As businesses grow, managing complex IT systems can become overwhelming and expensive. Cloud service brokers (CSBs) are a valuable solution, helping you leverage this space, cut costs, improve efficiency and maximise the benefits of cloud computing.
Think of a CSB as your personal cloud guide. They understand the vast landscape of cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. A good CSB will help you every step of the way—from choosing the right services, negotiating favourable contracts, handling setup and continuously managing your cloud environment for the best results.
Why Choose a Cloud Service Broker?
CSBs often have negotiated rates with major cloud providers, leading to savings for your business. Additionally, they proactively monitor your usage, helping eliminate areas of wasted resources and unnecessary spending.
And instead of spending your valuable time researching vendors and comparing solutions, a CSB streamlines the entire cloud adoption process. This allows you to implement the right technologies quickly and efficiently.
A skilled CSB understands that a universal approach doesn’t work for cloud solutions. They’ll work closely with you to tailor the environment to your specific business needs and processes, ensuring maximum benefit.
Protecting your business data in the cloud is of paramount importance. Experienced brokers know the ins and outs of security requirements and regulations, helping you select cloud services that are fully compliant.
Dealing with multiple cloud providers on your own can be a headache. A CSB gives you a central contact point for all your cloud needs, simplifying management and troubleshooting.
The cloud market offers a range of CSB options to suit different needs:
- Aggregation brokers focus on bundling various cloud services, providing you a simplified way to utilise solutions from multiple providers.
- Customisation brokers are experts at adapting cloud solutions to match you unique business requirements.
- Governance brokers place a high priority on cloud security, compliance and risk management, ensuring your systems are always protected.
What’s more, CSBs analyse your existing IT infrastructure and cloud usage patterns. They pinpoint areas for improvement, such as right-sizing cloud services to ensure you’re not paying for power or storage you don’t need.
Their experience allows them to secure better pricing with cloud providers than you might get alone. Plus, ongoing monitoring and proactive management of your cloud environment help avoid unexpected cost surges.
Cautions & Considerations
While CSBs bring many advantages, it’s important to be aware of potential considerations. Outsourcing some critical IT management functions to a third party comes with a degree of dependency, so choose your partner wisely.
Also, make sure the CSB’s expertise aligns with your needs—some specialise in specific cloud providers or types of services. Finally, seamless integration with your existing systems is crucial, so be sure to discuss this aspect thoroughly during your selection process.
Choosing the Right Broker
Cloud service brokerage is a growing field that can streamline your cloud strategy. By choosing the right CSB partner, you’ll gain a valuable ally to optimise costs, free up resources and make the cloud truly work for your business.