How Do Managed Cloud Services Fit Into Your IT Strategy?

Although migrating to the cloud helps consolidate IT resources, many companies fail to fully utilize the cloud post-migration. That’s where managed cloud services come into play.

When you outsource to the cloud, you lose control through a shared infrastructure, which saves money but limits customization. Managed service providers (MSPs) enable you to outsource as much or as little of your IT operations, so you have more control over your infrastructure, similar to having a hosted or parallel data center.

MSPs serve as advisors, not an alternative or full-time staff, to manage your cloud investment and help with your cloud strategy and integration. MSPs also serve as a welcome intermediary between your organization and the public cloud.

The Benefits of Managed Cloud Services

MSPs can deliver value to your company based on how you utilize the cloud. While the cloud allows you to perform the same or similar functions as your on-premises solution with reduced effort and cost, the cloud presents a new set of challenges that managed cloud services can help with.

MSPs can use the cloud to help resolve help desk tickets remotely and quickly. Because managed cloud services should aim to increase production and efficiency, MSPs can leverage the cloud to improve management and increase the volume of tickets resolved each day.

Just because the cloud virtualizes the hardware and software applications needed to operate, doesn’t mean you don’t need help monitoring, installing and maintaining your architecture. MSPs bring experience and knowledge needed to help your company migrate and deploy the best solution for your business.

Why turn to MSPs as part of your cloud strategy?

While the trend is slowly growing, many companies are turning to MSPs to handle part or all of their ongoing cloud needs. Managed services are expanding from email hosting and customer relationship management to complete cloud migrations and ongoing cloud strategy. Cloud MSPs offer expertise not often found in small to midsized companies to help you fully capitalize on your cloud investment.

You gain advanced managed services

Some companies require advanced data analytics, business intelligence and application monitoring beyond help desk and data monitoring. Some MSPs have not yet expanded their capabilities beyond basic managed services. Others like Agile IT provide sophisticated managed cloud services such as cloud networking and security capabilities to meet any business need.

These advanced services can substantially improve the efficiency and reliability of business operations — an attractive benefit for smaller companies. MSPs serve as technical experts that are often expensive to hire fulltime. In some cases, MSPs have become a stable addition to a business model and become a business expense.

MSPs become part of the business plan

As business needs change and cloud computing enhances productivity, several companies are reaping the benefits of cost savings and added revenue. By working with a trusted MSP, you gain an advisor to help you overcome newfound challenges with the cloud, implement security best practices and confidently protect your environment.

MSPs ease the cloud migration process

Simple migration hiccups can cause costly business interruptions, a loss in sales and other disruptions that eat up resources. An MSP can help by suggesting a hybrid, private or public approach to your cloud migration and get you up and running in the cloud faster and for less. After the migration, cloud MSPs also align cloud technologies with your current and future business objectives to help you reach important milestones.

Are you extracting the most value from your cloud investment? Learn about Agile IT’s managed cloud services or schedule a free consultation today.