Change can be intimidating. This is especially true for some business owners considering transitioning to the cloud. And it’s understandable given that the success of many companies depends, to a great extent, on how efficient their networks are running.
The Advantages of Cloud vs On-Premise Computing
If you own or manage a business and are accustomed to having your own IT staff manage an on-premise network, switching to the cloud can be more than intimidating – it can be absolutely terrifying. As a hosting provider, you know that selling your services to a client with an on-premise network can be challenging to say the least. But the cloud provides many advantages over on-premise IT, some of which your client may be totally unaware of.
The cloud will save your client money
Arguably the greatest selling point you’ll have with any customer is this fact. In fact, 82% of companies that moved to the cloud saved money. Not only will your client pay only for the services that they use, but they’ll also save a small fortune when they don’t have to purchase their own hardware and software upgrades periodically over the next several years.
Moving to the cloud will actually increase their IT resources
Remind your client that they’ll have access to your support staff 24/7 and that help is only a phone call away. Some business owners may feel as though their own IT staff is much quicker to respond, but the opposite is often true, particularly when help is needed on off-hours or holidays.
Your client’s overhead will be lower when they move to the cloud
Your customer won’t have to purchase and/or rent additional office space to house their own servers. Not only will they save money on rental or mortgage payments, but they’ll also save the money that they have to spend on providing power, heat, air conditioning, etc. for that additional office space.
They’ll reap the benefits of a network that can be easily scaled up or down
Whether their company expands or contracts in the future, moving to the cloud vs on-premise computing gives your customer access to a network that can be easily scaled up or down. Moving to the cloud also eliminates the possibility of your client wasting money on purchasing hardware and/or software that they won’t need in the future. Once again, the “pay-as-you-go” advantage of the cloud can be a huge selling point when discussing scalability with your customer.
Their company will enjoy virtually unlimited storage space in the cloud
As opposed to in-house servers with a finite amount, cloud storage is virtually unlimited. Share with your client another interesting statistic: 80% of cloud adopters saw improvements in their network within 6 months of transitioning to the cloud.
They will save in set up time of complex infrastructure
Any type of complex infrastructure can be set up in the cloud in a fraction of the time that it would take an in-house IT staff to do the same. Depending on the complexity, what might have taken days or even weeks with their own staff can often be handled in a matter of hours with a hosted cloud provider.
Their resources will be much more effectively utilized in the cloud
Because cloud resource management software acts as a kind of “traffic cop” determining which resources are required, your client’s resources will be much more effectively utilized in the cloud vs on-premise computing. This will save their in-house IT staff a significant amount of time – time that they could be devoting to other tasks.
Your client can leave their concerns over data security to their managed hosting provider
Remind your customer that their data will be completely safe, and describe to them in detail how you’ll protect that information. Security has long been a stumbling block in selling cloud services, so it’s important to explain the disaster recovery plans you have in place, as well as the physical safety and redundancy features of your data center(s).
Maximum uptime is mutually important
Assure your customer that you have a vested interest in making sure they experience as close to 100% uptime as possible. Remind them that the success of your own hosting business depends on the quality of the services that you provide to them, and ensuring that their network is up and running 24/7 is vital to both of you.
Cloud vs On-Premise Computing: It Doesn’t Have To Be All Or Nothing
If your client is still hesitant to make the transition to the cloud, explain that it doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” situation. They can make the transition slowly, over a period of time, perhaps by selecting less critical business functions at first and moving other functions to the cloud in the future. Share with your client the fact that more and more companies are making the transition: 44% annual growth in cloud computing is predicted over the next 5 years, as opposed to only 8.9% for on-premise workloads. It may seem like a challenge to sell your services to a die-hard, on-premise client, but if you take the time to fully explain all the cloud has to offer they will, eventually, make the wise business decision and move to the cloud.
Need help with selling the cloud? Contact us today to find out how we can help.
