While all cloud services have the same common aspects, they are not all created equal. Take Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) as it provides a new way for MSPs to leverage their services and can provide a better cloud solution than other methods currently on the market.
What Is IaaS?
Broadly speaking, IaaS is based on providing hardware resources. Servers, storage devices, and many other physical components are compiled and delivered to end users as virtual resources. This model is ideal as it allows MSPs to create high-powered IT infrastructure for clients without deploying any to the client’s location. MSPs can also add a whole host of services that are cloud-based and highly sought-after, boosting customer attraction.
Pros Of IaaS
Beyond that benefit, IaaS provides further unique advantages to MSPs including:
- Budget-friendly pricing: MSPs are practically leasing the equipment from a third-party to provide this service. In business, this means an MSP will remove the need to invest in procuring, installing, and managing their own hardware. MSPs enjoy further savings when they use cloud utility-based billing models, which only require a user to pay for the resources that are used.
- Simplicity: Clouds are designed to simplify the IT management task and it does so. IaaS arraignments are physically managed by MSPs in remote data centers. There are also virtual infrastructures where MSPs no longer have to maintain and secure additional hardware.
- Scalability: IaaS allows an easier time for MSPs to scale their business. As customer growth comes and MSPs expand to accommodate, a cloud vendor can do the same effortlessly. And if customer growth is declining, IaaS can reduce the cost ensuring MSPs don’t waste money on extra resources that aren’t in use.
- Mobility: Like any other cloud service, IaaS solutions can be accessed anywhere on any device. MSPs are then able to offer services on-the-go and not suffer from productivity loss.
- Business continuity: IaaS will also minimize downtime and data loss by removing single points of failure. If a server ever goes down, a cloud provider can fail-over to another. This is in addition to other business continuity measures, ensuring IaaS provides an additional layer of security compared to others.
Cons of IaaS
Despite the benefits that IaaS provides, there are drawbacks to using this service. As an MSP owner, it’s important to keep in mind the potential risks when deciding whether to provide this or not. Concerns are:
- More security risks: Cloud computing has been marred with many tales of high-profile breaches, leaked passwords, and massive data losses. IaaS puts the responsibility of both the IT management and the security into these third-party providers. It’s up to the customer to choose which cloud vendor is ideal.
- Downtime and availability: Even though MSPs remove their need to maintain additional hardware and the challenges that come with it, they are at the mercy of these third parties. Especially when technical difficulties occur. When these problems happen, MSPs will lack the control they need to keep everything under control. It falls back to the customers that must trust that an IaaS vendor will ensure little downtime and make it available as much as possible.
- Limited control: As mentioned in the previous point, this is a problem, and this is the biggest criticism against IaaS. Everything from software installations to data backups, MSPs aren’t able to do much in terms of what an IaaS will do.
- Immobility: Even though IaaS can be accessed anywhere, the complication of mobility comes when it’s time to move data and applications. Migrating data from one source to another can be incredibly difficult, especially when vendor lock-in contracts are involved.
Is It Worth It?
IaaS can provide an overall appealing cost-effective package for MSPs, giving them more competitive edges than others. However, these advantages hinge on the choice the MSP makes on cloud providers. Even though those concerns are significant, they can be mitigated when MSPs work to find a partner that can customize an IaaS solution around specific business needs.
About MSP Corp
MSP Corp understands you’ve worked hard to build your business and you want to protect it. With a mission to be a world-class business partner for MSP owners across Canada, we actively seek to acquire and partner with owners looking to secure the value of the business they have built and provide a seamless exit process that ensures business continuity and employee and client stability.
Contact us today to learn more about selling your business and maximizing its value.