DIY vs. MSP: The pitfalls of building a cloud-based network

As cloud-ready networking has become the pinnacle of enterprise network technology, it can be tempting for businesses to take a DIY approach to cloud networks.

While small businesses and enterprises with significant IT resources might see some deployment success, managing a cloud network effectively is quite another story.

A managed service provider (MSP) can offer a much more efficient and cost-effective cloud network than any in-house solution and significantly ease the transition to fully optimised cloud-based networking.

Cloud networks are resource-intensive

On top of the technical expertise needed to implement cloud network infrastructure, such as software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs), IT teams also need significant resources to manage and maintain cloud-based networks.

Basic maintenance requirements include:

• Optimising traffic between local networks, wide-area networks and the cloud
• Monitoring cybersecurity threats and network traffic across multiple sites
• Configuring virtual network functions (VNFs) such as SD-WAN, routers and firewalls

As networks expand, the resource burden of managing a cloud-based network increases exponentially and can become overwhelming for even well-resourced IT teams.

Juggling multiple vendors

Businesses adopting a DIY approach need a host of additional services to make their network function efficiently and realise the full promise of cloud-based networking. These ancillary services include:

• Secure connection to public cloud providers
• Enhanced, cloud-native cybersecurity services
• Advanced analytics, traffic monitoring and SD-WAN optimisation
• A range of connectivity services

Any DIY approach will need to contract multiple vendors to ensure proper network functionality, significantly increasing network complexity and the time and cost required to integrate these services.

Troubleshooting network issues

As DIY cloud networks incorporate hardware and services from multiple vendors, interoperability issues are bound to occur. Troubleshooting then becomes a mammoth task without significant experience in cloud networking, putting further strain on IT teams to:

• Collaborate with vendors to access and analyse network visibility data
• Remotely diagnose hardware issues across multiple sites
• Locate weak spots between various cloud services
• Work with mobile network operators (MNOs) to rule out physical network issues

Even a small issue could spring from any point in the network if services are not properly integrated and can have ripple effects throughout the entire network if left unchecked.

Managing cloud-based networking in-house is not a worthwhile investment for most companies due to the large amount of IT resources and expertise required to keep them running.

Acquiring the services of an experienced MSP can remove the hassle of managing an enterprise network altogether, especially as networks scale and more services are integrated into network operations.

Decrease strain on in-house resources

Partnering with a managed service provider dramatically reduces the time and cost commitment of managing your own network, shifting the resource burden onto a dedicated team of network professionals.

While it could take months to properly implement a cloud-based network following a DIY approach, an MSP can install equipment and facilitate connection to different services within days.

Expert support in one place

Because MSPs provide all essential network functions in a single solution, enterprises can provision new services via a centralised management platform, with the knowledge that these services will be properly integrated and supported from day one.

Utilising a single network solution across all sites eliminates compatibility issues within the network, and any problems that do occur can be attended to immediately by experts in cloud network support.

Unified, integrated cloud architecture

Perhaps the most crucial benefit of acquiring an MSP is having all network functions integrated into one optimised solution. By accessing all vital network services through a single service level agreement (SLA), enterprises can:

• Dramatically reduce weak points and interoperability issues
• Monitor and optimise all network traffic in a single platform
• Enhance both cloud and endpoint security
• Simplify network deployment and additional service provisioning

With network management, optimisation and service provisioning taken care of under one unified architecture, enterprises can take advantage of an infinitely scalable network without requiring any in-house expertise.

While building a cloud-based network in-house may seem cost-effective at first, the resources required to overcome complex issues quickly stack up.

A global MSP offers true peace of mind so you can focus on your business and leave optimised cloud networking to the professionals.

To learn more about unlocking the benefits of optimised cloud networking, download Frost & Sullivan’s latest whitepaper ‘Cloud-ready connectivity: Optimised networking for the global business’.