AWS MSPs or AWS Managed Services Providers are organizations that provide end-to-end AWS solutions to customers at any stage of the cloud journey, including planning and design, building and migration, operations and support, and automation and optimization.
AWS MSP Partners have expertise in helping customers assess, migrate, deploy, optimize, and manage their solutions on the AWS cloud. From designing and building underlying infrastructure to optimizations and reporting, AWS MSPs manage the entire spectrum of services needed by the customers.
Getting recognized as an AWS MSP partner is of greater prominence and prestige for any organization. It is a badge of excellence in providing AWS services that help build customer trust. MSPs have a crucial role in leading and promoting cloud adoption across industries and facilitating successful migrations. AWS gives the MSPs get a lot of benefits such as AWS MSP webpage listing, AWS Partner Solutions Finder (PSF) priority listing, and access to the MDF Funds and Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) funding access. The MSP tag further boosts the service provider’s visibility and reach in the crowded cloud market. Naturally, the AWS MSP designation is highly competitive and highly sought after.
AWS ensures the bar for MSP certification is set a notch higher, and aspiring (and existing) partners are required to demonstrate their AWS competency every year in a comprehensive audit. This appraisal is regulated by a list of requirements that AWS publishes twice a year, called the AWS MSP requirement checklist. Partners should adhere strictly to the list and provide documents, case studies, and evidence validating their AWS proficiency.
Before we dive into how CUSP services help you prepare for a successful audit, let’s look at the many roles AWS MSPs
Why do Enterprises Need to Hire MSPs?
Major cloud platforms like AWS provide built-in tools to simplify ongoing
management. However, this can lead IT leaders to mistakenly believe that maintaining their
cloud systems will be easier than on-premises. But the reality is different. The internal IT team still needs to do things like: configure networks, maintain permissions, lock down critical data, set up backups, create and maintain machine images, and dozens of other tasks that cloud platforms do not perform.
The assumption that cloud management is “easy” is wrong and has been created by a few case studies of enterprises that manage thousands of instances with only a small team of employees.
To combat this issue, enterprises can solicit a managed service provider (MSP) for managing their cloud landscape. Managed cloud services range from specialized services that address specifically-tailored cloud needs to helping clients manage an entire hyper-scale cloud deployment.
How Do AWS MSPs Help Customers?
Hiring dedicated MSP partners provides a two-fold advantage. Firstly, MSPs offer their AWS specialization to solve your cloud problems and assist in making consequential decisions that affect company productivity, revenue, and efficiency. Second, by delegating day-to-day cloud operations to MSPs, you unburden your in-house IT team to focus on their core tasks. While simultaneously being confident in the knowledge that certified professionals manage your cloud.
From the wide gamut of offerings, Let’s look at the popular services that AWS MSP partners provide –
HELP DESK SUPPORT
As a first step, an MSP can handle your IT support and manage your help desk. Your employees won’t have to wait as long for their tech issues to be resolved by an overburdened in-house IT team. You’ll see faster IT ticket resolutions and less downtime.
24/7 MONITORING
MSPs also offer 24/7 monitoring to ensure the security of your network. IT systems are typically less monitored overnight, making them more vulnerable to hackers. An MSP can more effectively and efficiently protect your organization from malicious actors by monitoring cybersecurity threats, updating antivirus software and upgrading your network security configurations.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE
MSPs also ensure your company’s IT operations meet industry-specific security and compliance standards. Your business can minimize any potential risk by outsourcing its IT services and store customer data securely.
PROACTIVE SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
One of the best cybersecurity practices is keeping up with system updates and software patches. It might be difficult for a small in-house team to stay up to date with all updates across your business.
By contrast, skilled MSPs can catch and resolve issues before they become expensive. Taking a proactive approach to IT management ensures that your MSP will prevent issues that cause downtime or preventable business losses.
MANAGEMENT AND CONFIGURATION OF SERVERS
Servers can also be setup and managed by MSPs so you don’t have to. With an MSP, you can devote your resources to more important areas of your business instead of spending time on server maintenance and network security.
BACKUP AND RECOVERY OF DATA
There’s been a lot of advice about backing up your data, then backing it up again to be on the safe side. Even though we all hope that we won’t need to use those backups, accidents do happen.
To keep your data safe from hackers, equipment malfunctions, and natural disasters, an MSP can manage your backup schedule. Additionally, a managed service provider can recover lost data and get your systems back up and running as quickly as possible, protecting your reputation and minimizing downtime.
DATA STORAGE MANAGEMENT
There are a number of benefits to cloud-based storage for small businesses, including a lower capital investment and secure access to company files from anywhere. A small business that is growing can also benefit from moving their data to the cloud because it increases flexibility and scalability.
MSPs are able to help your business move its data to the cloud for secure storage and easy access. A cloud service provider can help you consolidate servers and control storage costs as your business grows.
CLOUD SECURITY
A cloud security strategy involves policies, procedures, and technologies that are designed to protect cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure. Additionally, these security measures are designed to comply with regulatory IT regulations and protect the privacy of consumers.
Most businesses choose to outsource this task to a managed service provider (MSP) who can manage user authentication and configure cloud security according to the business’ unique needs.
What are the Benefits of AWS MSP Partner Designation?
There are direct benefits to the MSP tag, like visibility, trust, marketability, etc. Additionally, MSP can avail of special AWS benefits that help with learning, development, and early access to AWS products and news, etc.
Attracts Bigger Ticket Size
MSP designation translates to bigger ticket sizes in the cloud market by signaling trust and the ability among customers to commandeer large-scale migration and management responsibility. This means an increase in the overall quality and quantity of customers.
Exposure to New Opportunities
MSPs get invited to AWS-facilitated seminars and meetups that can open new opportunities like co-selling customized courses or receiving referrals through different Customer Engagement (like ACE) programs.
Increase Visibility and Reach
MSPs can propel their business faster by having listings in AWS’s Partner webpage and APN blog New Partner Post. These mentions in official AWS publications help reach customers looking for MSPs with specific specializations to fit their needs. MSPs also get an AWS partner badge that spotlights their specializations and various recognitions. Priority listing in AWS Partner Solutions Finder and AWS Sales tools likewise helps boost reach for MSPs.
Faster Go-to-Market and Expert Support
Go to Market time can be significantly bridged with the support of partner-ready and pre-made templates, marketing playbooks, and toolkits that cut cost and effort. GTM Acceleration Workshop is one such resource that helps drive demand generation with novel go-to-market strategies. Additionally, MSPs have access to experts directly from AWS to spearhead new services and assist in building complex solution that merges different AWS services in novel ways.
Early Access to Learning and Development Material
MSPs are exposed to fresh industry insights and strategies through virtual events or private launches. Through the Deeper Learning Series, AWS aims to connect MSPs with Experts to disburse/unveil product roadmaps, feature demos, and releases before the general availability to the public. AWS frequently holds personalized boot camps that help MSPs supplement their build, market, and sell strategies, all around.
Open to Receive Funding and Credits
MSP partners receive a Marketing Development Fund specific to their accredited specialization to boost go-to-market time and promote demand generation. They also get credits that subsidize further certifications and AWS programs like MAP.
Enhance Technical Prowess
AWS regularly conducts development sessions where MSPs can come together and experiment with state-of-the-art AWS services to solve real customer scenarios while upskilling at almost no extra cost. Avenues like AWS Quest Development Kit provide a platform for MSPs to create lead-generation triggers and showcase how their offering utilizes AWS and its services.
AWS MSP partner certification is known to be detailed and exhaustive with strict scoring. We at CUSP Services possess a curated bench of experts on AWS Managed Services that can help you decipher the checklist step-by-step and assemble supporting documentation. CUSP Services also helps throughout your certification journey by offering coaching and guidance on each requirement.
Our consultation is client specific and extends from assessing the documentation, giving guidance to the partner teams for the documentation, and conducting mock audits to providing rigorous coaching to make the team qualified for the MSP audit. Reach out to Rajeev Karkhanis at rajeev@cusp.services to schedule a meeting.