Three Ways for MSPs to Find Cloud Opportunities

Cloud opportunities are multiplying, and if your MSP organization doesn’t make moves to introduce your customer base to the cloud, they’re going to find someone else to do it. That doesn’t necessarily mean all cloud, all the time. Instead, focus on finding the right services to fit your client needs.

E-mail, productivity apps, and server resources are already reaching a cloud-first mentality even among SMBs, while the migration of CRM, ERP, and retail applications to the cloud is increasing in popularity. Cloud disaster recovery also remains a great first step into the cloud.

Here are three strategic ways to focus your cloud efforts and start selling more managed cloud services.

1. Be a cloud guide

While many of your customers are probably already using some kind of cloud service — most likely Software as a Service like Google Docs or Salesforce — many of them likely do not have a clear idea of what the “cloud” really is and how it functions. Start with outreach and education about cloud computing and how workloads are shifting to an off-premise model.

Describe the advantages of this, like scalability and resiliency, but don’t oversell. Every application isn’t a good fit for the cloud. Ask about business goals for the next few years. Inquire about any hardware that may be reaching the end of its lifecycle, or any major upgrades coming to applications.

If you’ve been working with a customer for a number of years, you may have these insights already. A major application or hardware upgrade is the perfect time to examine the cloud. A business initiative like reducing downtime for a critical application is a great reason to consider the cloud.