https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

Business Models


Efficiency Makes the Cloud King

  • Written by ASG Software
  • November 19, 2012

born to runWhether we're discussing your personal health, business or cloud computing, efficiency is the name of today’s game. Let me walk you through a few examples. In Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, he examined extensive research on how human beings are actually constructed for long distance running.

born to runWhether we're discussing your personal health, business or cloud computing, efficiency is the name of today’s game. Let me walk you through a few examples. In Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, he examined extensive research on how human beings are actually constructed for long distance running. He compares our physique with that of a cheetah, versus a rabbit, and discusses the need for endurance over speed when running is part of your survival – hunting or escaping, for example.

Our legs and our lungs are efficiently designed to support those objectives.  Similarly, so is the African Wild Dog, the most efficient hunter in nature. They live in packs of 6-20 and instinctively understand that when their numbers dip below six, their ability to hunt effectively – and therefore survive – decreases. They maintain harmonious packs with very little in-fighting and competition, and hunt in a methodical, organized fashioned. When chasing prey, they run a relay-style race, alternating which dogs take the lead and which pack members drop back to rest while on a long chase. The result is that no prey can outrun a pack of African Wild Dogs.

Efficiency is an evolutionary output – a prime example of survival of the fittest.

This is an applicable story in any world.  Efficiency helps families juggle long hours at work, gymnastics and music lessons after school, homework, making dinner and occasionally, getting in that run.  Efficiency helps restaurants prepare the specials of the evening, serve up delicious meals in less time than you could cook them at home and still have you sated and leaving a large tip for your friendly waitstaff.  Efficiency helps businesses do more with less, save money, reduce time to market and provide key services cost effectively to customers.

Where Cloud Computing Fits In

Cloud computing enables businesses to take advantage of such efficiencies by optimizing costs and improving workflows in a variety of ways, including the automation of day-to-day operational tasks and deployment of required resources in a centralized, highly virtualized environment.

At ASG Software Solutions, we have been focused on providing customers with efficiency, visibility and control through cloud computing and IT automation, allowing them to make informed decisions about how they manage business growth. We have recently acquired several companies to help us put together the right technologies to achieve this – most recently, we acquired NTRglobal.  That announcement was featured here a few weeks ago, and we fully expect NTRglobal’s cloud functionality to be an important building block that helps our customers better manage their business.

To truly harness the power of the cloud, companies should seek a solution that encompasses a series of essential “cloud building blocks” that address all service and management layers of an enterprise cloud environment: access management, service management, service optimization, resource management and the infrastructure layer.  This post will be the first in a series to address these important building blocks. Let’s start with access and service management layers.

Access Management: Cloud Workspaces

The easiest, fastest and most flexible way to provide access to applications, data and services is by combining the latest virtualization, server-based and web technologies in a cloud workspace. Cloud workspaces are browser-based and can be pre-configured or modified by the user with a wide selection of web-parts for best usability and productivity.

Cloud workspaces support the business in several ways:

  • Increased productivity and enhanced user satisfaction by allowing access to applications and data from any device
  • Solid security through integrated challenge-response authentication and precise access control
  • Support for almost any application delivery technology and elimination of vendor log-in
  • Access to a service catalog with self-service
  • Offline capability for best business continuity and increased productivity
  • Support for seamless, single sign-on (SSO) to third-party public cloud offerings
  • Modular and customizable per user for individual look and feel

Cloud workspaces provide convenient user access to applications, content and services via easy-to-use and customizable user interfaces. Regardless of the device or location, users are king: they get what they need from the cloud. Efficient, flexible and secure.

Service Catalog: Aligning Business and Controlling Costs

A service catalog is the central communication and visualization core where the business and IT operations merge by providing an overview of all available and supported applications, IT services and assets to the business, and ensures that users and management are aware of related costs. Catalogs optimize the user experience while supporting the cost control with Amazon-like service descriptions, sophisticated order processes and user satisfaction polls service.

Service catalogs offer numerous benefits:

  • Centralized tool to define and show service definitions
  • Order and contract management for all technical and business processes
  • Role-based user access via cloud workspace
  • Intuitive, Amazon-like self-services
  • Sophisticated approval workflows to ensure self-service governance
  • ITIL-based management focus to cloud processes
  • Comprehensive reporting and accounting options (e.g. for charge-back)
  • User satisfaction polls to ensure and optimize the service quality

As powerful cloud building blocks, cloud workspaces and service catalogs optimize IT service delivery, improve end user satisfaction, increase efficiency and productivity, and reduce operational costs.  Your management team and your customers are happy.  Who doesn’t want to be king of that cloud?

Natalie Hahn O’Flaherty is senior VP of marketing of ASG, which develops enterprise IT software solutions engineered to reduce cost, mitigate risk and improve service delivery throughout the IT lifecycle. Guest blogs such as this one are part of Talkin' Cloud's annual platinum sponsorship.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Business Models Cloud

Related


  • Select a Hire
    AvePoint Taps Ingram Micro, Palo Alto Networks Vet to Lead Channel
    He held channel exec roles at Ingram and Palo Alto Networks
  • Word conclusion on paper
    Microsoft Conclusion on SolarWinds Hack 'Conflicts' with Other Messages
    A concerning aspect of this attack is that security companies were a clear target.
  • Vendors: How Do You Measure a Partner Relationship?
    Vendors still struggle to gain a genuine insight into their partners’ needs. So what can they do?
  • Hybrid clouds
    IBM, Oracle, Dell, VMware Put Hybrid Cloud Center Stage
    We highlight platforms and initiatives each company has so far unveiled in February.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Getting Clients Ready for an 88% Increase in Cloud Adoption
  • Calligo Acquires Decisive Data, Beefs Up Data Insights Services
  • New Zomentum Funding to Directly Benefit MSPs, SMBs
  • 2021 Channel Influencer Awards

Galleries

View all

Channel Partners Virtual 2021 Is the Hottest Ticket in Town

February 26, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

The “Roaring 20s” Are Coming

February 25, 2021

Three Ways MSPs Can Improve Supply Chain Security

February 24, 2021

SASE: The Key to Mitigating Business Transformation Risk

February 22, 2021

Webinars

View all

A Partner’s Perspective on Channel Success in 2021

March 23, 2021

XDR and Why it Matters to MSPs

March 24, 2021

Top Security Trends Impacting Technology Security Providers In 2021

March 25, 2021

White Papers

View all

Ready To Add Cutting Edge IoT Solutions To Your Portfolio?

  • 1
February 25, 2021

What Is The Value Of Distribution For The Internet Of Things?

February 25, 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT): Where do You Begin?

  • 1
February 25, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Virtual

March 2, 2021 - March 4, 2021

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

#CPVirtual has arrived! Excited for speakers @channelsmart @jldelozier3 @jmcbain and more. dlvr.it/Rtm5yr https://t.co/MiwNsfGGLw

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@solarwinds incurring additional expenses in aftermath of massive hack. #cybersecurity dlvr.it/Rtlxzd https://t.co/CpBjkIEaus

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@IBM working with 65 partners for #CloudSatellite services. @IBMPartners dlvr.it/RtlmDC https://t.co/R6IzgklQ6c

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

NOW OPEN: 2021 Channel Futures MSP 501 Awards. ✍️ Start your online application today: bit.ly/2021MSP501. Ha… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Applying for the 2021 #MSP501? Check out our FAQs for everything you EVER wanted to know about applying & submittin… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Educate #WFH employees about #phishing and increase emphasis on cybersecurity to avoid a data breach, say @GiacomCM… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 1, 2021
ChannelFutures

Amazon WorkSpaces @awscloud DaaS client will be available on @IGEL_Technology virtual endpoint client OS.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 26, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@VMware cutting more workers in California as part of ongoing #workforcerebalancing. #layoffs… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 26, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X