Many businesses have pivoted to cloud data centers out of necessity. It’s no secret that cloud data centers are a mainstay of enterprise businesses due to their long list of obvious advantages, including cost benefits, maintaining a competitive edge, and several efficiencies.
And the benefits of making the transition to the cloud are immediate, with many businesses noticing an immediate improvement in KPIs such as compliance management. However, the journey to the cloud isn’t always straightforward. Rather, businesses are faced with important questions, including:
- What processes or applications make the most sense to invest in?
- How to make the transition to the cloud a smooth one?
- How to maintain backups in case of a cloud outage?
Most businesses have found the answer in hiring a managed service provider (MSP) for their public and private cloud data center infrastructure. Let’s take a quick look at why businesses are outsourcing their data center infrastructure processes to managed service providers.
Experts on Speed Dial
Investing in new pieces of technology may be critical to your business, especially when it comes to improving the customer experience. Not all teams have access to experienced professionals who are in the loop when it comes to cloud technology. This can lead to problems such as:
- Incompatibility issues with the data center and software
- Failing to get the most out of your data center infrastructure
It also goes without saying that integrating new technology into your internal processes can be easier said than done. For one, you may need to spare all your manpower and available time to make sure that the new technology works with internal processes. This becomes a problem because every minute that your team isn’t focusing on core objectives is a net loss for you in terms of KPIs.
Sure, you could hire more specialists, but the recruitment process itself can be time-consuming and expensive. Besides, there is no guarantee that you’ll find the right professional at the right time.
This is where it helps to work with a managed service provider for your public and private cloud data center infrastructure. The MSP has access to experts for every type of technology you have in mind, including years of experience. These professionals can help you integrate new pieces of technology into your existing business processes.
Business Continuity
Although it’s fairly rare, cloud outages do happen either due to human errors, cyberattacks, or software bugs. The losses due to cloud outages go beyond downtime and temporary loss of business and could affect your reputation. Although the possibility of cloud outages cannot be fully eliminated from your data center infrastructure, better monitoring and incident resolution can reduce the frequency of cloud outages.
The goal following an outage is to quickly restore the infrastructure so that business activities may resume. An MSP can provide a proper plan when a cloud outage occurs. This plan is implemented as soon as cloud services are discontinued, making your business available to clients. Or, at the very least, your basic services should be up and running.
MSPs often use a combination of network data and performance data to forecast cloud outages. Cloud monitoring is an integral part of business continuity because it allows MSPs to stay one step ahead of cloud and service outages to ensure business continuity.
Disaster Recovery is the Cornerstone of Business Continuity
The subject of business continuity won’t be complete without mentioning disaster recovery. Managed cloud service providers provide multiple redundancy plans to ensure that your systems never go offline in the event of a data breach, ransomware, or cloud outage. Some cloud-managed service providers also offer endpoint protection and backup for devices.
An MSP can help you minimize downtime and maximize uptime. Given the cost of downtime (north of $5,000 per minute on average), it’s easy to see why a managed service provider is so important.
Cybersecurity Concerns
Cyberattacks against data center infrastructures can disrupt access to services and lead to loss of revenue. Many threat actors exploit certain vulnerabilities in your infrastructure to either bring your services to a stop or breach them – both of which are detrimental to your reputation and revenue.
Common attacks on public cloud data center infrastructure include:
- Application attacks that target known vulnerabilities in software that you may be using
- Distributed denial of service attacks can completely bring your online services to a stop or slow them down to a point where it affects customer experiences
- DNS attacks such as cache pointing to redirect traffic to malicious websites
- Comprising credentials of important personnel through data breaches and phishing that can exploit sensitive data
All the above attacks can disrupt the performance and security of your cloud data center infrastructure. Working with a managed service provider will ensure that your cloud data center infrastructure is safe from the threat of data breaches, malware attacks, downtimes, and more.
Scalability
As your business grows, so too will your cloud data center infrastructure. This means choosing appropriate corporate solutions for your company and investing in the correct set of cybersecurity tools. You could always hire in-house specialists to manage this for you, but doing so will be expensive and time-consuming.
Scaling your cloud data center infrastructure will require careful coordination and manpower. Expecting your core team to focus on these objectives could distract them from the core aspects of your business, which could lead to burnout. Not to mention the fact that you may not be able to get everything done due to a lack of resources and expertise.
You could train existing employees for your IT department, but this would cost time and thousands of dollars. And there is no guarantee that the professional will stay with your company. An MSP will help you expand your cloud data center infrastructure without having to hire or train employees.
The hallmarks of a good MSP are flexibility when it comes to scaling according to your business needs. The MSP will respond swiftly and efficiently to your needs so you can look forward to continued profits.
Data Compliance
Depending on your industry and the scale of your business, your company may have to follow a wide range of regulations – both local and international – to keep information secure. This often means that your internal team will have to sift through all kinds of standards and regulations to figure out which ones apply to you. It doesn’t help that regulations are always in a state of flux, with new ones being adopted every now and then.
Examples of regulations that you may have to follow include PCI DSS and HIPAA (depending on your industry). You may also have to follow GDPR if you service EU clients. Violating these regulations could lead to massive fines, reputational damage, and even jail time. A managed service provider for your public and private cloud data center infrastructure could manage all the complexities of regulations and compliance.
They can also conduct audits to ensure your business meets all the requirements.
Wrapping Up
As cloud data centers become building blocks of network infrastructure, MSPs will play a key role in managing these digital projects. When choosing an MSP, look for experts who’ve been in the business for years with experience in your industry. The MSP should be committed to your growth and demonstrate a willingness to take on new challenges.