Archive for the Cloud technology articles Category

Your cloud migrations don’t have to be difficult. There are some great tools you can use for planning, discovery, and tracking along the way. You can use them to create an inventory, develop a migration roadmap, implement migration readiness, plan for the workloads and data, and measure the success of your migration. It’s essential that you consider your unique situation before selecting a cloud migration tool.

As MSPs enter the cloud building arena, they must understand the technical underpinnings and obstacles that stand in the way. These are just a few of the things to consider before building a cloud. Want to build your own cloud service? Think again. Cloud computing saves money for consumers and businesses, but when it comes to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who try to build their own cloud, this isn’t so. Why is this?

Everyone seems to be selling the Cloud, including IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs). That’s because they want an increasing part of the cloud market. After all, as Gartner says, “By 2020, a corporate “No Cloud” policy will be as rare as a “No Internet” policy is today.” But, with everyone jumping into the cloud marketing space, how do you differentiate your MSP from others selling the Cloud? In today’s highly competitive cloud industry, selling services isn’t enough to bring the business you’re looking for. You must find a way to promote how you go the extra mile for your cloud customers.

As a technology solutions provider, you absolutely need to offer cloud services. Why? Because by the year 2020, it’s estimated that nearly one-quarter of all IT spending will be budgeted for the Cloud. And while IT spending is on the rise, the spending on cloud infrastructures is climbing even faster. This means that your potential to capture revenue from selling cloud services is growing! Think about it… Although you might earn $500 to $1,000 by selling a physical server, that’s where your revenue stream ends or at least takes a big downward dive. When you sell the Cloud to your customers, you create an ongoing revenue stream. As long as you keep providing excellent service to your customers, they’ll continue to depend on you for all their technology needs.

I frequently get asked this question. First, the big thing to realize is that the Cloud isn’t going away. It’s no longer a question of whether or not your clients are going to move to the Cloud, but rather when.

Too many managed service providers aren’t taking advantage of the revenue that could be generated by selling cloud services to their customers. Although most are at least selling Microsoft Office 365 to their client-base, there’s so much more to the Cloud than that. We’ve provided a few tips below to help you sell the Cloud to your customers.

One thing that’s true across the board is that business owners and managed service provider want to get the most for their technology investment. We all need to curb costs while still taking advantage of the latest breakthroughs in software and hardware. A few of today’s managed service providers aren’t really selling cloud services to their customers. MSP’s earn a significant portion of their income from monitoring physical servers for the customers. If you sell cloud services to your customers, then won’t that cut off an important revenue stream? The answer is no. Cloud servers require monitoring and maintenance as well. Though they do provide a much higher level of service than physical servers, you can’t simply migrate your client’s data to the cloud and then leave the country, so to speak. Even the cloud does require regular upkeep and supervision.

The Cloud is a collection of computing devices that reside outside of their office or off their physical computers. Pretty simple? Trust me; us IT people can make things more complicated. We want to keep this simple for your clients. OK… you and your clients need more information than just a simple yes.  But, for those busy people with a To-Do list a mile long, there’s your answer; yes, the Cloud can help with the cybersecurity and physical security of your clients’ technology infrastructure and important data. Now, for those people who crave more information, here it is.  Back to the question at hand. Can the Cloud help with your clients’ IT security?

While you have the business understanding and skills to run a Managed IT Services company, you may have problems meeting your long-term goals to increase your revenue and profits each year. If you want your MSP business to grow beyond where you are now, all you need to do is to make a few changes in the way you package your services. A recurring revenue model is the key to doing this. But you must make it work for you, not bog you down with unnecessary manhours that cost you in time and money.

Using the Cloud is a secure choice for most small and mid-sized businesses. The Cloud offers a substantial increase in security for all of their IT resources. As an MSP, you probably get calls all the time from clients and prospects who are worried about their cybersecurity. And one of the best ways to help them keep their data safe is by partnering with the right Cloud Service Provider (CSP). We’ll tell you how in this article. It’s been proven, over and over again, that the Cloud is more secure than the best on-premise server solutions.