′′Top 5 Cloud Adoption Barriers′′ Michael Brown

′′Although cloud adoption is on the rise, with 35 percent of all IT services being delivered by cloud according to a CDW report, there are still many concerns from both private businesses and the public sector. The hesitancy toward adopting cloud services and cloud-based file sharing can be attributed to a myriad of reasons, but there a few barriers that stand above the rest. These are the top 5 cloud adoption barriers and what MSPs can do to move past them.′′

′′Although cloud adoption is on the rise, with 35 percent of all IT services being delivered by cloud according to a CDW report, there are still many concerns from both private businesses and the public sector. The hesitancy toward adopting cloud services and cloud-based file sharing can be attributed to a myriad of reasons, but there a few barriers that stand above the rest. These are the top 5 cloud adoption barriers and what MSPs can do to move past them.′′

′′1.Security- Not much of surprise, security is the number one concern when it comes to businesses or governments switching to cloud services. Despite the fact that most data storage solutions currently being used are less secure than the cloud, businesses seems to prefer to deal with the demon they know then switch to a new service they don’t know. In order to put clients at ease, MSPs need to do a better job in explaining the security of their client’s information and how they would handle any potential breaches of security. The cloud is not infallible and there will most likely be some sort of security breach eventually. Clients want to know that the people they’re giving their information to have a plan.

2.Trust in Solutions- Possibly a more difficult concern to deal with is the belief held by some that the cloud just isn’t worth it. Not just monetarily but that cloud solutions aren’t as good as what they have and not even worth the effort of switching. The job of the MSP in this situation is simply to demonstrate the value. Let the client know exactly why they should switch, what you will do for them, the efficiency, and any other potential benefits. Sometimes you have to be a salesman and convince somebody that your service is worth-while and will improve whatever their current IT situation is.

3.Budget/Costs- Much like security concerns, cost concerns aren’t really a shocker. Nobody wants to have to pay a lot of money for anything. Clients have to be able to afford the services provided as well as believe that what they’re paying for is worth the money. As an MSP, if your services are already inexpensive, then you probably won’t have as tough of a time making the sell, but if your services cost a lot then you need to explain to the client where that cost is coming from. Let them know that every dollar they spend now will save them money in the long-run or explain what you bring to the table that others don’t that makes your services worth the extra money.

4.Management Support- Even if the head of IT wants to make a change, sometimes convincing the upper-level management isn’t all that easy. What an MSP could do to make it easier on their client, is to give them a plan to bring to the rest of management that will help them make the sale. Give the client support so that they’ll support you in front of the people who make the final decision.

5.IT Headcount- The amount of people a company has in their IT department may restrict your ability to have them adopt cloud solutions. The client not having the manpower to get the job done isn’t really something the MSP can control. The job of the MSP in this case is to assess how much work they’re willing to take out of their client’s hands and put into their own. Make sure the investment as an MSP is worth it.

Dealing with barriers to cloud adoption is an unfortunate element of your MSP job. But if you clearly convey the value of your solutions to the right people, you will see success.′′