Featured article by Marc Malizia, co-founder and CTO of RKON Technologies
The IT industry moves at light speed fueled by constant change and advancement. No area of IT has been affected more by this change than the hosting and managed service space.
Advancement in the cloud and its delivery models of IaaS and SaaS have caused a monumental shift in the way IT services are deployed and delivered. Beginning in the early 2000s IaaS, Infrastructure as a Service, emerged on the scene. IaaS offered a standardized infrastructure that was pre-provisioned and ready-to-go at a moment’s notice. This delivery mechanism eliminated the manual process of ordering and provisioning dedicated hardware in favor of standardization and automation, combined with pre-staged equipment. Many players in the hosting industry shrugged off IaaS and downplayed its significance, stating it was too rigid and too standard and customers need custom solutions that IaaS could not address. But as the IaaS market evolved, what was thought to be insignificant actually ended up being a significant market disruptor. So much so that Gartner renamed the “Hosting and Managed Service” category to “Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting.”
This new category will focus on managed services being offered on top of an IaaS delivery model. Whether managing customers’ infrastructure or applications, providers that can successfully leverage automation and standardization to augment (not replace) their human-powered services will be able to achieve greater scale and better customer satisfaction over time. Human expertise will always be a part of the equation in the managed end of the market, but automation – when envisioned and implemented properly – can serve as a significant amplifier for an organization’s existing technical expertise, and deliver better customer outcomes over time.
So now that we have discussed this genesis of Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting providers lets look at criteria that sets players in this space apart from one another and the five things a cloud provider should offer to earn trust and business.
1. Migration Services
When looking for your next cloud provider it is important to make sure they have a background in data center migration. Failed migration planning tops the list of reasons why cloud projects fail. Transitioning is a complex process and requires a detailed plan in order to succeed. It is where the heavy lifting takes place and tends to be the area where most cloud providers appear to add no value. You need a partner that puts some skin in the game and is there to work with you during your transition.
2. Turnkey Solutions
I have witnessed firsthand how large cloud providers leave customers hanging when being asked to offer solutions for the implementation of new technology. When a customer is in need of assistance in architecting, deploying and managing a solution and all the provider can offer is a bill of material for the servers, it’s time to look for a new cloud partner. Make sure your provider can offer full-service management so when you need to implement new technology that you are unfamiliar with they will not leave you out in the cold.
3. On-site Managed Services
When transitioning to the cloud, it is rare that all servers and data are able to move seamlessly. There may be regulation or compliance constraints that require certain servers or data to remain on-site. If you are truly committed to outsourcing and focusing your staff on strategic initiatives, your service provider must be capable of managing these on-site technologies. It is also important to keep in mind that these providers should be able to manage these systems remotely without the cost of sending out a tech team.
4. Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery has become a luxury which can now be afforded by all with proliferation and advancement of virtualization and replication software. What once was a costly endeavor only available to the Fortune 500 is now accessible to even the smallest of companies. Your service provider should offer a fully managed disaster recovery solution as part of their basic offering. Your provider is already managing and is familiar with your systems; you should not be burdened with figuring out, implementing, or choosing the software.
5. Disruptive Services
The ability to provide and manage disruptive technologies is quickly becoming a decision criterion for enterprises as they select their service provider partners. Some disruptive technologies are now becoming a bit more common place, such as mobility, collaboration, social media and analytics. Enterprises need to know their provider is going to offer these disruptive technologies in a timely manner giving the ability to stay a step ahead of their competition. The key is not only making these technologies available, but providing them as a managed service.
In conclusion
These five pointers should be considered table stakes—the bare minimum your cloud-enabled managed hosting provider offers. Add to this list other items important to your enterprise and leverage it as a guide when interviewing your next provider to ensure a successful cloud migration project.
Marc Malizia
Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Marc Malizia is co-founder and CTO of RKON Technologies, responsible for the company’s overall technical vision and strategy. Since he helped start the company in 1998, Malizia has played a key role in creating many of RKON Technologies’ products and professional service offerings, as well as building the company’s internal computing platform, which serves as the basis of the brand’s cloud and managed services portfolio.
Prior to RKON Technologies, Malizia was director of engineering at LAN Systems. He was also responsible for launching a professional services practice at WorkGroup Productivity.
Malizia holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from University of Illinois and a master’s degree in telecommunications from DePaul University.
