10 Reasons Why Your Startup Needs a Cloud MSP

Like all new things, the cloud was questioned when it was first introduced to the IT world as a new way to store, manage and process data. Over time however, the cloud has proved itself to be a solid platform and is now considered the norm in IT. According to the Verizon 2016 State of the Market: Enterprise Cloud Report, 84% of companies surveyed said their cloud use increased in 2015 and about half said that by 2018, the cloud will be used for 75% of their workloads. But even though the cloud has become standard for most enterprises, the need for managed services still remains.

84% of companies surveyed said their cloud use increased in 2015 and about half said that by 2018, the cloud will be used for 75% of their workloads

Enterprises that were among the first to migrate to the cloud had a competitive edge, since most other companies were still using traditional local data centers. But this new technology, although beneficial, means CIOs need to spend time and money learning how to properly select and implement the right cloud services for their company. This is especially true for startups, since setting a strong foundation for IT infrastructure will free up lots of time to grow the business. Research from Trustmarque found that “simplifying IT is a priority for four in five (79%) of CIOs.” In order to make sure the cloud is being fully optimized, CIOs are turning to managed services providers who understand the cloud and make using it headache free. Here are 10 reasons why MSPs are invaluable in providing solutions to cloud services.

1. Experience
By working with a managed service provider, you add specially trained cloud experts to your team who know which services are best (and most cost effective) for your company. MSPs optimize value by monitoring, maintaining, and managing cloud deployments on a 24/7/365 basis. This allows your company’s IT department to focus more on business needs.

2. Connection to the Cloud
MSPs provide the needed support where your cloud provider leaves off. Once a company migrates to the cloud, all of their services need to be monitored and managed constantly, services that cloud providers don’t offer. MSPs are the link between your company and the public cloud, making the process of working with a cloud provider painless.

3. Cost Optimization
Budgeting and tracking the costs of using cloud services means choosing the right services, at the right size and appropriate for your company. Cloud MSPs know AWS better than your IT department; they will be more up-to-date on new cloud services being offered and better able to create a more cost effective model for running your servers. MSPs are a one stop shop that provide consulting to optimize costs and allow you to pay-as-you-go, so you don’t have to worry about your cloud expenditures.

4. Customized Reports
MSPs will cater to your needs with customized reports on billing, usage, logs and more. They will take the time to tag everything that a client uses and then generate a report for the accounting, marketing, or IT department to use for research or budgeting.

5. Faster Deployment
Migration to the cloud and future deployments will be faster when utilizing the help of a Cloud MSP because of their experience in AWS architecture. MSPs are experts in migration and can reliably predict what parts of the migration will go smoothly and have a plan set in place that prioritizes tasks for the fastest deployment possible.

6. Keep Projects on Track
According to a survey by CompTIA, 43% of polled companies report being understaffed in IT. Turnover from internal Cloud and DevOps teams can completely halt an ongoing project that is time-sensitive for a company. A Cloud MSP is critical in guaranteeing the continued progress of cloud projects; the MSP is able to ramp up services and fill holes that employees could leave if they decide to quit mid-project.

7. Fosters Innovation
Your internal Cloud team can spend less time managing and setting up your cloud, and more time focused on product delivery. All infrastructure will be managed by the Cloud MSP so the IT department can simply point the them in the right direction. “When you have your foundational infrastructure managed or co-managed, you have more space, more time, more brain power devoted to things that really matter to the business,” – Melanie Posey, Research VP for IDC

8. Tested Disaster Recovery Plan
Cloud MSPs are able to customize a Disaster Recovery Plan that fits their client’s objectives. They are able to help identify and set up the DR Plan (Pilot Light or Warm Standby) that would work best for their client’s budget and expectations. They are also able to test that DR Plan on a regular basis just to make sure everything goes as expected.

9. Industry Focused
AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and other public cloud services are non-industry focused, but do provide compliance with different compliance requirements like HIPAA and FERPA. There are many benefits of using a Cloud MSP that is industry focused (eg. Healthcare, Entertainment, or Education Industries). They are able to answer industry-specific concerns about cloud services and ensure that compliance is being followed.

10. Hybrid Deployments
Hybrid deployments can be extremely complicated to build and maintain. An MSP helps to manage these environments to “integrate multiple platforms and make their hybrid approaches look like a seamless IT environment” according to Ryan Shuttleworth, CTO for Verizon Enterprise Solutions.

The knowledge and expertise that Cloud MSPs are able to bring to the table is invaluable to any company.

The knowledge and expertise that Cloud MSPs are able to bring to the table is invaluable to any company. But choosing the right one can be a challenge. It is crucial that your provider increases your company’s work efficiency, but also remains flexible to your unique needs.

Mission is a leader in managed cloud solutions focused on using the services and tools within AWS to configure a cloud solution unique to each business. Recognized by industry experts, Mission is just one of 30 trusted MSPs selected into Amazon Web Service’s Accelerated Partner Program. We work with our clients to understand their needs and commit to creating tailored solutions for the most cost-effective AWS cloud.

Whether your are already using AWS or are looking to migrate over, our team of engineers are specially trained to help make using the cloud as easy as possible. To learn more about our catered services and how Mission can help with your cloud management needs, please contact us and we would be glad to schedule a time to speak further.

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