Post Syndicated from Andy Haine original https://www.anchor.com.au/blog/2021/02/is-it-possible-to-downsize-it-staff-by-making-the-switch-to-aws/
If you’re an SMB or enterprise business with a sizable reliance on digital infrastructure, it is a common query to wonder if moving your online services to a cloud provider could allow you simplify your services, benefit from a network that is perceived to be infallible, and ultimately, to downsize on technical staff and slim down your IT spend.
Many businesses believe that without having to purchase their own server hardware, pay for data centre rackspace costs, or pay for quite so many staff members to manage it all, a significant amount of money can be saved on IT costs. However, while it is true that moving to the AWS cloud would reduce hardware and rackspace costs to nil, there are a number of new costs and challenges to consider.
Is the cloud actually cheaper?
Upon completing the migration from data centre hosting services to cloud hosting services, many businesses mistakenly believe that they will be able to lower their costs by downsizing on the number of IT staff they need to manage their technological infrastructure. This is not always the case. Cloud can require more extensive expertise to both set up and maintain on an ongoing basis as a trade-off for the other benefits offered.
AWS is a complex beast, and without proper support and planning, businesses can find their costs higher than they originally were, their services more complex and difficult to manage, as well as their online assets failing on an even more regular basis. Wasted cloud spend is a very common occurrence within the cloud services industry, with many cloud users not optimising costs where they can. In a 2019 report from Flexera, they measured the actual waste of cloud spending at 35 percent.
Why is it not such a simple switch?
Cloud is fundamentally a different approach to hosting and provides more opportunity, scale and complexity. Understanding how to make the most of those requires a thorough assessment of your infrastructure and business. It is, therefore, of pertinent importance to ensure that the IT staff that you do intend to retain are properly trained and qualified to manage cloud services.
Check out our blog, “What’s the difference between Traditional Hosting and AWS Cloud Hosting?” for more information on how the two environments greatly differ.
If your IT staff are more certified in AWS cloud management, you could be looking at higher costs than you started with. You would therefore need to factor in the costs of hiring new, properly qualified staff, or investing in upskilling existing staff – at the risk of losing that investment should the staff member leave in future.
The costs of qualified staff.
Certain types of AWS certified professionals are able to command some of the highest salaries in the cloud industry, due to the high level of expertise and capability that they can provide to a business. AWS engineers can maintain the performance and security of high- demand websites and software, optimising them for lower cost and better performance.
Large enterprises conducting a high volume of online transactions, or businesses that involve the handling of sensitive data would be in particular need of high-quality architects and engineers to keep their cloud environments both adequately optimised, reliable and safe. Though even as a small business, the build, deployment and operating of AWS services is always best conducted by experienced, AWS certified professionals to ensure the integrity and availability of your online services.
A win-win alternative.
What many businesses have discovered is that there is an alternative to managing their own AWS infrastructure. AWS management service providers can act as the vital middleman between your business and your cloud services, ensuring your digital infrastructure is being set up, maintained and cost-optimised by industry-leading AWS professionals.
Oftentimes, the cost optimisations achieved by a high-quality AWS management service provider completely pay for themselves in what would otherwise be wasted spend. Check out our blog, “4 Important Considerations To Avoid Wasted Cloud Spend” to learn more about wasted cloud spend.
One of the most beneficial things an AWS management service provider can offer your business is ensuring that you’re only paying for what your business needs. It may save your business significantly more money in the long run, even when factoring in management fees.
If you’re interested in learning more about how managed AWS services can help your business to potentially slim down on IT spend, please contact our friendly AWS experts on 1300 883 979, or submit an enquiry through our website anytime.
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