What Is a Cloud Managed Service Provider and What Do They Do?

Modern businesses are shifting towards cloud-based solutions for their IT infrastructure in today’s digital transformation landscape. However, while public cloud services offer numerous benefits to clients, managing them can prove to be a complex and challenging process.

To address this obstacle, cloud managed service providers have emerged as expert service providers by offering various services and technical solutions designed to help businesses offload cloud infrastructure’s complex management and maintenance to a team of dedicated professionals.

What is a Managed Cloud Services Provider?

A managed cloud service provider is a third-party company offering technical services to help organizations manage their own cloud environments, resources, and IT systems. When approached by their customer, a managed services provider proposes a range of management services to support hybrid cloud environments, public cloud services, and private cloud services to their customers.

They specialize in providing managed cloud services that help organizations drive their day-to-day business cloud operations well. This might include initiatives for cloud migration, cloud deployments, database management, helping with business processes, business continuity (disaster recovery), development of cloud-native applications, and data protection guarantees.

Clients expect help with cloud operations, integration services, centralized services, cloud integration, cloud engineering, cloud adoption best practice, and cloud environment recommendations. These recommendations could cover enterprise networks, digital transformation, cloud apps, application services, cloud and transformation services, machine learning, managed security, ongoing management, infrastructure management, and above all else, a reliable and robust infrastructure.

A managed cloud service provider delivers diverse services, including professional services, cloud migration services, cloud deployment services, business process management, business continuity management, cloud-native application management, and data protection services such as snapshots, backups, and restores.

Cloud managed service providers deliver the ongoing management of cloud resources, integration services, and centralized services to help organizations manage their cloud applications.

The range of managed services is extensive and intricate, with each business requiring dynamic access to meet evolving needs.

Why Are Cloud Managed Services Important?

With the increasing importance of cloud technology, the demand for Cloud MSPs is rising. The global cloud-managed services market is projected to reach a whopping $160 billion by 2027, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets.

This growth is driven by the many benefits that Cloud MSPs offer, such as cost savings, improved security, and increased efficiency. All businesses have realized that the cloud is the future, and the majority already have cloud migration projects in flight.

Cloud managed services are important for several reasons; some of the most important are:

Expertise On-Hand

Managed service providers (MSPs) have experts who understand the technical aspects of cloud computing addition; they have experience handling different cloud platforms, applications, and technologies, making them ideal for managing cloud services for organizations.

Experts can help organizations select the appropriate cloud services that meet their specific requirements, such as storage, computing power, security, and compliance.

MSPs experts manage the day-to-day operations of cloud services, including monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Including managing the hardware and software platforms, patching, security updates, and upgrades, ensuring customers get the most value from their cloud investments.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Cloud managed services can help organizations save money by reducing the need for in-house IT staff and infrastructure. In addition, within managed services, organizations can avoid the costs of maintaining servers, hardware, and software.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) introduce cost-effectiveness in several ways, including:

Reduced IT staffing costs

Reduce the costs associated with hiring and managing in-house IT staff. MSPs provide a team of experts who can handle all aspects of managing the cloud environment, including maintenance, security, and troubleshooting, allowing you to free up resources and focus on core business objectives.

Financial Scalability:

Public cloud providers enable organizations to scale their cloud services up or down as needed based on changes in demand or business requirements. This can help organizations avoid over or under-provisioning resources, reducing the risk of unnecessary costs.

Predictable pricing

Cloud providers offer predictable pricing models, such as monthly or annual subscriptions, which can help organizations manage their cloud adoption costs better. There is no need for upfront investments in hardware and software, which can reduce costs for organizations.

Access to advanced technologies

A managed service provider gives access to advanced cloud technologies and environments that might be too expensive or complex to implement in-house. This can help organizations stay competitive without investing significant resources into new technologies, hardware, and expensive licensing.

Managed Security

Cloud managed service providers offer advanced security features to protect organizations’ data and systems from cyber threats. Multiple physical, technical, and administrative security measures are required to ensure client data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Physical Security:

Physical security measures are put in place to protect the data center’s physical infrastructure from unauthorized access, theft, and damage.

Tier 1 data centers are typically equipped with the following:

• Biometric access controls: allow only authorized personnel to enter the data center. The data centers also have multiple layers of access controls, including badge readers, proximity sensors, and biometric scanners.
• Video surveillance: Data centers must have 24/7 video surveillance which monitors all the activity inside the data center.
• Environmental controls: Data centers should have sophisticated HVAC systems to ensure optimal equipment temperature and humidity levels.
• Fire suppression systems: The data centers have advanced fire suppression systems that can detect and extinguish any fire that might occur.

Technical Security

Technical security measures are implemented to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber-attacks.

Look for technical security measures, such as:

• Network security: The company employs firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and VPNs to protect its network from unauthorized access.
• Encryption: Data and network encryption protect sensitive data in transit and at rest. Look for a managed service provider that uses SSL/TLS encryption for website traffic and data encryption for stored data.
• Anti-malware protection: Good security comes from highly secure endpoints; look for managed services that offer cloud services for anti-malware protection that detect and remove malware automatically.

Administrative Security

It’s critical to know that behind the scenes, your managed service provider has the administrative security measures in place to ensure that relevant policies and procedures are followed and that their employees are trained to handle your data correctly.

• Employee background checks: The provider’s employees should be background checked to ensure a clean record.
• Access controls: Software access controls restrict access to sensitive data to only authorized personnel.
• Security policies: A comprehensive set of security policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed and updated ensures that your business is safe.
• Employee training: Cybersecurity is a serious business. Regular security training must be provided to the MSPs employees, ensuring they know the latest security threats and how to prevent them.

Scalability

Managed services allow organizations to scale their cloud resources up or down as needed easily. This means that organizations can quickly adapt to changing business needs without worrying about the technical details of adding or removing resources from the cloud.

Reliability

Cloud managed service providers ensure high uptime and reliability for to cloud services offered to their clients. They use redundancy and failover mechanisms, providing their clients’ services are always available, even during an outage or hardware failure.

What Is Included in Cloud Managed Services?

Cloud MSPs provide services encompassing cloud infrastructure management, security, and compliance management, big data analytics, backup, recovery, and round-the-clock technical support.

This allows businesses to focus on their core business operations while leaving the management of their cloud infrastructure in the capable hands of experts.

So, whether you’re a small business looking to move your IT infrastructure to the cloud or a large enterprise looking to optimize your already existing servers with cloud systems, a Cloud MSP can provide the support and expertise you need to succeed in today’s fast-paced digital world.

Managed Cloud Services

Organizations can delegate the management of their cloud infrastructure to third-party providers, who offer a comprehensive set of services collectively known as managed cloud services. These services include the management of enterprise networking, server hosting, server management, backup, security, and consulting agreements, among others.

Below are some of the critical services provided by managed cloud services:

Managed Enterprise Networking

Third-party providers offering managed enterprise networking services can help organizations guarantee their network infrastructure’s security, reliability, and performance optimization. These services often include routing, switching, firewalling, load balancing, and virtual private networking (VPN).

Intrusion Protection Systems

Intrusion protection systems are designed to detect and prevent unauthorized access to an organization’s network. Managed cloud service providers offer intrusion protection systems as part of their security services.

An IPS is a security tool designed to monitor and prevent unauthorized access to a network or system; it analyzes network traffic, identifies potential security threats, and takes action to prevent them.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is becoming increasingly popular as a security mechanism for protecting online accounts from unauthorized access. MFA requires users to provide two or more forms of authentication before they can access their accounts.

This is typically accomplished by requiring something the user knows, such as a password or PIN, something the user has, such as a smart card or security token, or something the user is, such as a fingerprint or facial recognition.

By requiring multiple forms of authentication, MFA makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain unauthorized access to an account, even if they have obtained the user’s password through a data breach or other means.

Managed cloud services can provide MFA solutions to improve the security of an organization’s cloud environment. MFA can be implemented for all users or those with access to sensitive data or critical systems.

MFA can be used with other security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and data encryption, to provide a layered approach to security that makes it more difficult for attackers to breach the system.

Managed Server Hosting

Managed server hosting services allow organizations to host their applications and data on servers managed by third-party providers. This includes services like server deployment, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance.

Network Edge Protection/DDoS

Network edge protection services help organizations defend against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks by monitoring incoming traffic and blocking suspicious requests.

Network Edge Protection services are a powerful tool for defending against DDoS attacks. By monitoring incoming traffic and blocking suspicious requests, these services can help to reduce the impact of attacks and improve the overall security posture of an organization’s network.

If your organization is at risk of DDoS attacks, it may be worth considering a Network Edge Protection service as part of your cybersecurity strategy.

Trend Micro Security

Trend Micro is a leading provider of cloud security solutions, including endpoint protection, network security, and cloud security. In addition, managed cloud services can provide Trend Micro security solutions to enhance the security of an organization’s cloud environment.

Trend Micro also offers a range of network security solutions, including firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and advanced threat detection and response tools. These solutions help organizations protect their networks from cyber attacks, including DDoS attacks, malware infections, and other threats.

In addition to endpoint and network security, Trend Micro offers cloud security solutions designed to help organizations protect their cloud-based systems and applications. This includes cloud workload protection, container security, and cloud security posture management tools.

By providing comprehensive security solutions specifically designed for the cloud, Trend Micro can help organizations take full advantage of the benefits of cloud computing while minimizing the risk of security incidents.

Managed Private Cloud

Managed private cloud services provide organizations with dedicated cloud infrastructure third-party provider managers. This includes services like server deployment, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance.

Unlike public cloud services, a private cloud is a dedicated environment designed to meet an organization’s unique needs. Managed private cloud services offer a range of benefits for organizations, including enhanced security, reliability, and flexibility.

With a private cloud, organizations can quickly scale their resources up or down as needed, allowing them to respond to changing business needs without costly hardware purchases or upgrades.

This full cloud transformation can help organizations to improve their agility and adaptability, enabling them to stay competitive in a rapidly-evolving business landscape.

Server Management

Server management services help organizations ensure that their servers run efficiently, securely, and reliably. This includes services like server patching, backup and recovery, and performance monitoring.

Server management services ensure an organization’s servers run efficiently, securely, and reliably. These services include server patching, backup and recovery, and performance monitoring.

They are critical to minimizing downtime, optimizing performance, and ensuring the security of an organization’s data and systems.

Organizations can benefit from expert support and guidance by outsourcing server management to a third-party provider while focusing their resources on more strategic initiatives.

Consulting Agreements

Managed cloud service providers can offer consulting services to help organizations plan, design, and implement their cloud infrastructure. This includes services like cloud readiness assessments, migration planning, and architecture design.

Managed Backup

Managed services often include a managed backup service like Veeam Backup, a popular backup and recovery solution for virtualized environments. Managed cloud services can provide Veeam backup solutions to ensure an organization’s data is backed up and recoverable during a disaster.

Organizations can leverage their expertise and resources to improve their cloud environment’s performance, security, and reliability by partnering with a managed cloud service provider.

How Do I Choose a Cloud Managed Service Provider?

Atlantic.Net is the top choice when choosing the best-managed cloud services provider. The company has over 28 years of experience within the cloud industry, providing secure and reliable cloud solutions to clients worldwide.

In addition, our expertise in cloud hosting, virtualization, disaster recovery, and compliance management sets it apart from other managed cloud service providers.

Range of Services

Atlantic.Net offers a comprehensive range of cloud services to meet the unique needs of businesses across various industries. The company’s managed cloud services include server management, monitoring, security, backup, and disaster recovery.

Additionally, Atlantic.Net provides private and public cloud, hybrid cloud, and cloud migration services to help businesses modernize their IT infrastructure.

Reputation and Customer Satisfaction Rating

Atlantic.Net has a proven track record of delivering exceptional cloud solutions to its clients, with a 100% uptime SLA. The company has received numerous industry awards and accolades for its cloud services, including the 2020 Cloud Hosting Service Provider of the Year Award by Acquisition International.

Pricing Structure

Atlantic.Net offers flexible pricing models to suit different business needs, including pay-as-you-go and fixed-fee pricing. The company’s pricing is transparent, with no hidden costs or setup fees. This makes it easier for businesses to plan and budget their cloud computing expenses.

Level of Support

Atlantic.Net provides 24/7 customer support to its clients, with a dedicated team of cloud experts available to address any issues or concerns. In addition, the company offers proactive monitoring and management of its clients’ enterprise-grade cloud technologies, ensuring optimal performance and security.

This level of support ensures that businesses can focus on their core operations while our professional services teams manage the complexities of the hyper-scale cloud environment.

Atlantic.Net is committed to delivering exceptional reliability and performance to our clients as a cloud managed service provider.

Our 100% uptime SLA sets us apart from competitors like Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Tata Consultancy Services, AWS Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Atlantic.Net: The Managed Cloud Service Provider

Looking for a cloud managed service provider to help you optimize your cloud resources, secure your cloud infrastructure, and meet your business objectives? Look no further than our team of experienced professionals!

As a leading provider of managed cloud services, we offer various infrastructure management services, including managed services, cloud security, and data protection.

Atlantic.Net is a leading managed cloud service provider that offers a range of cloud solutions to help organizations optimize their IT infrastructure, enhance security, and improve business performance.

With a strong focus on customer service and satisfaction, Atlantic.Net offers various services, including managed private cloud, intrusion protection systems, network edge protection, server management, and multi-factor authentication solutions.

With a team of experienced IT professionals and a commitment to innovation and excellence, Atlantic.Net is dedicated to helping organizations leverage the power of cloud technology to drive business success.

Whether an organization wants to migrate to the cloud, enhance security, or optimize server performance, Atlantic.Net has the expertise in IT services and solutions to meet its needs.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, having a reliable and secure IT infrastructure is essential to success. By partnering with Atlantic.Net, organizations can benefit from expert support, guidance, and customized solutions, tailored to their specific needs, helping them stay ahead of the competition and achieve their business objectives.