By Kent Kingery
I’m a veteran of the managed outsourcing and application service provider (ASP) era. I’ve seen the managed service provider (MSP) space grow exponentially in the last several years. This growth is primarily being driven by two factors.
First, the increasing complexity of today’s hybrid computing landscapes at scale requires IT organizations to develop and maintain an ever-growing set of operational capabilities. And while these capabilities are important, there are practical limitations to how much can be shouldered by traditional IT.
Second, IT leaders are under pressure to reduce or eliminate the day-to-day operational duties so they can focus on creating strategic capabilities. Implementing big data and analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) - to name only a few - requires IT to move away from “keeping the lights on” and toward a more strategic approach to providing IT services.
The cloud solves all… or does it?
The standard answer in recent years has been “Move to the cloud. It will solve all your IT problems.” But nothing could be further from the truth! While it’s clear that utilizing cloud platforms can ease the acquisition and even the initial implementation of application platform environments, there are numerous challenges to be faced, especially for small-to-medium sized businesses (SMB) and mid-market organizations.
That’s where the MSP plays a vital role: assuming the operational responsibility for the IT landscape while enabling an organization’s staff to attack the problems that require deep domain expertise. And in order for the MSP to serve its customers properly, it needs to be equipped to meet the challenges of managing the “new normal”: hybrid IT.
Meeting the challenges
In my role with Cloud Technology Partners, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, I spend much of my time advising our customers on how to leverage cloud technology. In a previous life, I was part of one of the first large-scale MSPs for Azure. I’ve been on both sides of the table when it comes to providing operational capabilities for the cloud environment.
I’ve learned some valuable lessons about operating in the MSP role. At Microsoft Inspire, I’ll be sharing these lessons during my session “Equipping the Azure Service Provider”.
Join me in the HPE Booth Theatre where I’ll cover topics such as creating the right mix of staff, onboarding new customers, and building the right relationships with other partners and Microsoft. I’m presenting the session on the following days/times:
- Monday, July 16: 3:00pm - 3.30pm
- Tuesday, July 17: 3:30pm - 4.00pm
- Wednesday, July 18: 3.00pm - 3.30pm
And don’t forget that I’ll also be available in the HPE booth during Inspire to talk with you one-on-one. I’m interested in hearing about your particular opportunities, whether you are an existing MSP, thinking about creating an MSP business, or are an IT organization looking for ways to leverage an MSP.
I’ll be joined in the booth by many other experts from Cloud Technology Partners and HPE. If I can’t answer a question, we’ll likely have someone on hand who can.
CTP, HPE, and Microsoft – A Successful Partnership
Cloud Technology Partners has been delivering on the promise of cloud for many years. HPE has been delivering technology solutions to the enterprise for decades. And Microsoft has fundamentally changed the way we use computing over and over again. The combination of our three companies is a partnership that brings expertise, experience, and strategic vision to bear for our customers.
I hope you’ll join us for all the HPE sessions at Inspire. I look forward to meeting you in person and talking about how our partnership can enable you to succeed.
Complete information about all the HPE sessions and events at Microsoft Inspire is available here. Additional information about Cloud Technology Partners is available on our web site.
EIC_Alliances
HPE Alliance Partners
