Why use a Managed Service Provider for Amazon Web Services

By Svein Johansen, Product Manager for AWS at Basefarm

Do you think taking the step to the cloud is a challenge in itself? And now that you finally chose Amazon Web Services (AWS) as your cloud solution, how should you go about to learn how to manage it? Maybe you don’t really have time to spend on these types of concerns.
Luckily for you, it doesn’t have to be difficult. The “AWS Partner program” enables partners to directly work with and manage customers lifecycle in AWS. By choosing a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to help you, they can directly provision, manage and support your accounts in AWS.

Benefits of using a MSP for AWS

Let me list some of the main benefits of using an experienced Managed Service Provider to help you:

Cloud expertise available 24/7

• You will get access to cloud experts, and the MSP will know how to secure your environment, help you choose cost-effective solution designs and configure your workloads for high availability

Timesaving with a single point of contact

• Local support with escalation path to AWS. You get a single point of contact for both technical- and billing requests. However, in some cases the support case will need to be escalated and sent directly to AWS. If so, your MSP should have a business support agreement with better response times and priority
• Account provisioning and management. Save your IT department time and let the MSP advice and provision your accounts. You can have the same control and features in the accounts
• Access to bundled services from the MSP. For example, Basefarm offer Cloud Connect (AWS Direct Connect) and flexible Cloud Operations engagement models

Cost control

• An important task when using the Public Cloud is having control over your cloud spending. Your MSP can help you avoid being charged for services you don’t need
• If you use the same MSP for other Cloud solutions you can get a consolidated summary invoice of all your spending including AWS services. If you have local private credit card accounts in your business areas, an MSP can consolidate these to provide an overall view of your AWS usage

Flexibility

• Naturally, you will still be able to utilize the benefits of AWS when you’re using a MSP: you only pay for what you need and use. This means that there are no upfront payments, and you can end or move your accounts at any time

Basefarm is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and Public-Sector Partner, meaning that we work closely with AWS having the cloud expertise and the capability to support the customer through the lifecycle. Check out our website for more information.

About the author

Svein Johansen – Product Manager for AWS in Basefarm.
Svein Johansen has a long career of developing managed services, helping companies with digital transformation utilizing IT in a smart and efficient way.