As the world limits physical movement, the pressure to undergo a digital transformation for businesses gets real. Bygone are the days when IT was limited to in-house and on-site members only. Today, with the ongoing global pandemic, the pressure of discovering plus implementing new technology to provide accessibility of services digitally is widespread.
With the ongoing transformation and increased tech needs, businesses are investing in additional IT infrastructure by hiring IT staff, tech support personnel, etc., to manage data protection and cybersecurity. But in-house hiring and management of increased IT load mean added financial and management pressure. Managing these additional challenges, such as regulatory concerns, macro forces, evolving business landscape, and internal organizational restrictions, can be difficult. At this juncture, enterprises need to explore the option of managed services that can help them save time & money and provide essential support to existing IT staff and cloud infrastructure without causing much financial burden.
Managed services with the right cloud solution help businesses stay updated with new tech, have skills and expertise serving a wide arena, and provide high-quality service under a set budget. A mutual partnership can help the business grow to the next level.
What are managed cloud services?
In layman’s terminology, managed cloud services refer to outsourcing the responsibilities of specific daily operations concerning the application, process, and functions to improve IT operations and manage expenses. It provides businesses with the power of seasoned and expert professionals overnight.
Why partner with Managed Cloud Services partner?
A managed cloud services partner can help with –
- On-demand access to experienced and qualified resources with deep domain expertise
- Pocket-friendly services result in exceptional cost savings
- High level of business agility and resilience
- Automatic IT/software/application upgrades and updates
- Guaranteed disaster recovery and business continuity
- Cutting-edge cybersecurity support
- Ease to meet growing business needs of products and services
- The benefit of 24/7 support
- Quick response time and global accessibility
Managed cloud services benefit businesses looking to operate at full capacity without investing in in-house resources. The managed service provider takes care of end-to-end IT needs for businesses.
When should you consider Hiring a Managed Cloud Services Provider?
The best time to consider Hiring a Managed Cloud Services Provider is when enterprises are:
- Setting future strategic goals
- Deploying new IT services
- Looking to scale businesses without investing in in-house resources
Today, the pressure to meet performance, operational upkeep, and security is real on every IT team. Plus, financial control is also what they need to look at while providing the best services. And this is where managed cloud service partners come into the picture.
Managed service partners are efficient for businesses that are:
- Dependent on their IT infrastructure for continuous business support
- Do not have sufficient trained IT staff to deal with IT maintenance, updates, and repairs
- Looking to have a high-quality IT service within a set budget
5 things to look for in a ‘Right Managed IT Service Provider’
Managed service models have evolved. Choosing the right service provider with core competencies is vital to help business requirements. It is a work of deep research, and there is no ‘one size fits all answer to it. However, certain key components should be non-negotiable.
Don’t overlook these 6 key points while partnering with a managed service provider.
1. Availability & Support
As the extended business IT team, the managed service provider needs to provide 24/7 support coverage and availability. Businesses must look at the response time, issue resolution time, on-site support, uptime commitment, number of support calls, and processing time beforehand. Every service provider works differently. Evaluating individual business needs and asking for documents supporting MSP’s support claims is essential.
2. Transparency & Auditable
Outsourcing IT/cloud services can be risky, especially concerning process control. However, with a transparent process and auditability, businesses can exercise a sense of control over the entire process. Over time more efforts can be diverted towards innovation and business growth than over mundane, time-consuming processes.
3. Monitoring
It is essential to know about the monitoring structure of a managed service provider to know their alert mechanism and solution. The monitoring system and response process are key criteria when choosing a managed cloud service provider. It is essential to know what kind of disaster management, security plans, and data privacy policies your provider follows to ensure they offer 24×7 monitoring of their services.
4. Expertise, Experience & Capabilities
Look for a service provider with a skilled team with industry experience. Check their ability to address technical concerns. Go through their client portfolio and delivery time. Ask them to give you a demo on how they provide services and showcase their capabilities in order to better understand what kind of expertise they bring to the table.
5. Value Added Consulting & Flexible Services
An ideal MSP works with the latest technology and keeps its partner updated with in-demand solutions. Do check their range of services, data recovery, security, and agility value for non-cloud and cloud services, and go for the one with flexible service contracts and service level agreements.
6. Prioritizes You
Opt for managed service providers who prioritize their client’s success and growth, share monthly insights over review calls, have a transparent process, and provide periodic standards plus reports of the client’s infrastructure, performance, security compliance, etc. This shows they are in it for the long haul and want to genuinely provide your business an excellent service.
Conclusion
A managed service provider is every business’s support system. Today, when IT is an internal part of business operations, choosing a service provider who ensures a highly secure IT environment that maximizes business growth and is available 24/7 is essential. Rapyder is a Next-gen cloud firm providing consultation, Implementation, and Managed Services to Enterprises, SMBs, and Startups. In short, Rapyder is a company that makes cloud work for your business and you.
Contact our cloud experts today to know more about how we can help you.