5 questions to ask before contracting with a SAP or Cloud Managed Service Provider
It’s hard to keep track of all the angles you need to cover when deciding your cloud management service provider. But the best MSP for the job will ease the burden on internal resources as well as make your technology more efficient.
Whether it’s your first experience with partnering with a managed service provider or you’re ready for an upgrade to your current services, the MSPs you work with better have answers to these questions in-hand.
Question 1: What certifications do the service providers have?
Answer: The core expertise of the service provider should match the core landscape that will be managed. Ask for certifications as proof of expertise. EPI-USE achieved AWS MSP Competency in December 2022 and renewed this competency in 2023.
We provide 24/7 access from support engineers, all of whom are AWS certified at least at the Solutions Architect level. These certifications ensure that EPI-USE engineers are providing service in line with the latest AWS recommendations. The MSP you choose should hold certifications, so your team doesn’t have to spend the time and expense getting certifications that are tangential to the organization’s focus of innovation.
Caveat: The expertise of the service provider should match the core services of the provider, but the provider should show extensive knowledge on related landscapes. For example, EPI-USE is SAP on AWS certified and we also provide Microsoft on AWS services, as well as an array of modernization and migration services.
Question 2: How does the MSP optimize total cost of ownership?
Answer: Many organizations contract with a service provider to ensure continuous IT support, and most MSPs provide that minimum level of service. But the best service providers will work with your organization to optimize IT costs across the enterprise. Choose an MSP that can provide these cost-saving benefits:
- Movement to elastic and efficient cloud solutions like AWS and away from legacy infrastructure that is expensive and time-consuming to maintain.
- Automation of time-consuming and repetitive processes reallocates internal resources.
- Proprietary tooling custom-built and proven for SAP landscapes, cutting costs on repairing time-consuming mistakes.
Modernization to cloud-based services shouldn’t leave you with a room full of servers that you no longer use. Contract with a service provider like EPI-USE who can properly maintain your on-premises databases during your migration and use the cost of your IT divestment to fund the new, modernized cloud environment.
Question 3: What security comes standard with the software and service?
Answer: AWS works on a shared responsibility model, meaning that they secure the infrastructure, but leave the security of the operating systems, applications, and customer data that is stored in the cloud to the customer. A managed service provider should relieve the burden of encryption, network monitoring, endpoint detection and response, and identity and access management tools.
Organizations that choose EPI-USE can trust the security, privacy, and compliance needs for their SAP platform. At minimum, non-negotiable security protections are:
- Annual information security certifications for ISO27001:2013 and SOC2 Type 2.
- Expert, continuous monitoring of procedures and implementations for compliance.
- A data privacy suite to secure systems and meet data privacy compliance.
- Backup and protection of data at a secure location.
EPI-USE goes above and beyond with these non-negotiables with annual security certifications and a proprietary data privacy suite built for SAP systems. All data EPI-USE manages is backed up at safe and secure locations in case of natural disaster, fire, power failures, or other crises, protection that’s unavailable with on-premises data storage. All these security and compliance measures are continuously monitored and assessed for compliance by our CISO, who acts as our expert information security auditor.
Follow-up question: What extra security measures will the company need to implement in-house?
Answer: Human error is the number-one cause of security incidents. Vigilance on basic account and data security measures is vital to ensuring the protection of company assets and customer data. The company is responsible for training employees and enforcing these policies. But your MSP of choice should provide support for training and implementation tactics.
Question 4: What will support look like?
Answer: Anything less than 24/7 monitoring and on-call teams is unacceptable. If the MSP carries the pager, they should have support technicians on-hand to assess and respond to any incident.
EPI-USE AWS Managed Service has three tiers of support, all with 24/7 coverage. SLA for the highest severity incidents (P1) are:
- Shared team: 1-hour response, 8-hour resolution.
- Semi-dedicated team: 1-hour response, 4-hour resolution.
- Dedicated team: 30-minute response, 3-hour resolution.
Ultimately, the support your MSP provides must cut your internal costs for staff training on new technologies and the latest security threats as well as manage training for staff turnover. Handing these responsibilities off to EPI-USE means less IT support and training overhead and more internal resources for innovation.
Question 5: How will this contract affect team growth?
Answer: The best managed service providers remove the burden of system maintenance, which enables in-house technologists to focus on innovation. This is what MSPs aspire to, and yet there is another level of service available. Providers with high expertise in the latest technologies can also suggest modernization options that:
- Speed up development work.
- Add automation and AI to reduce redundant tasks.
- Move away from licensing restrictions.
- Optimize spend on cloud services and increase elasticity.
Organizational growth is supported by EPI-USE through assessments and implementations that drive modernization of SAP landscapes. And as the organization continues to grow with their service provider, they reduce their internal IT and information services staff and service expenditures.
Choose EPI-USE expertise and experience for efficiency
With over 40 years of IT experience, over 75 AWS certifications, and 24/7 support based in the US, Latin America, and India, EPI-USE is an AWS advanced consulting partner with the expertise and experience to make your cloud migration, modernization, and management efficient.