IT is in the midst of a shift in purpose. No more are enterprise IT departments simply asset managers; but rather,
they are becoming innovators and providers of services that drive value within the business. Departments like
yours are increasingly focused on problem-solving rather than maintenance. Fewer resources are being dedicated
to managing each individual piece of hardware and software that is used within the business. Today’s CIOs are
strategists, innovators, and productivity drivers rather than simply asset stewards.

At the same time, the move toward hybrid cloud environments is making IT more complex and difficult to
administer in a seamless manner. Many businesses struggle to design, implement, and manage hybrid cloud
environments. In fact, in a recent Frost & Sullivan survey, 52% of IT decision-makers cite a lack of in-house
expertise as hampering their cloud implementations. Of U.S. businesses that are using cloud today, 11% say that
one of their top three business challenges is in recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff. Another 11% state
that cutbacks in staff make it difficult to manage their IT environments. One quarter say that simply keeping up
with new technology makes managing their cloud environments difficult. Finally, a full 91% seek cloud
implementation assistance, with 13% of those turning to a managed services provider.

Managed cloud services can be the bridge that spans the gap between internal resources and the IT department’s
needs. The right provider offers not only applications and infrastructure, but the expertise to augment your staff,
and to manage resources to meet your business’s needs and goals. The best providers are also deploying frequent
updates, high security, and SLAs that guarantee performance.

In this report, Frost & Sullivan reviews the benefits of managed cloud services within an enterprise IT
environment, and how such services can solve common IT management challenges. We also discuss the key
functionality that a quality managed cloud services provider offers, as well as other considerations for your
business as it makes an informed managed cloud services decision.