Recently, I wrote about the rebirth of the ASP movement, something we now call SaaS or cloud. With this resurgence in entrepreneurism, new companies across the world are starting up with a focus on delivering cloud solutions. While I think this a good thing, I would like to briefly address the need for standards and differentiation for all these new companies entering our profession.
In my opinion, based on calls, emails, and generally observing these new companies and their service offerings, many are just reselling another company's solutions. For the record, there is nothing wrong with this business model. For many businesses, larger cloud providers would never pay any attention to them due to their size, which would otherwise prohibit these organizations from taking advantage of the numerous benefits managed services/cloud computing can offer. However, the importance of knowing who is ultimately behind the offering is very important. Even small organizations can have sensitive data and security needs that would rival mid-market and enterprise firms.
I suppose the point I'm making here is that there is a big divide between cloud solutions and "managed" cloud solutions. If an organization is only reselling, then they probably aren't managing anything. They are acting as a resale agent, providing billing and maybe logistics and administrative support, but don't touch anything in terms of the infrastructure. Other cloud providers do own, manage, or control the infrastructure and therefore have more responsibility. It is important for customers to understand the distinction between these two general types of providers. One is not better than the other. But transparency is crucial so customers can make the most informed decision possible.
So, for those cusomtesr out there reading this blog, make sure you ask your provider if they deliver the service or are simply reselling it. If they do deliver it, then they should be adopting and abiding by the standards set forth in the Unified Certification Standard for Cloud and Managed Service Providers. If they are a reseller, they should be asking their service providers for proof that they have been certified and do comply with all the requirements of the UCS audit program.
By following a simple code of conduct and professionalism, we can all see this industry grow and prosper.
