You never think of it, it’s just there when you need it. Unless there’s a power outage or you find yourself in a remote location, electricity is probably the best example of an on-demand commodity that virtually everyone uses daily. In general, it is a readily available, cost-effective utility that many take for granted until it experiences serious performance issues of fails outright. Our society has become so dependent on it, many of the activities we’re involved with come to a grinding halt when it’s not available.
Many businesses (and individuals) are becoming similarly reliant on the cloud. In some cases, it’s growing incrementally, by department or user. That may involve the introduction of a single application into the work environment, or experimentation with a broader cloud service. On the opposite side of the spectrum are organizations making extreme IT makeovers, ripping out and replacing their legacy systems (hardware and software) with the latest cloud-based-infrastructure.
Over the past decade, that IT evolution has rapid and constant. Every year, more companies jump on board, developing and implementing cloud strategies to take advantage of all the great benefits the latest technologies allow them. From enabling a more mobile workforce to reducing their capital expenditures, there are a variety of reasons why businesses are making these virtual transformations.
The reality is, businesses are becoming ever more reliant on these systems being readily available to all their employees from practically anywhere. Cloud truly is the new electricity. The research team noted that finding in the CompTIA IT Industry Outlook earlier this year, emphasizing that this technology trend has not only transformed the way companies consume technology, but how they strategize for the future.
Build Beyond the App
Cloud is more than a virtual software solution. While anyone can easily click-to-provision a SaaS application today, few understand the network and security concerns when they roll out a company-wide deployment of virtual technologies. That’s where many businesses get stuck, believing they can simply ditch their existing systems and go online to enjoy the same experience. As the lady on the Geico commercial stressed so well to her friend, “That’s not how any of this works.” A vast majority of SMB organizations that adopt cloud-first strategies, or have aspirations to, need help making it work well. They need, using the “cloud is the new electricity” methodology, someone who can keep the lights on. Business critical applications simply cannot go down, but when they do, their IT professionals (internal or outsourced) have to know how to get them back on line as soon as possible. That requires an innate understanding of the infrastructure and each of the components.
Deployment is just one part of the process. A viable cloud operation requires pre-implementation evaluation, a tactical and strategic plan, an effective design and professional support. Each of these areas is an opportunity for channel firms with the right skill set, knowledge base and bandwidth. The good news is they don’t have to do it alone. Cloud is a great place for channel partnerships and for leveraging a variety of players throughout the supply chain, from vendors and distributors to peers and third-party experts. The key is developing a comprehensive support network that can address virtually every customer need and technological requirement. While that may sound complicated, today’s continually expanding channel ecosystem is making that easier every day.
IT service providers simply need to figure out what role they want to play in the cloud. Those who want to focus on general support with a set client base should consider building a network of complementary providers who can plug any solution or support gaps. Channel professionals offering specialized services such as cloud assessment and design or cybersecurity expertise for virtual environments may take a somewhat different approach, aligning themselves with peers with customers in need of those particular proficiencies.
Many IT service providers prefer to maintain full control of their customer base and become, in effect, a general contractor for infrastructure, including cloud systems. That requires a comprehensive understanding of each part of the design, implementation and management process. As with any technology solution, the goal of any cloud deployment is to satisfy one or more customer needs. In general, business clients expect these systems will be designed to meet their own, specific organizational objectives, with 24/7 access to every application. An occasional outage might be acceptable during the off hours, but as online reliability increases, expectations will continue to rise.
Those are important points to consider as more businesses adopt cloud‐first mandates. Providers must develop practices that not address their clients’ current needs, from network enhancements to advanced help desk support, but take a more proactive approach. Consider the opportunities for vendor management, compliance audits, backup and disaster recovery and end user security training. Each is an important cog in the cloud service spectrum, especially though clients may know little or nothing about them. There’s not only margin in the mystery for providers, but a high value to customers when delivered effectively.
Is a cloud practice a great proposition for your IT services business? As with any trending opportunity, there are no guarantees, especially with the “on demand” requirements associated with these technologies. Frankly, with the business-critical nature of the cloud today, NOT offering some type of related service or support program is a risk. Whether you like it or not, your clients are adopting cloud and chances are good they need a professional who knows how to make it work.
Brian Sherman is Chief Content Officer at GetChanneled, a channel business development and marketing firm. He served previously as chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@getchanneled.com
