By Michael Brown 1

What phrases do tech people like to throw around when endorsing the cloud?  What benefits do they suggest come from cloud data storage or cloud-based file sharing? For managed service providers (MSPs), do more than just talk at them.  Rather than just backing up an organization’s data, back up your sales pitch by understanding how greater productivity and reduced costs can be achieved through cloud computing services.

As an MSP, your job is to sell the cloud on the value it can add to an organization. According to a recent study of a thousand senior IT decision-makers from around the globe, the highest regarded cloud computing benefits are—unsurprisingly—increased productivity and cost reductions.

Yet, this isn’t really news – these are already the most commonly-associated benefits of the cloud.

The study also found that 83 percent of organizations realized additional cloud computing benefits beyond increased productivity and cost reductions.  As discussed by Kelley Katsanos for Midsize Insider, there are additional cloud benefits that midsize firms should hope to utilize to reap greater rewards.  For MSPs, these are the points for which to base your sales pitch:

Storing Data in the Cloud

Often dealing with limited or capped resources at their disposal, midsize firms may find it difficult to maintain on-premise data security and IT processes.  Through cloud storage, MSPs can promise to ensure more consistency through automated backups, and plenty of additional security features.

“Storing data in the cloud can also lower costs by reducing on-premise infrastructure requirements,” says Katsanos. “With mobile device use on the rise, midsize firms may find sharing and synchronizing data across disparate devices less labor-intensive when performed in the cloud.”

Organizations are taking note of this. As a recent eWeek report states, “By 2024, off-premises storage will have overtaken on-premises alternatives.”  While 28 percent of organizations store their data in the cloud today, 58 percent are expected to do so in ten years’ time.

The results of cloud data storage also make for great selling points for MSPs. Achieving better access to data and synchronizing the information across devices are just a couple of the reasons people are upping their cloud usage – and a couple of things you should highlight during your sales.

Streamline Business Processes in the Cloud

Really, the process of increasing productivity and reducing costs is about the concept of improving efficiency.  With the cloud, MSPs can sell a more efficient, streamlined business process.

“By using the cloud, midsize firms can automate selected manual processes to free up valuable resources that could otherwise be used to empower the company,” says Katsanos.

Far from simply improving their internal processes, cloud services can improve how companies deliver services and interact with their customers. Most organizations using the cloud don’t realize this until they implement cloud sharing and begin to see shorter delivery times and better collaboration with clients and partners.

MSPs can use this data to not only sell deliverables, but opportunity.  Using the cloud to streamline an organization’s operations and business processes will help the organization to increase productivity – while reducing costs – and offer a means for greater efficiency, flexibility, and innovation.