The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how businesses and organizations are running. Just two years ago, it was unimaginable to think that most companies could run one whole year with employees working from home, but that’s exactly what happened.
“The Cloud” has now become more than just the latest buzzword for companies to cling to – it has become the main driver of core company operations while people worked from home. Even before the pandemic, an IDC study among CIOs showed that as many as 73 percent intended to embrace a ‘cloud-first’ strategy.
Are you thinking about exploring a Microsoft CSP partner, but you don’t know where to start? In this blog, learn more about what a CSP partner can do for you, and the benefits of working with one for your entire organization.
Who is a Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) Partner?
Microsoft’s Azure has distinguished itself as a leading public cloud services provider, as more businesses invest in cloud capabilities to power their modern workspaces – secure and scalable operations unlimited by location. While Microsoft may offer cloud service subscriptions directly to organizations, their preferred mode of operation is through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
The CSP program allows partners to own the customer lifecycle, from deployment to support. CSP partners can also provide added value to customers, enabling smoother operations, greater scalability, and more robust technical support.
Through the program, partners get Cloud resources directly from Microsoft or from an MS Azure distributor and then manage their entire MS Cloud customer lifecycle. Partners may add dedicated/proprietary in-product features to provision, manage and maintain customer subscriptions. They can also package add-ons, tools, products, or services to better suit their target customers. They are then able to provide these services on a subscription basis, whether monthly or annually.
Compugen is one such partner, offering end-to-end managed services through our Accelerate journey.
Significance of a Microsoft CSP Partner Relationship
Businesses that engage with Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners benefit from a range of advantages. Here are some of the key benefits of having a Microsoft CSP partner relationship:
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Expertise and Guidance: Microsoft CSP partners are equipped with in-depth knowledge and expertise in Microsoft technologies and services. They can provide valuable guidance and assistance to businesses in leveraging Microsoft solutions to meet their specific needs and goals.
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Value-Added Services: Unlike traditional resellers, CSP partners go beyond just selling Microsoft Azure. They offer value-added services such as managed Azure services, where they proactively manage and optimize a customer's Azure environment, ensuring optimal performance, security, and cost-efficiency.
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Responsive Support: A Microsoft CSP partner should have a robust support system in place to address customer queries and complaints promptly. They act as the first point of contact for technical assistance, ensuring timely resolution of issues and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
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Managed Services: CSP partners possess the technical expertise required to deliver managed services on Microsoft tools. They can help businesses with tasks like infrastructure management, data backup, security monitoring, and application support, allowing organizations to focus on core business operations.
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Simplified Billing: One of the significant advantages of working with a CSP partner is the convenience of a single, consolidated bill for all Azure and Microsoft-related services. This streamlines the billing process and makes it easier for businesses to track and manage their expenses.
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Flexibility and Scalability: CSP partners enable businesses to scale their Azure usage up or down based on their evolving needs. They provide flexibility in adopting and managing cloud solutions, ensuring that businesses have the necessary agility to adapt to changing market dynamics.
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Strategic Guidance: CSP partners can act as strategic advisors, helping businesses align their technology roadmap with their overarching business objectives. They can assist in identifying opportunities for innovation and optimization, enabling organizations to maximize the value they derive from Microsoft solutions.
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Access to Latest Microsoft Innovations: By partnering with a CSP, businesses gain early access to the latest features, updates, and innovations from Microsoft. This ensures that they stay ahead of the curve and can leverage cutting-edge technologies to drive growth and competitiveness.
Benefits of Partnering with a Microsoft CSP Partner
The Microsoft CSP program allows for direct and indirect MS CSP partners. Direct CSP partners are those who have invested in their infrastructure and demonstrated robust support and billing standards. Therefore, these partners can deliver the quality of service MS demands from itself and all its partners.
Direct CSP partners also have a direct line to Microsoft, meaning they receive new developments and can directly escalate any issues to Microsoft. Indirect partners must wait for their MS CSP distributor to pass on new developments and must escalate any queries through their distributor.
In a nutshell, working with a Microsoft CSP partner allows you to benefit from two great services: the robust public cloud from Microsoft and managed support and service from your CSP partner. Some more benefits include:
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Cost savings: you can reduce your expenditure and eliminate redundancy and overlap by getting a single invoice with your preferred solution, whether public, private, or hybrid. -
Efficiency: having a single provider to coordinate your public, private, or hybrid cloud solution, and IT services improves response times to crisis but also ensures continuity of IT services.
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Productivity: getting tailored and value-added services customized according to your business needs ensures rapid and cost-efficient deployment, reduces the staff’s learning curve, and improves output throughout the business.
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Flexibility: with managed Azure cloud services, you can retain control of the aspects you wish to run in-house and relinquish the administration of aspects that are outside your in-house team’s scope or simply free the in-house team’s time.
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Technical support: one of the tenets of the CSP partner program is the ability to provide high-level, round-the-clock support. You receive proactive monitoring, maintenance, and management to minimize delays and interruptions because of downtime.
As a result, working with a Microsoft CSP partner guarantees more power for your core processes, applications, and systems, all without the headache of coordinating multiple cloud solutions or providers. The CSP partner is able to deploy the exact solution your organization needs, whether public, private or a custom hybrid of these two.
Moving to the Public Cloud? Get a Certified Microsoft CSP to Accelerate Your Journey
Compugen is a certified direct Cloud Services Provider, and we have years of experience providing managed Azure services to our clients in various industries. If you wish to learn more about our Microsoft Azure add-ons through the Accelerate Journey, we are happy to answer any questions.
Don’t know how to start your business’s journey into the cloud? Get in touch today, and let’s help you envision the details of what works best for your business.
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