As cloud environments become more complex, MSPs
need to offer the right mix of services to meet users’
expectations, now and in the future, in a fully hybrid
cloud model.
As enterprises formulate plans for their future IT needs, one trend is clear:
cloud will be front and center. According to Gartner, the worldwide public
cloud services market is projected to grow 21% in 2018 to total $186.4 billion, up
from $153.5 billion in 2017, with the largest chunk of the revenue making its way
to the public cloud.
What is less clear to these same enterprises is how they will choose to manage
their new cloud-focused environment. Some will manage it themselves. Others
will bring on a managed service provider (MSP) with specialized talents to help
them navigate the complexities imposed by the quantum shift to a particular
type of cloud environment. A third group will engage with a managed service
provider focused on a broader mission: managing hybrid environments which
include resources in data centers, private clouds and/or one or more public
clouds.
How much is riding on an enterprise’s decision? At the very least, matching the
right cloud management strategy to the right organization will reduce the tur-
moil connected to what is typically a stressful IT transformation. For most,
finding the right fit goes a long way toward achieving an organization’s ongoing
success.
Before we discuss management options and evaluate the elements to consider
in making cloud management decisions, let us look briefly at what kinds of
problems a misfitting strategy can bring:
• An increase in operational risk. If something goes wrong with a cloud
implementation, it impacts the organization’s ability to execute on reve-
nue-generating operations, such as sales and supply chain management.
• An increase in security risk. Running applications in the public cloud,
the attack surface is larger. If the cloud is built without proper security,
this can create an open door for attackers.
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