Cloud services have skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. A recent survey by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan reported that 80% of the participating US-based companies were planning to increase their usage of the cloud platform in 2015. Two years later, we are witnessing this surge across a wide array of industries, but the main challenges remain more or less the same.
It isn’t an easy task to teach a department, let alone an entire organization, in navigating effortlessly around self-service clouds. Expertise is just one part of it, however. There is also the matter of risk and reward. If a cloud service is poorly implemented, the implications are costly and highly unfavorable. This is where managed cloud hosting comes into play.
Managed cloud services have quite a few advantages that make them an appealing option in many scenarios, and even a great alternative to a variety of other, more “traditional” types of services. Read on to find out more about managed cloud hosting, its value and why it’s important to choose a provider that is skilled and experienced in this field.
Advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting
In short, managed cloud hosting is a process where an organization utilizes a remote network with multiple servers, the primary objective being more efficient sharing and higher accessibility when it comes to main hardware and software resources. The focal points of a managed cloud are enhanced security and dependable availability, with the added benefit of professional management and maintenance.
If managed cloud hosting is done right, it truly can make you feel like you’re “on cloud nine” as far as your business is concerned. Here are the main benefits of the service that contribute to its value:
- Excellent availability: The key aspect of managed cloud hosting is its design, oriented at high availability and effective redundancy. Thanks to multiple servers, SAN (Storage Area Network) and various protection mechanisms, it ensures a higher level of failover protection.
- Emphasis on network security: Managed cloud servers possess an arsenal of protective measures that ensure a risk-free and secure environment for your resources at all times. These include protected firewalls, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS, respectively) and VLANs, or virtual local area networks.
- Best of both worlds: With managed clouds you have the opportunity of running virtual-physical hybrid servers, all in the same system. The cloud server can operate in unison with dedicated networks, giving you extra options.
- No need to fix problems yourself: Last but not least, a pivotal advantage of manage cloud hosting is the elimination of any server-related concerns. The service makes sure the cloud is functioning without any hiccups and takes care of arising glitches, giving your organization more time to focus on running the business instead of addressing downtime and server-side issues.
As you can see, managed cloud hosting can be quite valuable to businesses of any size. It offers exceptional levels of security and dependability, all in an affordable package.
A Strong Alternative
Due to the multifaceted nature of managed cloud services, they can prove to be of immense benefit in a variety of situations. For example, if your business has seasonal sales cycles, cloud hosting is a solid choice thanks to the flexibility it offers – provisioning extra capacity is easily done and you can scale up or down at a moment’s notice.
Managed cloud hosting can also be a perfect fit for your organization if you aren’t even aware of it, and are looking into other types of services. It comes equipped with pretty much everything necessary to stand toe-to-toe with dedicated servers. Furthermore, managed cloud hosting may be a more suitable option for you than services like shared or unmanaged hosting, especially if you’re running a small organization that doesn’t have room for a big IT department. As said earlier, the “managed” part comes with the great advantage of alleviating your tasks related to the server operation on a daily basis, and allows you to invest that time in improving your business.
Even if you’re already using one type of hosting, nothing is stopping you from opting for a managed cloud – there will be no synergy issues whatsoever. One of the biggest strengths of managed cloud hosting is its ability to run enterprise-critical apps over long periods of time, with the benefits of higher uptime, better security and reduced costs.
Choose an Experienced Provider
Earlier, it was mentioned that there are still two major challenges before the cloud service – expertise and implementation. You would think turning to specialists for managed hosting would be a guarantee that both of these boxes are checked, but it isn’t as simple. When looking for a managed cloud hosting provider, you have to make sure they specialize in this type of service. This is the best assurance you can get that you are working with someone who has the necessary skills and experience to effectively support the services they are providing. Remember, this is first and foremost about you, the customer – working with a reputable provider means that your own reputation is safe as well.
So how can you be sure you’re making the right choice? Once you know what you need to look for in a managed cloud hosting service, it becomes a bit easier. As a provider that takes great pride in our managed cloud offerings, at ColoCrossing we believe there are three telltale signs of an outstanding service – flexibility, a wide assortment of available services and a high level of support. This is why we are committed to engineering cloud solutions that are tailored to your business needs. Moreover, we offer seamless coverage of your IT footprint – from managed public cloud services to cloud and infrastructure management and even project services. We aim to deliver all of that while being readily available for any inquiries or discussions around the clock – you can reach out to our technical support at any time.
Get More Info about Managed Cloud Services with ColoCrossing
