Pros and cons of managed service providers using the cloud
The cloud offers a wide range of new opinions for managed IT support providers that were not available as practical options before. Companies hire managed services to do a wide range of things for their business which includes backing up data, managing workstations for employees, setting up and managing networks and many more. Before, managed service providers had to use a combination of software and hardware to provide services like data storage. The cloud has expanded this and they no longer have to rely on the extra expenses any risk of having physical data storage. Another aspect that the cloud has changed is the use of cloud desktop services used for workstations. Although the managed service provider may need to manage physical computers, cloud desktops have become more widely used due to remote working.
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Pros
More reliable
There are public cloud services available that are known for providing fair cloud services. Managed IT support services that provide cloud services can use their own infrastructure to provide higher levels of performance and reliability.
Expanded services
By making use of the cloud an IT managed services company has the opportunity to expand the services they can offer. Companies previously did not have the physical storage capabilities will have the option to add this to their list of services by using cloud storage, which is not only a new service but is an improvement on physical data storage.
Lower business expenses
Cloud services reduce overall business expenses. This is because they need much less infrastructure when using the cloud since they no longer have to account for these costs.
Cons
Branding
A major issue that comes with cloud-based services is that there are many options available. Some customers may choose to buy the same services directly from the cloud service. The problem occurs when some services can’t be rebranded, like managed cloud desktops. But there are others that can be rebranded like cloud storage.
Pricing
Managed IT service providers need to be able to provide services at a high enough cost to make a profit but their services still need to be affordable for the customer. Service providers need to take into account the cost of the service, as well as the time that it takes to manage the service. If this is not calculated correctly, they run the risk of losing money.
To avoid any risks when taking on cloud-based service options, managed service providers need to add value to their services and not just resell the service offered by cloud providers.