The role of the MSP in lighting the path to a revised cloud strategy for the mid-market
Although most organizations have seen the light of the public cloud and the lift and shift gold rush has officially finished, they are now taking a more considered, pragmatic approach to their cloud strategy.
After a wide-scale migration to public cloud during the pandemic, many companies are now realizing that while it offers scalability, it can become expensive for mid-market companies particularly when handling large volumes of data and applications.
The variable pricing models used by public cloud providers makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to manage their cloud expenses, and this is just one among a litany of other concerns attached to operating on the public cloud.
Enterprises are also concerned with their cloud security, data privacy, real-time processing latency, vendor lock-in , cross-border data sovereignty, and their ability to customize their workloads.
At the same time, integrating existing on-premises systems and applications with public cloud infrastructure can be complex and resource-intensive, requiring a considerable investment in time and skills.
All these factors combine to make public cloud platforms less attractive for mid-level enterprises and is driving a rise in popularity for hybrid cloud – research found that increasing hybrid cloud development was the top priority for mid-market IT decision makers this year.
This approach allows companies to take the best from public cloud (ideal for handling fluctuating workloads), private cloud (dedicated infrastructure with enhanced security and control), and on-premises (traditional IT infrastructure located onsite).
This new appetite is starting to be reflected in the channel, here’s how MSPs can help in 2025.
The rise of hybrid cloud
Hybrid cloud offers the best of all worlds in an environment where data and applications move seamlessly between private and public clouds based on the organisation’s needs.
It offers a huge advantage with the ability to scale resources up and down by using public cloud for extra capacity while maintaining critical workloads on private cloud or on-premises.
Hybrid cloud also helps businesses lower costs and enhance security by using the public cloud for non-sensitive data and workloads while keeping more sensitive or critical data on private infrastructure.
From a business continuity perspective, the hybrid approach provides robust disaster recovery options, ensuring critical data and applications are backed up and can be quickly restored if needed.
Perhaps most importantly, hybrid cloud distributes workloads based on performance requirements with latency-sensitive applications running on-premises or in a private cloud to ensure optimal performance. This leads to a better, more responsive and more productive user experience.
So, it seems for companies considering a move in 2025, hybrid cloud should be top of their agenda, however, selecting the right channel partner for the journey is a critical first step.
The role of MSPs
MSPs offer expert guidance when it comes to designing your hybrid cloud architecture, aligning it with specific corporate goals, identifying which applications, data, and workloads are suitable for the cloud, and developing a detailed migration plan. This will ensure a staged, seamless transition with minimal disruption.
Once the migration is complete, MSPs will continuously monitor and optimize the hybrid cloud environment to ensure peak performance and cost-efficiency. At the same time, MSPs offer proactive maintenance and support to address any issues or incidents that arise.
In the context of security and compliance, an area where public cloud can sometimes be found lacking, MSPs can help businesses implement stringent security measures to protect sensitive data across the hybrid cloud landscape.
They can also guarantee compliance with industry standards and regulations, such as NIS2, by deploying advanced encryption methods, secure access controls, and continuous monitoring systems.
When it comes to support and training, MSPs have a vital role to play, helping ensure employees are well-equipped to thrive within a hybrid environment. Whether it is on-site training with new tools and technologies, or ongoing technical support, MSPs have the existing skillset to offer everything a mid-market company, with limited internal resources, could need.
With the expertise and wide range of offerings, from private cloud to virtual data centres or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), MSPs can support customers on the next stage of their cloud journey, ensuring they get a higher quality service, at a lower cost, than many have experienced in the public cloud.
As the new year looms, organizations of all sizes will be thinking about their corporate IT strategy for 2025. All things considered, the time is right for MSPs to embrace hybrid cloud by offering customized solutions, and value-added services with a customer-centric approach. By focusing on these, MSPs can effectively build strong, lasting relationships with both existing and new customers into the new year and beyond.
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