Cloud computing vs cloud outsourcing: what’s the difference?

Cloud computing has become an indispensable part of the digital world today, as it forms the base for leveraging any kind of technology – from data analytics to AI. As companies grow and scale, the cloud resources they utilise are also bound to expand, while technical debt accumulates over time.

As a result, cloud outsourcing has also started to gain popularity, as it offers businesses the ability to delegate the management of various cloud resources to an external partner that they can trust. Whether it’s migrating from one deployment model to another, or trying to optimise usage, a reliable cloud outsourcing service provider can enable companies to eventually save on costs, while allocating resources to areas that best benefit bottom line growth.

As an IT outsourcing company based in Sri Lanka, our teams here at EFutures have in-depth experience pertaining to cloud management, as well as subsequent outsourcing. Here, we distinguish between cloud computing and cloud outsourcing – as well as how businesses truly stand to benefit by using one flagship provider for both software and cloud outsourcing.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing refers to IT resources (such as virtual machines and servers) that are accessed and used directly via the internet – and without having to buy, store or maintain any infrastructure physically. Also known as hosted systems or simply as ‘the cloud’, cloud computing has become the bedrock of the modern digital landscape, as almost every mobile app, website and social network now functions over a foundation that’s built from cloud-based resources.

The cloud has also paved the way for SaaS (Software as a Service), which is a popular hosted rendition of CD-bound software from yesteryear; simply access your program over the web, without having to download or install anything. Many SaaS vendors also offer convenient payment plans, whereupon subscribers can pay on a monthly or annual basis – with the ability to cancel anytime. From Netflix to Spotify, many popular applications today function on a SaaS model, owing to its understandably impressive advantages.

What is cloud outsourcing?

Cloud outsourcing is the offloading of all or a partial set of cloud management tasks to an external partner, on behalf of your organisation. Cloud migration is a popular project that many companies outsource, owing to its complexity. Cloud outsourcing providers can perform end-to-end management of all cloud resources, while also helping keep costs at a minimum.

Cloud outsourcing services are offered by leading cloud vendors, but can also be offered by software outsourcing companies. This way, companies that already enlist the expertise of software outsourcing companies to build custom applications can delegate cloud management duties to the same partner, so they conveniently have a single point of contact for both duties.

How can cloud computing and cloud outsourcing, when combined, offer value to your business?

Software outsourcing companies make for ideal partners when it comes to amalgamating cloud computing and cloud outsourcing for your business. But how exactly does combining them offer value?

Taking a deeper look at perks surrounding better accessibility to services, as well as maintaining a single source of truth, can help shed some light in this regard.

Delegate tasks to one flagship provider

Many companies generally consult their software outsourcing company for assistance regarding cloud services. In turn, software outsourcing companies have also doubled up as cloud outsourcing service providers, as they already possess the resources and expertise to manage cloud infrastructure on behalf of their clients.

By assigning all responsibilities pertaining to cloud management, such as cloud migration or cost optimisation to a software outsourcing company, businesses now have a single source of truth for all things related to cloud usage. This means that there is no need to coordinate between multiple outsourcing partners, as one partner does all the legwork needed to keep cloud resources running smoothly.

Before you delegate your cloud outsourcing needs to your existing software outsourcing company, here are some things to keep in mind:

A single point of contact means that it’ll become all the more imperative to ensure that your outsourcing partner of choice is reliable. After all, the more responsibilities you delegate to a partner, the more they need to be held accountable for – and this is best done only if it’s with a partner you can truly trust, so that any possible risks can be mitigated.
Determining whether your software outsourcing partner is competent enough to undertake the crucial responsibility of managing your cloud services, is a concern that can best be answered by none other than your internal teams. Ultimately, this may also surface any concerns pertaining to the first service they currently provide i.e. software development, and whether that is up to par, to begin with.
There is greater pressure to conduct accurate trust assessments, whenever offshore cloud services are involved. With geographical constraints added to the mix, businesses need to be extra mindful of whether their existing software outsourcing company (that’s based in a different region) may be able to undertake cloud management responsibilities as well.

Access all services under one roof

A cloud outsourcing partner (be it via a software/IT outsourcing company or a cloud vendor) will be your gateway to avail any other service that is built upon hosted infrastructure. AI-powered bot training, business intelligence and blockchain are some popular solutions that large enterprise cloud vendors cater to, which businesses can get access to when utilising the services of a cloud outsourcing partner.

With one flagship provider purchasing, using and maintaining cloud resources on your business’s behalf, your teams need only focus on the technologies and subsequent strategies that can help achieve enterprise objectives and bottom lines. In turn, this gives your business the leverage to be tech-centric, and stay in lockstep with what’s prevailing in order to streamline operations and meet even the most intricate of customer demands, no matter how competitive the market may be.

Always scale up (or down) by having the complete picture

If your software outsourcing company is also managing cloud resources on your behalf, their hands-on access to your software development life cycle shall give them a bird’s eye perspective of what your application requires for optimal performance. In turn, this helps teams make more informed decisions on which cloud resources to invest in – and inversely, which ones to forgo as well.

As a result, having both projects outsourced to one flagship provider can enable businesses to optimise application development from the get-go, while saving costs both in the short and long term.

In conclusion…

Cloud computing and cloud outsourcing are essential components for enterprise cloud use and management today. With cloud computing offering a plethora of services to enable success among today’s businesses, cloud outsourcing providers can further help ensure resources are optimally utilised and budgets are adhered to.

Furthermore, using one flagship provider for both software development and outsourcing can offer business leaders the convenience of liaising with only one partner they trust. Provided your teams are confident that more responsibilities can be delegated to your existing software outsourcing provider, this combination offers advantages such as:

A single source of truth for all things IT – which includes software development, cloud management and even cybersecurity,
Access to the latest technologies, by consulting your outsourcing partner – who can then do all the hard work on your behalf,
The ability to scale your cloud resources based on what your software’s development life cycle needs – and not just make decisions in a vacuum.

FAQs

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Q1: Can IT outsourcing companies also offer cloud outsourcing services?

A: Yes, IT outsourcing companies can also undertake cloud outsourcing services on behalf of their clientele, as they are already subscribed to the services offered by a cloud vendor. Many software and IT outsourcing companies also officially partner with large cloud service providers, so they can ensure complete access to services as and when needed, together with dedicated expert support, lest any challenges are met.

Q2: Do software companies in Sri Lanka also offer cloud outsourcing services?

A: Yes, leading software outsourcing companies in Sri Lanka can and will offer cloud outsourcing services too - especially since they may be partnered with leading cloud service providers such as AWS and Azure. This provides clients a single point of contact for all things related to their IT outsourcing needs, whether it’s software development, cybersecurity, AI and of course, cloud outsourcing.

Q3: Is cybersecurity part of cloud outsourcing services?

A: Cybersecurity may or may not be part of a cloud outsourcing service strategy, based on one key factor - whether your outsourcing partner can scale in order to facilitate the same. Of course, this is only applicable to businesses that depend on their IT outsourcing provider to undertake cloud outsourcing or any other type of outsourcing service.

If your business partners directly with a cloud service provider, cybersecurity can certainly be integrated, as vendors offer all the services an organisation may need to keep networks, data, applications and other infrastructure secure. Dedicated experts can also guide your business teams for assessing security posture and building relevant frameworks, so help is at hand whenever needed.

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