6 benefits of using a CSP to manage cloud resources

At many organizations, it’s considered best practice nowadays to operate a multi-cloud environment, with more than one public Cloud Service Provider (CSP) steering the ship. This enables you to tap into a wide range of IT resources when necessary, with the optionality to pick and choose the elements that best meet your needs at any given time. This is seen as a core component of a forward-looking technology strategy. Though at the same time, some see this approach as a “multi-cloud by accident” situation, and they’re revisiting their portfolios and vendor ecosystems in search of a clearer path forward.

According to our research, 77% of global infrastructure leads are currently operating and maintaining a hybrid cloud environment. Along those same lines, 58% are using a combination of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform to create their multi-cloud networks, and 18% have five or more implementations of unique public cloud environments.

But have you considered the benefits of using a single CSP to manage your organization’s cloud resources? As it turns out, there are many. Let’s run through six positives in particular…

• Flexibility: This is probably the biggest benefit. As a Zones CSP client, you only pay for the resources that you want or use. For example, if you have 700 Office 365 licenses and you want to purchase an additional 50 for a few months, you can do that easily, and you will be billed in a completely logical way that adheres to your licensing terms.
• Monthly billing: Each month, you will receive one simple, straightforward bill for the O365 licenses you are using, and/or the Azure consumption you’re responsible for. Payment processing is easy, without even any need for a credit card. And if you ever want to switch to annual billing, all you need to do is ask.
• Local support: As a CSP provider, Zones serves as a central point of contact for all cloud-related service calls. We then triage these calls and pass them along to Microsoft when necessary. As your CSP partner, we can help with everything from technical issues to billing and subscription support.
• Licensing support: With Zones as your CSP, you have one partner looking after all your Microsoft cloud licenses. Our team will draw on their skills and their expertise to help you maximize the return on your cloud investment.
• Discounts: Going the CSP route opens up opportunities to gain discounts from RRP – a big win against “pay as you go.” CSP partners are invaluable for their ability to support billing, licensing and subscription management duties.
• A strong SLA: When you procure cloud services through a Microsoft CSP, you gain access to Microsoft’s strong service level agreement (SLA), which defines the crucial aspects of the service – including responsibility, quality, and availability between the service provider and the customer.

At Zones, we understand perfectly well how adopting the cloud can drive innovation and boost productivity for your business. We know this firsthand because we’re a cloud-powered business ourselves. Next, we want to pass those same benefits on to you. Connect with us today, and we’ll show you how our CSP services can take your organization to the next level.