Do you need an MSP (managed service provider) if you are moving to the cloud? That’s a question many IT pros have. The short answer is that use of MSPs can be complementary to a cloud strategy. In fact, in my consulting work, MSPs are used in about 80 percent of the cloud deployment projects I’ve been on in the last few years.

MSPs let you outsource some or all enterprise IT operations so that you retain more direct control over the infrastructure and application services — more akin to using a hosted or collocated data center.

When you outsource to the cloud, you get less control because you’re using a shared infrastructure designed to minimize customization to achieve the cloud’s economy of scale — and lower price.

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