As cloud technologies rapidly evolve, many IT professionals struggle to keep their expertise up to date. The resulting skills gap can have serious consequences for MSPs and their clients. For example, nearly half of IT decision makers (43%) have trouble keeping up with cloud security and compliance due to the cloud-skills shortage.
MSPs can help their clients fill these painful skills gaps — but only if their own employees have the necessary expertise. MSPs that proactively upskill their staff can unlock the cloud’s full benefits for their clients. Some of these include optimized infrastructure, tighter security, and greater cost savings.
Upskilling can transform an MSP’s threshold of cloud skills and expertise, providing more effective services for clients. Here are three areas where you should upskill your MSP staff in cloud infrastructure and security.
No. 1 Optimizing Cloud Infrastructure
Many organizations — including MSP clients — still rely on outdated legacy infrastructure for their core business functions. As this infrastructure reaches end-of-life (EOL), MSPs can facilitate the migration of these functions to the cloud. This likely will result in cost savings, improved flexibility, and other benefits for clients.
To accomplish this, your staff must be trained in how to effectively build, price, and deliver cloud infrastructure replacements. Additionally, upskilling your staff to help your clients with infrastructure migration and integration is key for a seamless transition of data and workloads.
Cloud automation capabilities are another important skill set for MSP staff. Implementing cloud automation helps streamline your clients’ cloud provisioning, configuration, orchestration, and monitoring management. Automation ultimately saves time and resources, optimizing your clients’ cloud infrastructure for maximum efficiency.
No. 2 Deploying Identity and Access Management
With the uptick in cyberattacks and data breaches, securing your clients’ data in the cloud is critical. Proper identity and access management (IAM) is key to this effort. That said, it’s also a common challenge for MSPs.
Will Ominsky
IAM is a framework of security policies and technologies that protect systems from unauthorized access and bolster overall security. MSPs and their teams should be well-versed in best practices for creating strong access controls. Some of those include implementing various authentication methods and identity verification technologies. In particular, training in modern IAM systems like MS Entra ID will allow your team to deliver security in a more sophisticated and efficient way.
No. 3 Going Deeper with a Single Cloud Provider’s Offerings
Vendor sprawl is a common driver of spiraling IT costs. The more cloud infrastructure point tools your clients use from different providers, the more fees and subscription costs stack up.
This also makes them more vulnerable to vendor lock-in. If just one of the vendors they rely on raises prices or shifts their offerings, it can cause both logistical and financial headaches. To head off these issues, deepen your employees’ expertise in a single cloud ecosystem. That way, your staff is familiar with that provider’s full menu of offerings.
For example, if your staff is proficient with native Microsoft methodologies, they can use security tools such as Microsoft Defender, included in M365 Business Premium, rather than relying on third-party point systems. This approach mitigates costs, decreases the risk of vendor lock-in, and controls administrative stress from maintaining multiple vendor contracts and relationships.
Become an Industry Leader with Upskilling
Upskilling is a necessary commitment for MSPs to close the cloud skills gap and adapt to the ever-changing nature of cloud environments.
It benefits your business, too. Delivering exceptional managed services and cloud solutions to your clients translates to higher monthly recurring revenue (MRR). The ability to provide premium services to your clients empowers you to negotiate a premium retainer, reflecting the value your services contribute to their operations. Additionally, satisfied clients would be more likely to renew their contracts, reducing churn rate.
Implementing state-of-the-art cloud solutions showcases your MSP’s adaptability and willingness to innovate. It also proves your commitment to upholding outstanding managed services for your clients.
So don’t hesitate. Invest in training your employees with the skills they need to serve your clients best. In the process, it will build your business for the long term.
Will Ominsky is vice president of MSP sales at Nerdio. He is an experienced MSP, Azure, virtual desktop, and Intune expert.
Image: iStock
