Cloud outsourcing services are now offered alongside software outsourcing, thanks to how closely the two areas work together in order to help build high-performance applications. However, cloud outsourcing goes beyond the software development use case, by also catering to cloud storage and data protection measures, all of which are confined to compliance requirements, depending on the industry or region your business operates in.
As companies expand to meet growing customer volumes and their preferences, a managed cloud services company may be an essential partner to have for forthcoming stages in your business’s journey. So in this article, we talk about what cloud outsourcing is, the benefits it can offer, as well as how to build a successful partnership with a cloud services outsourcing company.
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What is cloud outsourcing?
Cloud outsourcing is the management of hosted resources, applications and other infrastructure, for businesses. Many IT and software outsourcing agencies offer cloud outsourcing services as well, undertaking operations such as cloud infrastructure and cloud cost management.
With cloud-based resources being an indispensable component for software and application development today, many software development teams double up as cloud management teams as well, with developers, project managers and software architects collectively contributing towards determining which resources need to be purchased, how much, and the calibre of maintenance or upgrades they deserve, especially in the interest of scalability.
A CTO shall then oversee all operations, to make sure clients’ objectives are being met – and feasibly too, within their stipulated budgets.
Some key operations that are executed by cloud outsourcing companies include (but aren’t limited to):
- Cloud infrastructure management: provision, deprovision, and optimise different types of resources such as servers, virtual machines and application development environments,
- Cloud cost management: analyse costs associated with every resource that has been purchased and is in use, along with areas of wastage, and where pricing models can be switched to deliver greater value for money,
- Cyber risk assessments: assess the security posture of all your cloud resources and your entire software/application, to identify gaps and possible fixes in order to resolve them,
- Identity and access management: through the use of Identity and Access Management (IAM) platforms and Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs), provision access to various stakeholders on a granular level, while also strengthening security perimeters by discerning between authorised and unauthorised access.
What are the benefits of cloud outsourcing?
The ability to focus on more strategic tasks, thanks to delegation
With any outsourcing initiative, companies score the advantage of not having to worry about executing many operational tasks, which leaves them with only having to supervise in order to ensure everything is functioning smoothly. Likewise, cloud outsourcing affords companies the very same benefit, by providing them with the autonomy to focus on tasks of a more strategic and/or analytical nature – in exchange for a monthly retainer or agreement that is periodically updated.
Expert insight and supervision that is also consistent at the same time
Your managed cloud services team via your cloud outsourcing company will be your go-to source for handling all needs pertaining to your organization’s consumption of hosted resources. As subject matter experts, they will consistently evaluate the usage of your resources, to detect any wastage or security loopholes, and optimise accordingly. This way, your company stands to gain expert management of the cloud-based resources that it utilises, thereby justifying your investment in the long run.
Access to the latest trends and innovation
With your cloud outsourcing team consisting of subject matter experts, they are bound to be at the top of trending technologies as well as whatever is attracting much buzz in the field of IT. In turn, any innovative technologies, as implemented, can make their way into your own project. A good example of this is the use of AI agents that help analyse cloud costs, and suggest intelligent ways of reducing the very same through alternative pricing models or resources.
How to ensure your cloud outsourcing partnership is a success
Always conduct a business assessment prior
If you haven’t teamed up with an IT outsourcing agency yet, a business assessment shall help pave the way for deciding which company is best for your business needs. If you already partner with one, then an assessment shall serve as a primary point of reference to help all teams understand what the expectations are, as well as any bottlenecks that need to be addressed via cloud outsourcing.
To build an assessment, gather relevant team members to discuss what your project’s cloud management requirements are. This can be limited to your software development process, or extend over to cloud storage and security. Additionally, also discuss roles and responsibilities across different components that pertain to your cloud management plan, so there is a clear delineation of who is accountable for what, when, and how.
Expect periodic reports on your cloud usage, performance and costs
As a business owner or manager, establish a cadence for reporting that delves into the consumption patterns of cloud resources, and how much you have been paying for all of it. Any gaps and wastage also need to be identified and reported on, so that decisions can be made on purchasing new resources, or replacing current infrastructure or pricing models with better alternatives.
Consumption and cost patterns are also highly insightful during growth phases, as resources need to be expanded at scale in order to successfully accommodate an increase in volume. Without historical trend analyses, determining how much you need to spend in proportion to available budgets won’t only be difficult, but could also lead to overspending.
Focus on deploying Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for new functionalities and/or applications
Whether it’s a new feature within an existing application or a brand new application all together, it is always sensible to start with an MVP. By focusing only on the most essential of features, this reduces strains on your development teams as well as cloud resources. Following customer feedback, efforts and resources can be directed towards building capabilities that users genuinely prefer, thereby creating peak efficiency and reducing wastage.
In conclusion…
Cloud outsourcing services, similar to IT and software outsourcing services, are gaining steady popularity – and for a few good reasons. These include:
- The need for delegating operational and administrative tasks, in order to focus on executive decisions that are more strategic by nature,
- Access to subject matter expertise that can adopt trending and innovative technologies,
- Constant monitoring that enables swift detection of security loopholes and wastage, while keeping costs at a minimum.
While numerous managed cloud services providers exist the world over, your existing software/IT outsourcing partner may also be able to undertake the same. With software development and cloud computing going hand-in-hand, the former cannot be executed without the latter – thereby prompting many software outsourcing companies to deliver cloud outsourcing services as well, as an extension of their deliverables.
Irrespective of whether you go with an existing IT outsourcing partner or choose a dedicated managed cloud services firm, it is imperative to stay abreast of overall consumption and costs that are associated with your cloud infrastructure. Along with enabling usage optimisation, historical trends can also help make data-driven decisions on future needs, especially during a stage of growth.