New research suggests the hyperscale community should remain in a strong position amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, says Chris Burden, chief commercial officer at Memset.
According to Chris Burden, mid-level and SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) managed service providers (MSPs) are also well placed to prosper and continue supporting organisations at this difficult time, as he discusses below:
“Modern organisations have always relied on digital infrastructure to support their businesses. The restrictions placed on firms because of the coronavirus pandemic has actually emphasised this further and now more than ever companies are recognising the unquestionable value of cloud services.
“While research shows the hyperscalers will remain fairly insulated from any fallout, we see this extending also to smaller and mid-sized MSPs too.”
Be flexible
Burden continues, “Flexibility is key for organisations at this time. We have all seen the impact to many businesses across many industries and unfortunately, a lot will be forced to significantly scale back operations the longer the pandemic plays out.
“With hyperscalers, the reality is many customers are locked into agreements, which they can’t break out of. This could have significant ramifications for the financial positions of some customers. Smaller MSPs, however, tend to offer more elasticity. Customers can scale their IT needs dependent on what they use, without diminishing on service quality. At a time when many businesses are looking to consolidate activities and reduce spending, this will be a welcome benefit for businesses concerned about their immediate and long-term future.”
Consider your data jurisdiction
In addition to greater flexibility, Burden also believes a lot of organisations will be considering data jurisdiction, “We don’t know what the future is going to look like post COVID-19. While the latest data suggest some of the worst hit parts of Europe are starting to come out of the other side, nations like the US are yet to reach the peak.
“For organisations which have their information in territories like the US, questions will be asked to whether data can be accessed if the region is hit badly. The advantage of smaller, UK-based MSPs is you still have the ability to physically access your data within the data centre.
“Ultimately, smaller MSPs are in a strong position to do a lot of good for their customers at this time. A lot of businesses are suffering. It’s not about pushing services, it’s about coming up with ways to help them deliver critical services to the best of their abilities. Once we come out of the other side these acts of kindness and compassion won’t be forgotten.”
The author is Chris Burden, chief commercial officer at Memset.
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