The Emerging Market for Cloud-Based File Sharing

By Michael Brown 1

For many managed service providers, cloud-based file sharing has (hopefully) been a significant source of growth, as it’s being adopted by companies of nearly every size and industry. But as The Huffington Post reminds us, the real growth (and hence, the real opportunity) for these types of cloud solutions is not confined industry or company size. Instead, it’s international expansion. Specifically, emerging markets.

They explain:

Small and medium-sized businesses do not have the same budget to spend on IT departments as enterprises. Cloud computing is an ideal solution because hardware is virtualized, providing users with the flexibility and performance of dedicated servers at much lower costs. Predictability is also a great benefit to businesses transitioning to the cloud: users typically pay a flat-rate monthly fee that easily adjusts as their business scales. As cloud technology develops, it will continue to centralize and simplify, allowing for increased employee productivity and more efficient use of limited resources.

Not long ago, many lesser-developed countries were said to have “leapfrogged” traditional forms of communication by jumping straight to mobile broadband. The same can now be said of the cloud; for companies in emerging markets, it makes little sense to invest the time and resources in on-premise hardware. It’ll be a hassle they’ll never know.

Admittedly, how MSPs penetrate this market is a question beyond the scope of this author’s expertise. However, if and when your business does cross the border, you can expect the same reluctance on the part of international companies as you do with your domestic clients. The article continues:

There may be resistance from some business owners who feel more comfortable keeping everything in-house. They’re hesitant to allow someone else to look after their data; they’re worried about cyber attacks; they’re uneasy over the recent reports of government surveillance programs; they want more information about legal liability and information security in the cloud. There’s also a growing concern in IT departments about how cloud virtualization affects the business of computer maintenance and repair, and it’s difficult to say what the exact ramifications of that will be.

In other words: new country, same problems.

Has your MSP business expanded internationally? Is it considering such a move? What are the roadblocks and challenges you’ve faced, or expect to face during this process? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.