Can Cloud Solutions Solve the Internal IT Resources Issue?
When Managed Services was first introduced, one of the main benefits that was touted was the ability to help close the IT skills gap within an organization. The same is being discussed today with Cloud Solutions. Cloud solutions can support IT workloads and help an organization that might not have all the skills needed to keep all their networks and systems up and running effectively. Like in most things, businesses are looking for ways to do more with less resources.
If you are a small business, you might not be able to hire additional resources for your IT department. In fact, you might not have a full time IT staff member. It is expensive to bring on new employees and the cycle for that employee to get up to speed and fully function is typically 6-12 months. Even if you are a large organization, Cloud tools can allow you to free up some of your IT resources and let them focus their efforts on other items. The other type of organization that can benefit greatly from Cloud technologies is one that is running a legacy system. Maintaining an aging system is one of the biggest resource drains an IT department can suffer from.
One example of a technology that can be moved to the Cloud is VoIP. You can transition from a traditional-on-premise PBX system to a cloud-based platform. This can save you on Infrastructure costs and also any system updates, upgrades, security changes, etc can now be handled for all your locations remotely. Depending on your IT Consultant, they may even handle network management issue and service interruptions for you as well. You will no longer need a staff member to understand the VoIP systems and maintenance schedule.
Another easy Cloud technology is storage. Storage, databases, communications can all be managed in the cloud. Infrastructure-as-a-Service allows the provider to maintain the physical environment, network and the security. Organizations that backup their data manually and store off-site waste so much man power. Companies that don’t have any regular back-ups for their information, have an even bigger problem.
Regardless of what Cloud technologies you choose, there are some similar benefits they provide.
- Easily accessible to all users
- Access to your solutions wherever you may be, on any device
- Rapid deployment
- Scalability
For any organization, leveraging the cloud for low priority or mundane tasks should be a no-brainer. Leveraging the cloud for application services and integration is something you should use a Managed Services Provider for. An MSP is an expert on Cloud solutions, as well as Industry best practices, and can help you create an IT environment that functions exactly the way you need it to. Technologies evolve every day and you need someone on your side that can commit to the training and keep up with the evolution. Most organizations can not commit someone internally to take on this role, the cost is too high. This is where an IT Consultant or MSP can become an extension of your team and provide this for you. If you do not have an IT Consultant/MSP or are not happy with the one you have, give 2W Tech a call today to discuss if Cloud technologies is the right move for your organization.
Read More:
Do You Have a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan?
What to Look for in a Managed Services Provider