Cloud technology has revolutionized the IT industry in unprecedented ways. Similar to how computers democratized creation and innovation and the internet democratized information, the cloud has democratized resource availability and speed. The need for buying and maintaining in-house servers/machines has become obsolete. All types of businesses, from small and medium to enterprise-level, can now leverage premium quality resources at a cost-per-usage model. 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is among the premier cloud providers and innovators worldwide with an elaborate operational history. With its wide gamut of tools and service offerings, AWS leverages third-party organizations that can facilitate cloud transitions for customers and help them build efficient cloud systems. AWS Managed Services Providers (MSPs) bridge this gap by offering customized AWS solutions to customers. 

AWS MSPs offer end-to-end services from cloud architecture, design, resource provisioning, and building infrastructure to deployment and maintenance. If there is a customer requirement, there is likely an AWS MSP capable of fulfilling that requirement. Customers can access the complete power of AWS and discover crucial insights by leveraging MSPs’ deep expertise. 

Let’s see how MSPs can benefit customers in different ways.

How MSPs Help Customers Achieve Business Goals with Cloud Infrastructure 

Stronger Data and Operational Security

MSPs preemptively eliminate threats by actively monitoring networks for potential attacks. They use a multitude of AWS Services and other 3rd party tools to set up incident response plans in case of a security emergency. MSP teams are always on the lookout for making the customer’s cloud network robust and stable with the latest updates in AWS services. 

Similarly, data security is regulated through identity and access management services through native AWS apps. MSPs tend to have experience in many security tools like AWS Shield, AWS inspector, Guard Duty, Security Hub, CloudTrail, etc., to initiate evasive maneuvers and combat breaches. 

Achieve Regulatory Compliance

AWS MSPs are required by AWS to pass a comprehensive 2-day audit that tests MSPs on compliance and service quality. These compliance points are collated in a list called the AWS MSP Partner Validation Checklist (VCL) and updated periodically. The audits are known to be extensive, allowing a low margin of error, and can lead to demotion from MSP designation in the event of non-compliance with VCL. 

Clients can be assured of the best practices when working with AWS MSPs since MSPs themselves have to demonstrate the same compliance adherence. In fact, MSPs are likely to have a dedicated team of experts just to meet different requirements from AWS. Also, since MSPs provide customized solutions to clients, they can readily meet third-party compliance standards to help customers establish trust. 

Optimized Operational Costs

The key USP of migrating to the cloud is a reduction in operating costs based on the pay-what-you-use model. This cost reduction, along with faster request servicing from on-cloud servers, should ideally increase the bottom line for a business. But that doesn’t always translate effectively. The biggest roadblock is unqualified employees with a mediocre understanding of AWS services. 

MSPs bring their team of seasoned experts to facilitate cloud services. By utilizing automation in load balancing, and CI/CD pipeline in deployment, the MSP can significantly decrease customers’ running costs. MSPs also conduct regular system and network scans to understand the day-to-day pattern of resource usage. This enables MSPs to further optimize the infrastructure, making the workflow more streamlined and lowering operational costs.  

Simplified Application and Environment Management

MSPs help customers recognize redundancies and suggest workflow optimizations like serverless computing, dynamic data storage, etc., that could help optimize the cost and bring in governance efficiencies .If the customer migrates to the cloud from scratch, MSPs can build optimization into the design itself. 

Customers new to AWS often find it difficult to understand usage metrics, monthly bills, and day-to-day maintenance procedures. MSPs simplify these metrics by developing personalized dashboards for reporting and running daily upkeep tasks. It reduces the required point of contact for cloud administrative purposes and creates a seamless management environment. MSPs can also help to deploy BillOps and FinOps tools which further help to simplify cloud billing and give further insights into the cloud costs.

Frictionless Innovation

Ideally, customers must dedicate a significant workforce for everyday cloud management and administration. By delegating these services to dedicated MSPs partners, the customer can reclaim bandwidth to focus on innovation and development. The customers’ IT team can entrust MSPs to support their resource and service requests while they concentrate on the business goals.   

MSPs also maintain quality and reliability by establishing  SLA. With more time available for innovation and employing MSPs’ automation ability, customers tend to diminish their time-to-market.

Cloud Migration and Management 

Cloud migration and end-to-end management are the core competency of MSPs. The transition from in-house to on-cloud servers is a monumental task that requires mastery and experience across the cloud spectrum. Businesses can easily suffer losses if the design contains faults or the end system is buggy. MSPs’ unique experience with AWS architecture and services makes them ideal for facilitating cloud migrations.  

As AWS evolves and introduces new features over time, MSPs follow AWS’s lead by updating their offerings and upskilling experts with new AWS information. With MSPs, customers can rest assured that their cloud will always deploy the latest services and upgrades. In fact, it is common for MSPs to retrofit the existing customer infrastructure with new-age AWS tools. 

Conclusion

MSPs can help transform your cloud solution into a competitive edge and unleash better opportunities in the market. AWS sets a high standard for MSP certification with an exhaustive audit and a comprehensive validation checklist to ensure that customers get a premium MSP partner experience. 

We at CUSP Services help aspiring MSPs reach audit competency by offering thorough coaching, from writing case studies and compiling evidence to preparing for the actual 2-day audit. Our consultation is client-tailored and all-inclusive. 

Reach out to Rajeev Karkhanis at rajeev@cusp.services to schedule a meeting.