Businesses have an expanded set of options for operating in the cloud with RapidScale. They can choose to manage their cloud infrastructure themselves, or opt for a managed cloud and have a provider like RapidScale shoulder the burden of day-to-day management. These options allow clients to decide just how involved they want their provider to be.
Both the managed and unmanaged solutions certainly have their advantages, and it truly depends on the business to determine which is the best fit. You have to determine how much your company needs to use the services and how much flexibility versus support you will ultimately need from the provider. This requires a familiarity with your company’s needs and goals.
First, there is managed cloud.
A managed cloud service is an arrangement allowing the customer to “subscribe” to the desired solutions and resources. As the provider, we offer availability, redundancy, support, monitoring and more in this situation. Together, we develop a cloud game plan and move forward from there, requiring little expertise from the customer end. The customer can harness the power of the cloud without worrying about the cost, stress or time it takes to manage it. Businesses can choose whether or not to include RapidScale managed implementation and overall management.
RapidScale’s managed solutions include features like end-use troubleshooting and device setup, operating system management, 100% SLA, licensing management, application management, patches and upgrades to server, managed backups, 24x7x365 support and more.
This is often the better solution if a business does not have a solid IT team or is uncomfortable with the full deployment of hosting software. Businesses receive full support of the provider and can work together to create the perfect solution. The provider takes care of management and provides guidance and support whenever it’s needed.
Then there’s unmanaged cloud computing.
In contrast, the unmanaged service gives customers access to their solution with the core services provided, but without support for customizations or third-party software they decide to install. It gives businesses control, with sole access and freedom. This tends to be cheaper than managed services, so businesses that are comfortable managing their own resources might enjoy this option.
With RapidScale, the operating system and default solution configuration are supported, but anything the organization wants to add is its own responsibility. Businesses can opt to manage their own implementation and overall solution management, and will still receive free setup and provisioning from RapidScale.
The unmanaged cloud fits businesses that have a solid IT team in place and don’t require assistance from the provider. It still offers the benefits of large storage capabilities and easy access without huge capital investment. It allows the business to maintain greater control over its systems, as it has free reign over customizations and software deployments. Businesses get unrestricted access to their solution and take full responsibility over things other than the operating system and default configuration.
But how do you decide?
It really depends on your business. You must consider your current environment and team, and what your future needs are. Perhaps you’re looking for a solution that will fix your business problems but won’t give you extra work to worry about. Or maybe you want full control of your cloud solution and simply need the provider that can offer you the service.
Ask yourself questions, and answer them honestly. Would you be able to deal with downtime if you had a problem? Do you need unrestricted access? Is the cost worth the extra work? Can you apply security patches remotely?
The decision between managed and unmanaged cloud services is an important one, so you need to take the time to consider the options and what their impact would be on your business.
Check out our Managed vs. Unmanaged Cloud infographic here
