Managed Services vs Cloud Computing: What's the Difference?

2022-09-12 13:09:26

Did you know that over 100 zettabytes of storage will be in the cloud by 2025? For perspective, one zettabyte is 1 billion terabytes, and one terabyte is 1 trillion gigabytes.

With so many companies entrusting so much data to cloud computing, it can be easy to assume that that's the best choice. However, it isn't the case for everyone. Some businesses are better off trusting managed services to care for their data and security needs.

What are the differences between the two, and how can you know which is best for you and your team? Read on to learn everything you need to know.

What Are Managed Services?

In short, managed IT services do precisely that — manage and maintain your IT services and functions.

They have the capabilities to take care of issues like security operations, network connectivity, infrastructure development, and even data security, all of which they conduct from either their server or a third party's.

Working with a services company is often seen as a great way to save time and money on IT services as you're not training and maintaining an in-house team.

Having a team of professionals to manage your IT services is a great way to make the most of your business's technology. You have unlimited access to help whenever you need it and a team that can help you learn about new techniques and safety measures.

 

What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Service Providers (CSP) offerings reside in the cloud and are accessed and delivered over the internet. The cloud can be private, public, or hybrid, and sizes vary depending on what suits a customer's individual needs.

Companies usually turn to cloud services because they're securely and reliably accessible from anywhere, and it's a great way to reduce costs even further.

Many cloud computing providers are available to choose from, some of the larger ones including Dropbox, Amazon Workspaces, Azure, Rackspace, and Google Apps.

 

What Are the Biggest Differences?

The most significant difference between managed services and cloud computing is how much either can offer. Both enable your business to migrate to and utilise the cloud, update your information in real-time, and sync seamlessly with your team. For cloud service providers, though, it ends there.

They move your data and maintain their servers, so you don't have to worry about it. The packages offered through cloud services are also highly customisable and make it easier to tailor them to fit your business's specific needs. Managed services, on the other hand, take it a step further.

They can assist businesses in migrating to the cloud while also helping keep up with IT needs from there. Whether it's maintaining your hardware, solving software problems, creating operations procedures, or managing security, managed services have you covered.

From a cost perspective, Cloud services usually cost less than managed IT services, and they can be a great way to give your company access to high-end computing that you wouldn't otherwise have. Some businesses, however, need more than that, so they choose managed services instead.

Regardless, they provide your business access to increased efficiency, seamless communication, and higher data security. 

 

What Is Right for Your Business?

Business owners will often choose cloud services over managed ones because it seems like the cheapest option. Cloud companies can provide your business with savings opportunities and less network maintenance. Because your data is stored securely in offsite servers, and depending on your service, you can usually access help if issues arise.

Costs for both options are predictable, and you will pay only for what you need.

Not only are you eliminating costs associated with an in-house IT team, but you're also giving yourself access to industry professionals with a collective knowledge of your industry. They can help when specific problems arise, and you can rest assured that you'll have access to help if needed. 

 

Making the Decision

Ultimately, the decision can still be a tough one to make. as deciding what's best for you and your team may not be agreed upon by everyone. That's where following a transparent decision-making process will benefit the process.

Firstly, stakeholders need to identify a clear end goal. Goals may be anything from faster upload speeds, optimised procedures, and offloading of specific tasks, to merely having access to better IT education and training.

From there, work to gather relevant information such as company struggles, misalignments, and successes. Conduct thorough research on both and then consolidate and summarise all essential information.

Once this exercise is complete, you'll be ready to meet with your employees and consider everything together to make a decision.

Important to remember: This decision isn't necessarily the final one. Periodically reevaluating where things are going right and where they're going wrong will enable you to readjust if and where necessary. Just because you pick cloud services today doesn't mean you can't switch to managed IT services later.

 

Take Control of Your Data Today

We hope this guide has helped to understand more about making an informed decision regarding managed services vs cloud computing, as we cannot adequately emphasise the importance of their role in businesses everywhere. While different teams will always have differing requirements, getting serious about what your business would benefit from the most is a great way to ensure you get everything you need.

 

If you're still not sure, Daisy Solutions is here to help. Contact us today to get started.