Five reasons why you need cloud services brokerage

Biswas Nair

Emerging new technologies usually demand new skills, innovative ideas and a fresh approach to doing things. IT leaders are under constant pressure to ramp up their capabilities and knowledge so that they can reap maximum benefits from the latest technologies. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud solutions, they need expertise to be able to understand these solutions and align them with their business requirements. This has led to the emergence of Cloud Services Brokerage (CSB) providers or cloud aggregators who act as intermediaries between consumers and their cloud vendors.

The role of CSB has particularly gained prominence in the last few months as CIOs are finding it quite cumbersome to manage multiple vendors for their different cloud-related needs. A CSB wears multiple hats and supports an organization through various stages of cloud evaluation, negotiation, customization and delivery. To put it in simple words, Cloud Brokerage is the modern day version of what used to be earlier known as Systems Integration. Gartner defines ‘Cloud Services Brokerage’ is an IT role and business model in which a company adds value to cloud services on behalf of consumers of that service via three primary roles including aggregation, integration and customization brokerage. Gartner predicts that IT services based on the CSB model are fast gaining momentum and are expected to reach $160 billion by 2018.

Here are some compelling reasons why you should opt for cloud services brokerage:

Single Point of Contact

Most enterprises today need a diverse range of cloud-based apps and services, which may not be available with a single vendor. As a result, they are forced to deal with multiple vendors, get into multiple arrangements and work out various terms and conditions. This consumes a lot of time and energy which can be saved if you work through a cloud services broker. A CSB serves as a single point of contact for all your cloud-related requirements and saves you from the trouble of going through multiple rounds of negotiations and interactions with different vendors.

More Value for Money

CSB providers come with in-depth expertise and experience in delivering cloud services across diverse platforms for different customers. This helps them understand your needs quite clearly, suggest the right options and facilitate customization of services to suit your specific requirements. They not only ensure that you are able to get more value from your cloud solutions, but also provide some additional capabilities or value in their own unique way.

A Trusted Advisor

Cloud Brokerage providers are your trusted advisors who understand the market well and can guide you through the buying process. They work closely with all your cloud vendors and act as effective mediators on your behalf. They not only do the initial rounds of market screening and assessment to identify the best solutions for you, but also make sure you get the best deal at a good price.

Minimize Mess, Maximize Benefits

The entire process of dealing with a series of different vendors for various products, checking out the best deals and finalizing multiple contracts could be extremely exhausting and things could get messy if you don’t get the right partners. A cloud broker does all this for you and keeps you away from the day-to-day challenges of multi-cloud consumption, management and governance. They also ensure that you are able to extract maximum benefits from each of your vendors and pay only for the services you need. With support from CSBs, you can also minimize the headcount of your IT departments and focus better on your core business activities.

Increase in Productivity & Performance

An efficient CSB provider can have a significant impact on the productivity and performance of your organization. By integrating and aggregating multiple cloud services, CSBs ensure a hassle-free, secure and cost effective way to meet your diverse business needs. Your cloud solutions are not just customized to align with your organization but are also designed to make sure you get the best results in terms of business value.

The author is managing director, Aashna Cloudtech