Problems we face as cloud managed services providers: part one

Being the ideal partner to law firms is the goal for any managed service provider, but there are significant barriers to this end, says Nick Hayne, head of professional services at Quiss.

Managed cloud services continue to develop quickly and we understand our responsibility to match the evolution of these services to the unique needs of the organisations that rely on us to deliver the data anywhere, anytime – with any device agility their users have come to expect in the current hybrid working world.

As a managed service provider (MSP) we face a number of challenges that we need to overcome to ensure we provide cloud services that deliver the full potential for the clients we serve, especially those in the highly competitive UK mid-market legal sector.

In no particular order, here are some of the challenges we face as we endeavour to shape our cloud managed services to better reflect the needs of organisations just like yours:

Quick adoption

The cloud is still the most attractive option for clients and prospects, but thanks to the constantly changing trends in technology we have to adapt quickly to manage any issues our clients suddenly encounter as they introduce new technology to their businesses.

We also recognise that we have to be entirely agnostic when selling cloud services to our clients – it should be based on what works best for them, not just what’s easiest for us to implement. This understanding of private, public and hybrid cloud options requires more training for our teams, which could add cost to our solutions, but the outcome for every client is key.

Size matters

High quality MSPs such as Quiss can struggle to stand out, as almost all service providers use the same words to describe their service and appear to have similar offerings on paper. But your business needs a service delivered in the real world, not on paper.

We understand you may feel it best to play safe and choose a big brand to deliver your critical cloud services. But do they have the sector experience a smaller, more focused MSP has to offer, with the potential to deliver quality advice and support at a lower cost?

Changing behaviours

Post pandemic, our customers’ demands have changed. Working from home has brought its own challenges for almost all organisations, with a greater expectation that MSPs like us will communicate more promptly, solve problems more quickly and innovate constantly.

We recognise that one size does not fit all and the need to personalise solutions is becoming the current expectation, which again imposes different requirements on the way we recruit and build our technical teams.

Adding value and ensuring our service is the very best it can be is also key to our offering. Every client is better informed and knowledgeable about the available technology and will value the extras we deliver more than the standard out-the-box service they can get anywhere. How does our sector experience benefit their business?

Each client has in-house expertise or a technology champion who understands the benefits and weaknesses of each cloud solution, which although a strong point for their business, can lead to too much analysis and delayed decisions. We now advise and guide rather than just sell solutions