When it comes to adopting the latest forms of business technology it can be easy to get carried away. The need to overtake or remain ahead of your competitors can drive some businesses to adopt innovations when they are ill-suited to their business needs or without a clear strategy for their implementation.
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Although cloud computing is one innovation that has certainly justified the hype surrounding it, some organisations have struggled to get the most out of this relatively recent technology. Whether it’s due to a lack of planning, time or resources, some IT leaders associate the cloud with integration and reliability problems as much as they do productivity and scalability benefits. For these businesses, managed services provide a viable alternative, whereby a third-party vendor handles the implementation, management and maintenance of your IT estate.
Whether or not your company should choose managed services over unmanaged cloud will depend on your precise business requirements, but there are certainly some general pros and cons that IT decision makers should consider. Although an unmanaged cloud service can still deliver a number of benefits to businesses, this is often dependent on the user having the requisite technical skills, time and IT budget. When organisations opt for unmanaged cloud, without possessing these requirements, they can often be left frustrated and frantically searching for more IT budget to solve their issues.
UNMANAGED CLOUD SERVICES ARE OFTEN DEPENDENT ON THE USER HAVING THE REQUISITE TECHNICAL SKILLS, TIME AND IT BUDGET
Having said that, there are some cases where businesses will benefit from an unmanaged approach to cloud computing. Unmanaged hosting can often cost less on a monthly basis than manged hosting – although of course your own in-house management costs may negate these savings. It also gives businesses the freedom to run their cloud platform as they see fit. Self-management of backups, security and integration can give businesses a greater sense of control over their IT infrastructure, but it is also serious responsibility.
As a result, many organisations are embracing managed services in order to benefit from the many advantages of the cloud without putting unnecessary strain on their internal resources. Firstly, managed services often come with the highest levels of technical support. Many providers have expert teams monitoring your cloud services for any potential faults or vulnerabilities and are able to offer 24/7 availability. What’s more, the best managed service providers will supply dedicated account managers and engineers to work on your IT resources to ensure a consistent level of service.
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Managed cloud also has advantages when it comes to security. Managed vendors depend on robust security measures in order to keep their reputation intact and their customers happy. As such, they are willing to invest in the most up-to-date defences against cyberthreats. Similarly, managed service providers will supply your business with a clear data backup plan, should disruption occur. A data breach is a serious issue and a managed cloud can give you peace of mind that a professional team is securing your infrastructure.
At Zsah, we understand that most businesses want to be able to focus on their core processes without having to jump over IT-related hurdles. With our managed services, you no longer have to devote time and man-power to managing your own infrastructure or applications. In addition, although we offer our own cloud portfolio, we are happy to manage cloud platforms built by other suppliers and will even oversee on-premise equipment.
Before settling on their cloud package, businesses must ask themselves whether they have the budget, time and technical expertise to manage their IT resources internally. If you have any doubts, then managed hosting can provide the helping hand that you need to get the most from your cloud services.
BUSINESSES MUST ASK THEMSELVES WHETHER THEY HAVE THE BUDGET, TIME AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO MANAGE THEIR IT RESOURCES INTERNALLY?
Amir Hashmi, Managing Director, zsah Technology Group
Amir Hashmi is Managing Director of the zsah Technology Group.