MSPs: Use the Cloud Strategy You Already Have

I saw this picture from someone I follow on social media and it made me laugh. Those of us who have been in this industry for any length of time will recognize the truth in this graphic, not just because it is true, but because there are so many "professionals" out there who do not yet realize the truth of the statement "there is no cloud, it's just someone else's computer."

The frenzy in the IT channel these days is all about getting MSPs to think they have to transition into a different business model. "Move to the cloud", I hear people say all the time. But, what exactly does that mean? More impportantly, what if they are wrong and there is no cloud?

MSPs Are Like Paratroopers

Anytime, anyplace, anywhere. That's a good motto for MSPs. Since the beginning, MSPs have been used to managing IT assets for customers regardless of the location of the asset. In fact, more often than not, the IT asset would be someplace outside the MSP's own facilities. Keep in mind, only a small percentage of MSPs actually own their own data centers.

Still, this is a good way to view the cloud. It's not so much where the asset is as who has access to it. That's what really matters. Sure, location can become a factor in some cases, but MSPs are not bound by geographic restrictions. They can monitor and manage IT assets...anytime, anyplace, anywhere. The same is true for cloud computing.