Choosing the right IT provider can be an enervating process. You want someone with experience in your industry, a dynamic project and client history, and the flexibility to meet your workforce's unique needs. And for many business owners, the prospect of switching MSPs becomes its own self-fulfilling deterrent. But even if you don't intend to shake up your IT model, it never hurts to bring on an objective third party. They can provide a much-needed window into your network health, productivity, and budgetary efficiency - and show you what you're missing.
You want an MSP that doesn't treat the cloud-like an end-goal. True digital transformation is an ongoing, iterative experience, and you need a technology partner that will continue to better your experience in the cloud. Consider this - on average, businesses use 3.4 public cloud platforms. This decentralized approach often results in overspending on subscription services. Rightscale's 2019 State of the Cloud Report found that companies waste 35% of their cloud budgets, costing AWS users $6.4 billion alone. This can happen for any number of reasons, such as shadow IT resources, redundant applications, inefficient use of storage, etc. But when your company's working with the right MSP, it doesn't have to.
Your MSP should have a thorough understanding of how to optimize your cloud spend from the organization to device level. Some examples include:
For Microsoft customers, Azure Cost Management and Azure Advisor provide a deep dive into spend, departmental budgets, and areas for improvement. These resources also integrate with Power BI - a suite of visualization tools that bring big data to life.
With routine firewall management, you decrease the likelihood of compromised hardware. Email filtering and cloud backups save employees from SPAM and malicious threats. A well-thought-out, tested Disaster Recovery plan saves time in the event of a security incident. All of these strategies work in concert to protect your employees and save your business money. And when your company has a truly proactive grasp on its IT, you can focus on longer-term projects and strategies. For example, you can spend more time and effort educating employees about cyber threats, in turn decreasing their risk and creating advocates for technological betterment.
You want an MSP that's cognizant of rapidly shifting regulatory landscapes, even those that don't directly impact your industry. Case in point, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect in May of 2018. The regulation was designed for businesses operating within, or with, the European Union. However, GDPR's standards for data privacy and customer advocacy have been adopted by companies all over the world - even those not directly impacted. By adapting elements of GDPR, they are proactively anticipating regulatory changes that may not yet exist, but are trending in that direction. When the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) went into effect in January of 2020, companies that had adopted restrictive elements of GDPR were far better positioned to meet the requirements of the new domestic legislation. Your MSP should have an expert understanding of how these regulations can benefit your business, and provide guidance for any changes necessary to do so.
If you're looking for a different class of managed service, our experts can help. From cloud computing to compliance, we can customize IT solutions to meet your unique business needs. For more information, please reach out to iCorps for a free consultation.