Counter the rising cost of cloud with intelligent ICT managed services

How eir evo’s ICT managed service offering helps businesses ensure long-term success

Trade

In association with eir evo

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, many businesses are keen to dive headfirst into the world of cloud solutions. However, this journey can be both daunting and complex, prompting hesitation among some organisations.

For businesses looking to effectively harness the power of the cloud while managing the associated costs and intricacies, knowing where to start can be a real hurdle. Eir evo’s ICT managed services piece was designed to help alleviate just that.

Formed in 2021 following the merger of eir Business and Evros Technology Group, eir evo boasts a substantial product portfolio and strong partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Dell. A one-stop-shop for businesses in Ireland, eir evo offers a wide range of solutions, from networking to digital transformation.

Cloud adoption 

For Martin Wells, managing director at eir evo, the shift towards cloud adoption is part of a broader digital transformation effort.

“There’s no doubt that the benefits of cloud services – scalability, flexibility, cost-efficiency – allow today’s businesses to adapt quickly to changing market dynamics. Cloud solutions facilitate innovation and keep businesses competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

“When you migrate to the cloud, you’re essentially future proofing your environment,” adds John Doyle, director of IT managed services and cloud at eir evo. “The need to worry about refreshing on-premises hardware, which typically involves substantial project and resource costs, becomes a thing of the past.

“Cloud environments are far more scalable and flexible,” continued Doyle. “Unlike on-premises setups, where you might need to invest in additional hardware if your data or compute requirements grow significantly within the five to seven-year hardware refresh cycle, the cloud allows you to seamlessly scale resources up or down based on your needs. This flexibility is a major benefit.”

Many businesses have seen their cloud costs rise. If left unchecked, these can quickly sprawl and leave businesses with hefty bills at the end of each month.

Explaining the major costs associated with cloud use, Doyle says: “When organisations make the shift to the cloud, they’re not just migrating compute, storage, and licensing; there’s also a significant upfront investment in planning, project design, and often consultancy services to facilitate the transition. This requires a financial commitment.

“Additionally, there are people-related expenses, such as upskilling employees to work effectively in the cloud environment,” adds Doyle. “Connectivity and resiliency may require extra payments too.”

Hidden costs

Then there’s the hidden costs: “One significant factor is egress charges, particularly when it comes to data,” says Doyle. “Data transfer fees, especially when you’re moving large datasets out of the cloud, can be surprisingly high, and tend to be overlooked until users start accessing the data.”

Another aspect is data management. “In the cloud, it’s important to shift from a fixed capacity model to only paying for what you use. In addition, businesses need to address their backup strategy, looking at elements such as their retention policies, to ensure they’re not paying for something they don’t need.”

While some of these costs might not be entirely hidden, they can become challenging to manage due to the dynamic nature of cloud services. Intensive workloads that scale automatically based on resource pressure can lead to substantial charges. To combat this, Doyle says monitoring, right-sizing, and setting cost alerts can help control spending, while proper planning and project management are critical to minimising these lingering expenses.

Cost efficiencies

While it can be complex to achieve cost efficiencies in a cloud environment, Doyle explains that there are numerous opportunities for businesses to take advantage of significant discounts such as optimising software licences and leveraging resource reservations.

“Additionally, you can power off resources when they’re not in use and pay only for what you consume, leading to cost savings.”

Changing needs 

Business needs evolve over time, and Doyle says it is important to be tactful in adjusting your cloud resources to match changing requirements. This includes adding or removing services, resizing resources, and reallocating workloads to more cost-effective solutions.

Doyle explains that evaluating your application stack to determine if certain components are better suited for specific cloud services can also help lower costs. “Sometimes, migrating from on-premises infrastructure to Platform as a Service (PaaS) or serverless solutions can result in cost savings.”

What’s more, Doyle suggests conducting periodical cloud cost reviews, perhaps on a monthly or quarterly basis to identify areas where costs can be reduced or optimised.

Monitoring can help identify areas where resources are over-provisioned, leading to potential cost savings, and automation can be utilised to scale resources up or down based on demand, keeping costs low by ensuring resources are active only when needed.

Lastly Doyle suggests companies consider partnering with an MSP who specialises in cloud cost optimisation, such as eir evo. “By offering its unique expertise, tools, and best practices, eir evo can help you manage and reduce cloud expenses effectively.”

Optimisation 

Eir evo also offers cloud cost optimization services, which can be time-consuming when done internally. “Our approach ensures that clients can confidently manage their budgets, avoiding surprises at the end of a financial period,” says Doyle. “This transparency is crucial for informed decision-making.

“We advise clients on the most cost-effective ways to acquire and utilise licences, including considerations for volume purchasing and potential savings when migrating licences to the cloud.”

“Continuous improvement is central to our services,” says Doyle. “As a trusted partner, we offer guidance on optimal cloud deployment strategies, assist in planning for future growth, and help clients make informed decisions regarding software licencing. Our experts can identify opportunities for cost savings, such as optimising software bundles and advising on licencing options that align with clients’ specific needs.”

Such strategies can assist in the management of cloud costs, ensuring that you get the most value from your cloud investments while keeping expenses in check. Still, Doyle asserts that while cost optimisation is essential, it should not compromise performance.

Embracing managed services

Anyone can migrate to cloud, but Wells believes a managed service will help ensure longer-term success. “Some organisations may rush to the cloud without fully understanding the complexities involved. If an organisation migrates to cloud without careful consideration about what they want from it, they could run into issues.”

Eir evo’s ICT managed services offering provides businesses with the expertise and support needed to navigate the cloud seamlessly. “Technology moves so fast you can get left behind,” says Wells. “Having access to expertise that can effectively manage cloud overheads and streamline operations is game-changing for people.”

“Building a clear business case that focuses on ROI and business benefits is essential. It’s crucial to align the cloud strategy with the organisation’s specific needs and objectives,” says Wells. “The design aspect is vital to ensure long-term success, and proper planning minimises risks.”

Trusted advisors, like eir evo, can assist in managing and optimising cloud services on behalf of customers, ensuring a smooth transition and ongoing success: “We help our clients understand what their goals are, and outline each step it will take to get them there,” says Wells.

To redefine how ICT managed services should be implemented and delivered to organisations, eir evo provides solutions right across the entire IT stack that fill the gaps in IT infrastructure beyond the cloud. “At eir evo, we leverage the latest technologies across communications, cloud, cyber security, connectivity and more, so you can innovate, evolve, and grow your business with end-to-end solutions, all from one partner,” says Wells.

Follow the sun

Offices in Dublin and New Zealand empower eir evo to deliver 24x7x365 support. From looking after IT incidents and service requests, to delivering superior customer service to clients, ‘follow the sun’ support is available to all eir evo clients.

Where traditional IT companies operate a reduced workforce during out-of-office hours, eir evo seamlessly switches support and monitoring between its Dublin and Auckland offices, giving clients round the clock access to tier 3 level support when they need it, no matter what time zone the business operates in. 

“While the decision to adopt this approach might have seemed bold at the time, it was undoubtedly a wise one,” says Wells. “This was truly a customer-centric move. This approach has since become a core element of our business model.”

Tackling hesitation 

Still some businesses are hesitant to hand over the reins to a managed service provider. “Sometimes when clients embark on their journey with us, they have reservations about taking a managed service approach,” says Wells. “But we’ve seen a growing openness among customers to explore managed services as they seek comprehensive solutions that extend beyond individual projects.

“People today are more open to the idea of managed services, provided they can see a well-defined financial and operating model that assures the service’s effectiveness. It’s not just about handing over responsibilities; it’s about envisioning how technology will evolve and contribute to efficiency and innovation.”

Demonstrating expertise and high accreditation standards is crucial, adds Wells. “Our organisation’s scale and extensive experience play a significant role in alleviating concerns. With over 10,000 customers who rely on our diverse range of products and services, we’ve cultivated a robust track record of successful partnerships.”

Wells continues: “Our outlook isn’t project by project; we take a longer-term view in terms of how we can help them get to where they want to be. Those principles have served us well with the customer.”

It comes as no surprise then that Wells feels confident in the future of eir evo: “We’ve got a great product portfolio, strong relationships with our partners, and a real understanding of the technology – all in all that puts us in a great market position.”

To find out more about eir evo ICT managed services click here.