Why “I Don’t Need Cloud Managed Services” Is Often a Mistake

How many clouds are you currently operating? If you’re anything like the average company today, you have up to a dozen integrated clouds within your infrastructure. And while you may think that you don’t need “cloud managed services” or a managed cloud service provider — you’d probably be wrong.

A cloud MSP is a partner who works with you to ensure that you’re getting the most from your cloud services — and to troubleshoot and maintain your services as needed. Here are a few reasons why not engaging with a cloud service provider is usually a bad idea.

You May Not See Security Issues Until They Become Security Problems

…And by then, it’s too late.

When you have multiple cloud systems, you have multiple cloud systems that you need to secure. It’s not always easy to determine whether your system is secure without knowing those systems inside and out. Systems have to be configured correctly — and while you don’t need to worry about updating cloud systems, you do need to worry about the integrations between them.

A managed cloud service provider can ensure that your cloud system is secure — greatly reducing the risk that you could experience a major breach.

You Are Likely Losing Control Over Your Cloud Spending

Cloud solutions are famous for saving money. And they do because you only pay for the resources you need.

But as your cloud infrastructure grows, it becomes easier to start paying for things you don’t need. You may have systems that are extraneous, you may not be using your systems as efficiently as you should, or you may be storing more data than you really need. Cloud infrastructures can creep up in price over time.

Your cloud infrastructure managed services can take a deep dive into your cloud spending and save you money — thereby paying for themselves. They can help you optimize and improve your cloud solutions, so you know exactly what you’re spending money on and there isn’t any waste.

Your Employees May Not Know How to Leverage Your Cloud Systems

As your cloud solutions become more advanced, some employees may fall behind.

Employees are notoriously hesitant to adopt new technologies. They need to be able to see how new technologies actively improve their workflow. A cloud service provider will be able to provide training, seminars and knowledge bases, so employees can better connect to these new solutions and fully leverage their features.

Ongoing training and support will help your organization modernize its processes and improve its efficiency. And these are issues that your internal teams often don’t have the time to look into or correct.

You Likely Have Redundancies and Gaps

A lot of IT infrastructures, whether on-premises or on the cloud, tend to grow organically. You need one solution, so you add it. You need another solution, so you add that. But what happens when, over the course of the next couple of years, a single solution replaces both?

Cloud managed providers will look at your system to ensure that you’re well-optimized. They will be able to identify any gaps you have in your current solutions as well as redundancies. They can take a look at whether your six clouds could be better replaced by a single all-in-one solution or two well-integrated ones.

By reducing redundancies and filling gaps, you improve the efficiency, reliability and stability of your cloud system. And while it’s not something that many companies have the time to do on their own, it’s a full-time job for a cloud managed services company.

Your IT Department is Likely Spending Time Putting Out Fires

Most IT departments have a lot of initiatives for improvements. But they can’t actually spend time on improvements, or even routine tasks, because they’re busy putting out fires.

When was the last time that your IT department ensured that your data backups were uncorrupted and fully synced? When was the last time your IT department assessed your software solutions and audited them for continued security and data privacy?

It’s not unusual for departments to fall behind in these tasks. But it’s also very important that they don’t. A managed services provider can take control over routine, mundane tasks and help desk activities to ensure that IT departments are able to do what’s most important: help the company grow.

You Can Grow Faster with a Cloud Managed Service Provider

A cloud managed services provider makes it possible for you to offload a lot of your day-to-day tasks. MSPs provide another line of support and proactive maintenance — as well as reducing costs. If you’re interested in growing your organization, an MSP will provide you with the support and scalability you need to reliably do so.

Cloud infrastructure managed services can greatly help you optimize, fine-tune, maintain and proactively protect your cloud services. Today, cloud infrastructures are becoming dramatically more complex — and you’re only as strong as the weakest link. Connect with Red River today to find out more.