Cloud computing is on the rise, and it seems as though every day another company is making the switch from on-premise computing to the cloud. While cloud computing capabilities are vast and beneficial, managing all that the cloud has to be offer can be challenging and time-consuming for most companies.
For this reason, many organizations seek the help of a managed service provider (MSP) to take over their cloud needs. With the right MSP, operating within the cloud can be seamless - but you have to choose the right MSP first. Any MSP capable of facilitating a seamless transition to the cloud should have these six critical cloud-based services.
1. Cloud Migration
The most pressing issue of adopting the cloud is cloud migration. This is the first and arguably most important step of adopting cloud computing. During this step, a company must export all their data from their on-premise database and import it onto the cloud. This process can be complex and opens many opportunities for mistakes. Should an error occur, companies may lose important and sensitive data, so migration must be conducted carefully.
For this reason, acquiring an MSP that is experienced with cloud migration is crucial. With invaluable experience under their belt, an MSP should be able to conduct cloud migration quickly and seamlessly – without error. With the help of an MSP, you can rest assured that your data will be migrated with care, ensuring that no data is lost, and your organization can reap the benefits of the cloud immediately following migration.
Not only is an MSP instrumental in the actual migration process, but it will also ensure that you are choosing the best cloud model for your needs and that it is compatible with other systems within your IT infrastructure.
2. 24/7 Monitoring & Security
Once migration is complete, it is vital that a company’s cloud environment is continuously monitored – and a basic level of monitoring is no longer efficient. As cloud misconfigurations and cybersecurity breaches continue to rise, it is vital that companies partner with an MSP with 24/7 monitoring and security services.
A company’s entire cloud infrastructure should be monitored on a continuous basis to ensure that any issues can be identified and resolved with speed. Fortunately, many MSPs offer 24/7 remote monitoring, ensuring that any problems are pinpointed immediately. This service is also instrumental in ensuring that your cloud environment is maintained and functioning properly, allowing companies to avoid any misconfigurations or server failures.
Beyond monitoring, it is equally as vital that the MSP you choose provides cybersecurity services as well. Even though monitoring is beneficial in catching potential breaches and attacks, it is necessary to have security protocols and systems in place to defend your infrastructure against these attacks. With the right security protocols, your MSP can ensure that all of your cloud-stored data is protected.
3. Mobile Device Management
Speaking of remote monitoring, remote work is on the rise, and this must be reflected in your cloud environment as well. One of the most significant advantages of utilizing cloud computing is that it can be accessed remotely – at any time or location. This is highly beneficial to organizations as customers, team members, and stakeholders have complete access to their data when they need it.
Not all companies have mobile device access to their database, or they do, but it poses a significant security risk for their organization. Regardless, mobile device accessibility is essential for the modern company, and MSPs can help manage this without compromising the integrity of your company's data.
With mobile device management, MSPs can manage all mobile devices within a company's network while still maintaining a high level of security. This is crucial as mobile devices pose a significant security threat – especially for companies with sensitive data. With each additional device or use of an unstable network, the risk of a security breach increases.
Fortunately, through mobile device management, MSPs will oversee all mobile devices under the umbrella of an organization while instilling security regulations and protocols. As a result, users can access the cloud from their mobile devices while remaining secure and keeping devices as functional as possible.
4. Software Common Ground
Until recently, it seemed impossible that MSPs and DevOps could work together, much to the inconvenience of many organizations. Now, it is clear that while it can be challenging for MSPs, this partnership is entirely possible, and more and more MSPs are beginning to embrace DevOps. As a result, clients benefit from the flexibility and IT culture control of DevOps and the enhanced IT support from MSPs.
In addition to the common ground between MSPs and DevOps, your MSP should also offer common ground between SaaS and IaaS. The utilization of both of these platforms enables users to swiftly move their workloads between platforms, resulting in increased flexibility and efficiency.
5. Ongoing Support
While migrating to the cloud may be a one-off process, maintaining the functionality and efficiency of your cloud environment requires ongoing support. For this reason, it is essential that your MSP offers ongoing support services such as regular data backups, disaster recovery, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Should a problem arise within a company's cloud environment, it could compromise their organization's systems and data quickly if not controlled. Additionally, if a company fails to perform maintenance or regular backups, system failures could result in lost data, which could damage your reputation and have legal repercussions.
Thankfully, most MSPs provide ongoing support to their clients, ensuring the longevity and health of their cloud environment. If a problem arises, your MSP will be on-call to resolve it quickly and efficiently while performing the maintenance and regular backups needed to keep your cloud environment functioning optimally. Even if something as drastic as a cybersecurity breach should occur, your MSP should have disaster recovery protocols in place to minimize damage and recover quickly.
6. Scalability
It should come as no surprise that your company's needs will inevitably change over time. As new technology becomes available and you grow in size, your cloud needs may change as well. Consequentially, it is vital that your MSP can offer scalability capabilities, ensuring that your cloud environment can change as your organization does.
With the right MSP, scaling your cloud environment up or down to meet your needs is a seamless process. As your needs change, they will be reflected in the cloud, ensuring that the cloud always meets your and your customers' needs – and you only pay for what you use.
Expert Cloud Services
The cloud is everywhere around us, and we use it nearly every day – professionally or otherwise. That being said, when it comes to the integrity and success of your company, it is crucial that you leave cloud management up to the experts. The right MSP will ensure that your company functions seamlessly within your cloud environment. Your MSP will guide you all the way from cloud migration to ongoing support, ensuring that the cloud model you choose addresses your needs, even as they change.
With these cloud-based services, you can operate confidently within the cloud, assured that your MSP is managing your cloud environment for risks, breaches, and any potential areas for improvement. Utilizing an MSP is the best way to get the most value out of the cloud, and with these services in their portfolio, there is little that your MSP can’t do.
