Outsourcing means outsourcing the management of your IT assets. But with the cloud, the service takes on a different dimension. This article explores this innovative service, its key benefits, and how it differs from traditional outsourcing.
What is outsourcing?
Historically, outsourcing was the practice of outsourcing the management and maintenance of a company’s IT infrastructure to a specialized service provider. Before the advent of the cloud, this often involved managing physical data centers, providing technical support, maintaining servers and networks, and updating onsite systems. This model enabled companies to offload the technical aspects of their IT to concentrate on their core business, while benefiting from the expertise and economies of scale offered by outsourcing specialists.
The different types of outsourcing
Outsourcing can be divided into two broad categories, reflecting the various aspects of a company’s IT. On the one hand,IT asset management takes care of the day-to-day management of workstations, software licenses such as Windows, and all associated hardware. This often includes user support, software updates and equipment maintenance. On the other hand,infrastructure outsourcing covers the management of servers, databases and mission-critical systems. This management is more focused on the robust aspects of IT, such as performance, data security and optimization of server resources, which are essential to the company’s overall operation.
Cloud outsourcing: what scope?
Cloud outsourcing covers a wide range of responsibilities, essential for the smooth running and security of corporate IT systems. Here are the main areas managed by a cloud outsourcer, broken down into six parts:
Financial optimization of Cloud infrastructure
Cloud outsourcing enables more efficient management of IT infrastructure costs. By continuously monitoring and adjusting the resources used, outsourcers help companies avoid unnecessary expenditure and optimize investments in line with real needs, resulting in a significant reduction in operating costs.
This is where we see the greatest evolution between traditional outsourcing and Cloud infrastructure outsourcing. In fact, since the Cloud allows resources to be used on a pay-as-you-go basis, the financial optimizations that can be achieved have much greater impact than in the past.
Breakdown risk management
To minimize the risk of failure, cloud outsourcers set up proactive monitoring systems. These systems detect and resolve problems before they cause interruptions, ensuring maximum availability and reliability of the cloud infrastructure.
Disaster recovery and backups
A crucial aspect of cloud outsourcing is implementing disaster recovery plans and managing backups. These measures ensure that critical data is securely backed up and can be rapidly restored in the event of a disaster, minimizing downtime and protecting the company’s information assets.
System maintainability and scalability
Cloud outsourcers ensure that systems are not only kept up-to-date with the latest security and functionality updates, but are also capable of adapting to changing business needs. This includes adding resources or modifying services without disrupting existing operations.
Data compliance & RGPD
With strict data protection regulations, such as the RGPD in Europe, outsourcers play a key role in ensuring that cloud infrastructures comply with these standards. This includes managing consent, securing personal data and implementing appropriate privacy policies.
Cybersecurity
Security is a top priority in cloud management. Outsourcers implement advanced cybersecurity strategies, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and regular audits, to protect infrastructures against external and internal threats.
Every area of cloud outsourcing is vital to ensuring business continuity, regulatory compliance, and enterprise security in today’s digital landscape.
The impact of the cloud on outsourcing
The impact of the cloud on infrastructure outsourcing has been particularly significant, fundamentally changing the way companies approach the management of their IT. With the cloud, the need to physically manage servers and other heavy equipment is minimized, as cloud service providers take care of the majority of maintenance and updating tasks. This frees companies from the constraints of fixed capacity and the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining physical infrastructures.
What’s more, the cloud enables a much more agile response to changing business needs. Resources can be adjusted in real time, enabling organizations to adapt quickly to increased or reduced demand. This is particularly valuable in an economic environment where speed and flexibility are crucial to staying competitive.
In terms of security, the cloud also offers substantial advantages. Cloud providers are investing heavily in advanced security measures that can be costly and complex to implement independently. By opting for cloud-based outsourcing, companies benefit from a secure infrastructure that is regularly updated to counter emerging threats, reducing the risk of data breaches and other security issues.
This set of transformations has led to a redefinition of roles within IT departments. Rather than focusing on keeping systems operational, IT teams can now concentrate on more strategic initiatives, such as innovation and business process improvement, taking advantage of the extended capabilities and sophisticated tools that the cloud makes available.
Cloud providers in 2024
Major infrastructure suppliers
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Leader in extended infrastructure services, offering elastic computing, storage and database services.
- Microsoft Azure – Specializing in a full range of cloud services including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, as well as hybrid and enterprise cloud solutions.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP) – Known for its innovations in AI, machine learning, and data analytics, also offering Kubernetes services and other development tools.
Regional leaders and niche specialists
- Alibaba Cloud – Asia’s largest cloud services provider, offering complete infrastructure solutions with a strong presence in China and Southeast Asia.
- IBM Cloud – Offers a wide range of cloud services, including hybrid and multi-cloud options, particularly recognized for its PaaS services.
Managed and specialized service providers
- Oracle Cloud – Excellent for data management and enterprise applications, offering tight integration with its database and enterprise application products.
- DigitalOcean – Preferred by small and medium-sized businesses and developers, thanks to simple cloud solutions and transparent pricing.
- Salesforce Cloud – Specializing in SaaS for CRM and other enterprise applications hosted in the cloud.
French players
- Scaleway – Known for its flexible, cost-effective cloud solutions, Scaleway stands out for its product range tailored to startups and SMEs, offering cloud infrastructure, object storage and container services.
- OVHcloud – One of Europe’s largest cloud providers, OVHcloud offers a wide range of services, including public, private and hybrid cloud solutions, tailored to the needs of large enterprises and public institutions.
- Orange Business Services – A subsidiary of the Orange Group dedicated to business services, offering integrated cloud computing solutions that include security, data management and connectivity.
The benefits of cloud outsourcing
Cloud outsourcing is a particularly advantageous solution for companies that don’t have the resources to bring an operations (Ops) team in-house. This outsourcing of IT management not only saves considerable time, but also offers real cost optimization for structures that don’t have the experts to fine-tune their IT spending. Indeed, by adopting cloud outsourcing, these companies can benefit from a variable cost structure, where they pay only for the resources they use. This eliminates the expense of maintaining and updating physical servers, and reduces the need for heavy investment in equipment, while maintaining a high-performance, up-to-date IT infrastructure.
