The Importance of Offering the Right Cloud IT Support

For some businesses, a gap exists between being aware of the opportunities that await with cloud services and not having the expertise in place to keep customers satisfied. Others are just a simple step away from expanding their offerings and delivering more to their customers.

No matter where you are in your cloud journey, offering the right IT support will help you stay competitive. We took our knowledge and understanding of cloud computing and pulled together four aspects of support you need to consider when starting or expanding your cloud business.

1. 24/7 Technical Support

Cloud is complicated, so you need to be able to offer robust support services. End-users expect support features like 24x7x365 support and on-staff cloud solution architects who can help implement the right cloud solutions. With solid support services, partners can focus on their cloud sales activities and customers’ needs knowing that the required support components are available whenever needed. Using a distribution partner means you’ll be provided with a full spectrum of solutions that you and your customers can leverage to supplement your technical capabilities.

2. Access to Qualified IT Talent

For many companies, hiring more staff is not an option. Budgets are static, and the supply of qualified IT talent isn’t multiplying fast enough to meet demand. In addition, the most desirable talent has pooled around large population centers, leaving many companies across the U.S. without significant choices. By sourcing your IT support through a distributor, you gain access to an entire IT team that can handle anything that comes their way–saving you from hiring a costly IT staff of your own.

3. Training and Education

It’s important to have access to an IT team that is educated about various cloud options and solutions so your sales team can recommend the right solutions and your technical team can help educate your customers on their newly installed technology. Finding skilled pre-sales and consulting staff is a big challenge, and is a reflection of the seemingly endless global IT skills shortage. To be successful, cloud solution providers need to educate their sales and technical teams on specific vendors’ cloud offerings, as well as understand the principles of cloud. One place to get authorized sales and technical training on multiple vendors and technologies is through a distributor.

4. Multiple lines of Technology

End users don’t want to get the run-around when trying to solve a business-critical technology issue. They want to be able to call one line and find immediate solutions and support for multiple lines of technology. This is a true differentiator and valuable to your customers, but being able to staff and manage this offering can be costly and time consuming (see above). One solution is leveraging a distributor that has access to knowledgeable technical experts who understand cloud technologies. Utilizing a distributor’s multi-vendor line card technical support helps keep your costs from escalating.

As cloud services continue to change, it can seem daunting to make the transition or adapt your cloud practice to keep up with the pace of the industry. Cloud value-added distribution is the key to building a solution-based practice that meets your cloud services goals because you gain access to the support and expertise you and your customers need for every step of the journey.

If you are interested in learning more about Arrow and our value-added solutions, tools and resources to dynamically transform your business, contact us today at 877.558.6677 or [email protected].

Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.