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The Truth about Cloud Managed Services

Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are two of the most common examples of clouds. These cloud managed services have been the mainstay of many businesses. Without maintaining expensive hardware, these managed cloud services have added simplicity and efficiency to the data storage and management, customer service and workflow management of various organizations. There are public, private as well as hybrid IT environments that can be managed in cloud platforms.

Remote server management services help organizations migrate to the cloud. They provide round-the-clock server maintenance to ensure the flawless functioning and minimal downtime if any issues creep up. They also take steps for the security of the sensitive data businesses deal with.

With managed cloud services, businesses can focus on their core processes without worrying about the technical aspects of server management. All this is possible thanks to cloud computing.

The Enigma Surrounding Cloud Computing

In spite of the fact that cloud managed services have been helping many businesses run smoothly, there is still a bit of an enigma surrounding cloud computing. So it would be appropriate to bust some myths, assert some facts and give a clear picture of the remarkable cloud service.  

WHAT IS THE CLOUD?

One of the most common assumptions is that “the cloud” is a virtual entity like the internet. Well, the fact is that the cloud isn’t a single entity. What’s more appropriate is that the cloud is actually a network of clouds belonging to various service providers. The cloud network can’t quite replace the internet, at least not anytime now. There are multiple clouds having unique capabilities. There are multiple clouds globally, and each of these clouds has its own standards and tools. The variety of clouds ensures multiple capabilities since each cloud has its own functionalities and standards.

In fact, the cloud is not a virtual location at all. It is a computing model. It helps organizations head on a digital transformation path where they align their IT department with their business and modernize their technologies. There’s often more to it since cloud adoption strategies need to be aligned with changes in the business processes of companies. Businesses need specialized cloud managed services providers that help them in cloud adoption, migration and regular cloud functioning.   

How to Move to the Cloud?

People often talk about “moving to the cloud”. But it needn’t necessarily mean a single thing.

  • It could mean moving applications that were developed traditionally to rented virtual servers that have the capability of hosting these applications along with the required infrastructure that is either shared or dedicated. Most applications can be moved to the cloud though not all. Applications involving high-performance computing should not, and cannot, be moved.   
  • “Moving to the cloud” can also mean platform as a service (PaaS) where applications are created with the help of application components that are provided as a service. This means that businesses don’t need to have a physical or virtual server for running these applications. This can also be done by using containers that contain all the required elements. That’s probably the way to go. PaaS provides greater potential for more applications to be moved.There is constant innovation in PaaS.
  • Yet another meaning of “moving to the cloud” could be using software online rather than by installation, with the help of an app or browser that sources the software functionality online. This is called software as a service (SaaS). Our daily life is full of such examples. We have Office365, Gmail.com, Salesforce, and even WhatsApp and Facebook.
  • Now SaaS can also be used as a base for the functioning of hardware devices or other software. Examples are apps dealing with security or analytics that help reduce the complexity of IT. This is called cloud-managed or cloud-based service. This is where the cloud is used for subscription services. Examples of these are everywhere, such as CloudCenter that manages different cloud platforms, Cloudlock that protects devices using other cloud apps, the iPhone operating system, etc.   

So when someone talks about moving to the cloud, it could just mean using a cloud-based technology solution for taking care of a business need and managing a process rather than migrating to the cloud.

How Does Moving the Business to the Cloud Work?

Now people would be wondering, can they move their businesses to the cloud? Can their entire organization be migrated so they can save on hardware infrastructure and the complex technicalities involved? Is this feasible? Well, there are cloud managed services providers that can help you here, in getting businesses to migrate to the cloud. However, you need to factor in some points here.

It isn’t technically possible to move your entire business to the cloud since you just can’t have a cloud provider who’ll handle every aspect of your business. While your business is in the start-up stage you could be using a cloud app suite, but you need to get connected to that cloud somehow. As your business keeps growing, you need apps customized to your unique requirements.

Sometimes you may need to create your own apps. As your organization grows further with more employees, offices and customers you need greater network capacity. Each of these functionalities comes under various clouds. So if your business needs to move to the cloud, you need to plan your individual business requirements and processes and map them out to various clouds rather than a single cloud.

Managed Cloud Hosting Can Help

That’s where managed cloud services such as those provided by Netrix will help you by optimizing this process and ensuring you get the best solution for your business. Managed cloud hosting offers significant advantages to businesses. These include affordability, constant availability, network security, and customization possibilities. The cloud hosting provider can also help you set up a hybrid system including virtual cloud-based servers as well as physical servers. It all depends on what the needs of your business are.

So here’s a question to you. Are you moving to the cloud? Let us Know, Contact us today