Increased threat of ransomware attacks. Difficulties in hiring skilled technical personnel. An uncertain economic outlook.
With these challenges eating into profitability, it’s no surprise a growing number of managed service providers (MSPs) are looking to the cloud for cost savings and efficiencies for both themselves and their clients.
The cloud distinguishes forward-thinking MSPs from their competitors. Just as the transition from on-premises Microsoft Office to Office 365 was once crucial for maintaining competitiveness, embracing a cloud model for your customers’ entire infrastructure has become critical. Failing to do so puts you at risk of falling behind in the increasingly cloud-oriented market, as an ever-growing number of customers gravitate toward the cloud to unlock improved security and cost savings.
As you look to integrate cloud-native apps and infrastructure, consider the following ways you can drive profitability:
1. Unlock scalability and cost-saving opportunities
Cloud platforms, like Microsoft Azure, provide the flexibility to scale resources up or down based on demand and eliminate the need for large upfront hardware purchases. As a result, you can operate more efficiently and swiftly adapt to changing customer needs with scalable solutions. This enables you to reduce costs, deliver agile solutions, and support the bottom line and future innovations.
MSPs often struggle to optimize workloads in the cloud after they migrate, which leads to inefficiencies and unnecessary expenses. But by incorporating cost-optimization services into your cloud strategy, you can streamline cloud resources, optimize virtual machines and storage, and eliminate wasteful spending.
2. Expand hiring beyond local boundaries
Cloud-based infrastructure enables you to manage operations remotely and, in turn, hire talent from anywhere in the world. By expanding the talent search beyond local boundaries, your MSP gains access to more diverse skill sets and a wider range of candidates that match your organization’s specific needs.
Embracing remote hiring through cloud-enabled infrastructure not only enhances the potential for finding highly skilled personnel but also fosters a more flexible and agile workforce, contributing to overall operational efficiency and profitability. With the cloud, you can build a more resilient workforce to better navigate economic and hiring challenges.
3. Conduct quarterly business reviews
Even after migrating customers to the cloud, you need to continually explore opportunities for optimization. Through quarterly or periodic business reviews, you can engage in constructive discussions with customers, align your operations with their priorities, and meet their evolving needs. Regular reviews and assessments, conducted in collaboration with cloud experts, help identify cost-saving measures, improve resource allocation, and deliver tailored solutions.
Business reviews also provide a platform to evaluate and enhance the overall security posture of your customers’ cloud environments. By staying proactive and responsive to customer needs, you can solidify your position as a trusted adviser and enhance profitability through ongoing value delivery.
It’s Time to Fully Embrace the Cloud
Your customers expect the speed, efficiency, and flexibility of cloud technologies. If you don’t optimize your cloud infrastructure to meet their needs, they will find another MSP that does. By transitioning to the cloud, you can better meet customers’ evolving expectations and unlock enhanced security, flexibility, and scalability.
Once you’ve embarked on the cloud journey, integrating cost-optimization technologies and practices enables you to more effectively serve customers while maximizing profitability. With the cloud as your foundation, you can establish a resilient and agile business that thrives in any landscape.
JOSEPH LANDES is co-founder and chief revenue officer at Nerdio, which empowers MSPs and enterprise IT professionals to deploy, manage, and optimize virtual desktops in Microsoft Azure.
