage, network operations, application stacks, vendors, and more. This allows organizations to maximize the benefits of cloud services without the added hassle and costs of trying to maintain these services in-house. Depending on your IT needs, cloud MSPs can also handle monitoring and reporting, performance testing, backup and recovery, and more.
What is a Cloud Managed Service Provider?
A managed cloud services provider is a third-party vendor that delivers comprehensive cloud management solutions to organizations. These providers usually operate on a subscription basis, offering a wide range of services tailored to an organization’s needs. They can either replace or complement in-house cloud IT teams.
They should also evaluate an organization’s IT landscape to see what needs to be changed, identify areas for improvement, implement required solutions, and manage/update them consistently so that you can focus on your core business without having to worry about your IT infrastructure.
10 Benefits of Cloud Managed Services Providers
Of course, if you are thinking of outsourcing IT management to a cloud managed services provider, you may find yourself wondering what the benefits are of doing so. Why are so many organizations choosing to adopt managed cloud services? Here is a look at just a few advantages of choosing to work with a cloud expert:
1. Cost savings
By outsourcing your cloud managed services, you control and reduce costly network maintenance costs. Staffing a full-time IT department is expensive and often unnecessary for small to medium-sized businesses with simple networks. Outsourcing to a cloud-first managed services provider like Agile IT then can save you thousands of dollars each year compared to the cost of an in-house IT department, as you will no longer have to hire and train IT staff or invest in costly IT infrastructure.
2. Predictable, recurring monthly costs
With the flexibility of cloud managed services, you decide how much you’re willing to pay for IT services, and you will have a consistent monthly bill. With a fixed monthly service plan that’s customized to fit your needs and budget, you optimize the amount you pay for IT support. This can be a relief for small to medium-sized businesses who often struggle with unpredictable and ballooning IT costs. However, by partnering with an MSP, you will know exactly what you can expect to pay each month.
3. Future-proofed technology
Migrating to a cloud environment is the first step in future-proofing your data center. However, cloud technology is constantly evolving, and that means that your network can become obsolete if it’s not updated and upgraded regularly. Unfortunately, keeping up with the rapid rate of innovation in cloud technology can be overwhelming for many businesses, and you may not have the time or money to invest in necessary upgrades. By hiring an in-house IT staff, your IT personnel will have to spend company time training when a new technology or required upgrade gets released. Luckily, once you’ve partnered with a cloud managed services provider, you will not have to worry about constantly trying to keep things updated. Your service provider will have the skills and resources to provide the latest updates and upgrades automatically as they become available, ensuring that you always have access to the latest technology.
4. Network Security
Cyber security is a growing concern for businesses both big and small as the risk of cyber-attacks continues to increase. In fact, in a single 12-month period, Microsoft detected 345 million cyber-attacks against their customers. As your organization migrates to the cloud, it is then more critical than ever that you enhance your cyber security posture, as your cloud network can be susceptible to penetration and compromise if it is not properly secured. Fortunately, cloud managed service providers have the skills and resources to protect your cloud network. They will monitor your organization 24/7 to detect and stop suspicious activity, and they will continuously implement new security measures to help protect your data from being compromised.
5. Robust infrastructure
Cloud MSPs offer a robust network infrastructure with 24/7 management. Depending on your service agreement, a cloud managed service provider can continuously monitor and scan your network for patch requirements, security, and more. Managed service providers can also integrate existing business practices and policies to manage your network to coincide with your organizational goals. Working with a cloud MSP will then help ensure that any cloud resources you select are smoothly integrated into your existing systems.
6. Centralized network services and applications
With a managed cloud network, the provider manages all applications and servers in a central data center. This can provide organizations with several unique benefits compared to storing data on-site including increased network availability. With your network available on the cloud, your remote network users can access centralized data within the same network including virtual services, which can increase productivity for remote workers who can easily access all the data they need. You can even build storage and backup into a centralized network, which can save you time and money.
7. Coverage on all service levels
Cloud MSPs offer better control over service levels, performance, and maintenance. With a comprehensive service-level agreement, your business gains service continuity. The longer you work with a cloud managed services provider like Agile IT, the more familiar they become with your network, leading to faster issue response times.
8. Disaster recovery
Disasters can occur at any time and bring your business to a screeching halt if you do not have a disaster recovery plan in place. Whether you lose data to a flood or a ransomware attack, it is important that you have backups and redundancies in your network so that you can recover quickly after any type of emergency. With cloud managed services, your data will be safe and secured across all cloud services and applications, and your MSP will regularly back up your data in the cloud. This will help minimize downtime in the event of a disaster, as you will be able to quickly retrieve data from backups and restore business operations.
9. Fast response times
When the unexpected happens and you encounter problems with your cloud services, you may not know where to turn. However, with a cloud managed services provider, you get on-demand access to experienced personnel who can help provide support on any issue that you may encounter. When a problem arises, your business can expect quick response times through enterprise-level monitoring and remote cloud services. Regardless of the time of day or night, you will quickly be connected with an industry expert who can access, monitor, and repair virtually any network issue remotely.
10. Vendor interfacing
When vendor-specific service issues arise, cloud managed service providers take care of contacting the third-party vendor on your behalf to resolve them. As a certified Microsoft consulting partner and 4-time Microsoft Cloud Partner of the Year, Agile IT understands the technical questions to ask when communicating issues with cloud vendors including Microsoft and Amazon. We will work with vendors on your behalf to quickly restore service, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
Partner With Agile IT for Managed Cloud Services You Can Trust
Migrating to the cloud can be extremely beneficial for businesses, but it can also be an overwhelming process if your team isn’t very tech-savvy and/or you don’t know what this transition will entail. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through this process alone. Partnering with a cloud managed services provider during your cloud migration ensures you have experts to guide you through the process, helping everything run smoothly and efficiently. They will also be there to provide continuous support, upgrades, and enhancements well after your migration is complete.
If you are considering working with a managed service provider for your cloud migration, look no further than Agile IT. At Agile IT, we empower your business to take control of costs and automate critical processes with tailored cloud solutions. As your cloud managed services provider, we support you by setting up, managing, and securing your cloud environment—giving you the freedom to focus on growing and achieving your goals.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and the benefits of working with a cloud managed services provider.
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Sales@AgileIT.com