By Michael Brown 1

Many people who still have strong doubts about the cloud are more than likely already using it, in one form or another, perhaps even with cloud-based file sharing. The cloud is everywhere in the business world, and it would take a substantial amount of effort to NOT use the cloud. However, even if they currently use cloud services, some individuals either don't realize it or refuse to acknowledge the benefits. Here are some ways to convince them otherwise.

Who are the “cloud doubters”?

The cloud doubters mostly consist of IT managers who are already well integrated in their current enterprise applications. This is not surprising since a great deal of responsibility falls on them to successfully manage and prepare applications before moving operations to the cloud.

But even the doubters believe that the future of IT is in cloud computing. In fact, according to a survey of 1,257 IT professionals and executives, 9 out of 10 readily confirm this belief.

Even for the non-believers, they are more than likely using a cloud service anyway. The survey found that an average of 1.4 cloud applications used by employees who are hesitant to roll out the cloud migration process.

Applications such as Salesforce and WebEx, along with countless file sharing apps, are just some of the common cloud services people already use. Last year, Microsoft saw a 21.5 percent increase in cloud deployment and expects to see even more growth over the next three years.

As the survey notes, this upward trend of cloud deployment “demonstrates the tangible benefits of cloud migrations,” creating a lot of opportunity for MSPs to step in. But what about the reluctance of many potential cloud customers?

How can MSPs convince them otherwise?

A full 70 percent of the respondents said their biggest challenge was picking a vendor.

And 71 percent said cloud vendor price was most important, followed by security policies (64.5 percent) and finding an easy to use management system (51 percent).

MSPs are there to make this choice easier by helping customers find the right subscription with the right price. Plus they can help ensure customers get service that fits their security and business standards.

MSPs can also emphasize the benefits cited by many of the respondents in the survey, such as disaster avoidance and recovery, which 73 percent cited as their top criteria when looking for a provider. Out of those who adopted the cloud, 5 out of 10 said they felt the positive benefits of it.

Improved flexibility (65.5 percent) and scalability (65 percent) were among many of the benefits listed. Although IT managers are not as enthusiastic as their executive and director counterparts, people are beginning to understand and have faith in the cloud, especially as security strengthens and the number of services the cloud offers continues to grow.

Budget was a concern for 3 out of 10 respondents. However MSPs can reassure them that 42 percent reported that their budget increased in 2014 and 54 percent expect their budget to increase next year.

The majority of the companies are already in the cloud. Of them, 43.5 percent handled the process internally while 56.5 percent used a third party. However, when asked if they would use internal personnel again, 24 percent of them indicated they would use a third party next time.

This is a great opportunity for MSPs and a chance for them to emphasize the benefits, positive outcomes, and growing acceptance of the cloud. For those without it, 54 percent expect to migrate within the next 3 years.