How The MSPs Role Changes When Clients Transition To The Cloud

By Frank Bravata, President, Exceptional Tech Support, ASCII Group Member Since 2011

When companies move to the cloud, do they still need a managed service provider? The short answer is yes. The longer answer explains why MSPs will play a slightly different role in complementing a company's cloud strategy. In fact, 80 percent of businesses incorporating cloud deployment plans state they will still depend on MSPs for a variety of reasons, none of which can be fulfilled solely by transitioning to the cloud.

In addition to allowing you to outsource sections of your IT operations, MSPs facilitate direct control by companies over application and infrastructure services, a benefit similar to employing a collocated or hosted data center. Alternately, outsourcing to the cloud means businesses are faced with a reduction in controlling their singular infrastructure. This is because businesses are relying on a shared infrastructure that was created specifically to diminish customization and increase economy of scale.