The debate over Cloud has long been over. To stay competitive in today’s market, the need for the capabilities and cost-cutting potential of cloud computing is undeniable, making the move to the cloud inevitable.
But not all businesses see the same results once the shift to Cloud is completed. Along with the seemingly unlimited SaaS capabilities that Cloud infrastructure enables are new processes, integrations and IT tickets that must be managed. Unfortunately, as the sheer scale and complexity of Cloud environments increases, organizations often tend to see lackluster cost savings as time-consuming manual processes start to eat up more service hours.
So how can organizations avoid these diminishing returns from their Managed Services Provider? It comes down to choosing an MSP that will continuously and proactively provide value through DevOps initiatives and the automation of manual processes. For IT decision-makers evaluating service providers, it’s important to look for strong investments in DevOps and automation initiatives. These are among the top indicators of an MSP that can continue to cut costs over the years, and not just after the initial shift.
Gartner analysts predict that “…the cost of a small [Intelligent Automation] development team will offset the cost of the much larger team of traditional service desk associates within two to three years.”
That translates into major time savings for service providers, which are then passed onto the customer, achieving quality management at a lower cost point. Think of a Managed Services Provider as a car mechanic. A mechanic keeps the engine running smoothly, the same way an MSP handles the internal mechanics of a Cloud environment. DevOps and automation can be thought of as the tools the mechanic uses to work on the car – wrenches, lifts, and so on. Partnering with a service provider that isn’t invested in DevOps is like taking your car to a mechanic who hasn’t gotten new tools in years. They might get the job done eventually, but you’ll be waiting on the slow, manual processes to be completed – while other mechanics already finished the job and can work on other issues.
Both sides will get the job done eventually – but which mechanic would you choose?
A skilled DevOps team can determine whether a move to Cloud continues to pay off in time and cost savings, or if the return on investment plateaus after migrating. While Cloud has undoubtedly been the future for years now, the question still remains for many businesses whether or not it can continue to provide more value as the landscape changes. While more pre-packaged SaaS solutions are brought to market every quarter, businesses are left to figure out how to make them work in the context of their own system. Companies can get stuck picking up the manual tasks that aren’t handled by pre-packaged SaaS apps, particularly around more sensitive requirements like security and compliance. The result? Adding more hours to their contract for an MSP to take care of instead. Either way, cost, hours, or both are increasing.
Working with an MSP dedicated to understanding the client’s ecosystem and specific needs can help ensure the successful adoption of new technologies, without risking a huge increase in service hours. Ultimately, without a skilled and proactive DevOps team that’s in tune with an organization’s needs, it’s often a matter of time until enough change occurs in the overall IT landscape or internally to make the value of the Cloud simply not worth it.
If you’re curious to read about some actual DevOps and automation initiatives and how they impact the value Managed Services provides, check out the eBook Oracle Infrastructure Technologies.