Should your clients be using MSP software to get themselves to the cloud?

As a Managed Service Provider, you want to implement changes for your clients which make a real difference to their bottom line, as well as the everyday success of their businesses for both them and their customers.

Migrating services to the cloud can certainly make businesses more efficient, scalable and secure. It can also save companies a lot of money in both the short and long term. But how can you recognize who is ready to make the move? Here are 5 examples of clients for whom the journey to the cloud is long overdue.

They’re using microsoft exchange

There’s no doubt that Microsoft Exchange can’t offer the security and peace of mind that cloud-based solutions such as Office 365 or Google Drive can. If your client is still using Microsoft Exchange, they are running the very real risk of losing their data. In the event of a disaster, they could lose both their email and their servers. Not only this, but they are also taking on the cost of maintaining the hardware and the application itself, and making it harder for them to keep up with the latest updates.

Need more reasons to make the move? 365 offers a guaranteed service level, with perfect scalability in either direction so that you can be sure you’re only paying for exactly what you need. In fact, the only real downside is that the migration can take time and effort, and that’s exactly what MSP Software can do for you.

They utilize old fashioned call centers

The main benefit of moving to a cloud-based contact center is the agent versatility. Salesforce research has shown that “70% of consumers say that their loyalty to a brand is influenced by their ability to get customer service at any time, everyday.”

Customers can be in sudden need of support from anywhere in the world, so if your business is still running 9 to 5, you’re in trouble. If you use MSP software to move over to a cloud-based call center, they can be staffed from anywhere, giving you 24/7 customer service.

Additionally, by using cloud contact centers, agents can collaborate seamlessly, and the amount of customer support available can be scaled along with traffic spikes, giving your business the best in both efficiency and flexibility, all at a lower cost.

They store data with on-premise storage

When it comes to storage, companies need to be able to reliably scale their data as the need arises. On premise storage can do this, but it can be costly to maintain, and comes with far less security. The extras stack up quickly, including patch management and hardware, and businesses will often end up paying for more than they need, with a ‘just in case’ mentality.

Let your client know that moving to cloud storage takes away this fear. It gives them the option to pay with a subscription model, spreading a precious budget across their usage over time. As Forbes Technology Council comments, “Cloud services allow you to pay

for the resource usage you need while taking advantage of scale and reliability, two things that most companies can’t afford internally.”

They are relying on in-house apps

If your client is using many in-house apps, they might benefit from moving over to a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) software. This can help with budgeting, as it usually means changing from a large capital expenditure to a more manageable monthly operational cost. Many SaaS offerings are seamless to start using and will enhance your business exponentially, such as Dropbox, Zendesk or Amazon Web Services.

If your client is using legacy systems or apps which are highly customized and more difficult to move over, do not despair. One option is IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) where the whole application as it stands can operate from the cloud infrastructure. Clients might also consider moving to a hybrid cloud solution, where some apps are kept on-premise while others are moved to the cloud.

Their firewall is on-premise

As you move your services and storage over to the cloud, you need to be hyper-aware of security. If your clients have cloud-based applications and data, and yet they don’t have a virtual firewall, it’s time to make that change. They can manage traffic which is moving between virtual networks, and secure any physical data which is moving between local infrastructure and the cloud, too.

This type of firewall can also rival a hardware-based firewall by providing secure remote access, with the protective measures and encryption your client is used to. Most cloud-based services are not built to deal with malicious traffic, so a virtual firewall is essential for maintaining confidentiality when it comes to cloud-based data and identity. In fact, it’s so integral to security, that BusinessWire report “The FWaaS (Firewall-as-a-Service) Market Size is Expected to Grow from USD 0.56 Billion in 2017 to USD 1.70 Billion By 2022.”

Cloud-based services allow for greater flexibility, scalability and security, with no need for a backup plan if disaster strikes. If you recognize your clients on the list above, it’s time to help them get their heads out the cloud, and begin the journey to move their business out there instead.