Learn how to get started with Azure Arc
Learn more about how SoftwareOne can help. Contact us and we’ll help you get started
Learn how to get started with Azure Arc
Learn more about how SoftwareOne can help. Contact us and we’ll help you get started
Moving your managed service provider (MSP) or hosting business to the cloud is easier and more cost-effective than ever, thanks to Microsoft Azure Arc. Why? Because it meets you wherever you are in your cloud journey to bring to life the reality of the hybrid cloud. The result? It enables you to extend the simplified management and power of Azure to your on-premises infrastructure.
Azure Arc offers relief for MSPs and hosters that have long struggled with licensing complications. As many businesses make the transition from Services Provider License Agreements (SPLAs) to the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) pay-as-you-go model, Azure Arc eases that shift. It enables you and your customers to pay for SQL licenses using the cloud consumption model, whether SQL Servers are located on premises or in the cloud.
How does Azure Arc work?
Think of Azure Arc as a bridge that helps you connect your on-premises estate to cloud resources. It unifies your environment with a single pane of glass for control, streamlining your ability to manage operations and security and helping you to continually optimise your environment as your business grows.
Microsoft developed Azure Arc to help organisations manage their increasingly complex IT environments. With a growing number of businesses trying to control a mix of on-premises data centres and multiple cloud services, Azure Arc provides a single platform for managing those resources.
It does this by enabling all resources – Azure or not, on premises or not – to be managed through Azure Resource Manager. This provides many benefits, especially for MSPs and hosting businesses that find themselves with an ever-evolving combination of software, hardware and services. With centralised management, MSPs and hosters enable full technical and business performance of their assets and resources.
With no upfront costs and monthly billing, you and your customers pay only for what you use, unlike with the SPLA model. This helps to reduce costs for the resources you consume only periodically – say, for ERP, payroll or giving campaigns. The same is true for hosting customers who decide to, for example, scale down a virtual machine (VM) or stop a SQL Server instance.
Your guide across the Azure Arc bridge
Although Azure Arc can bring a wide range of benefits to MSPs and hosting companies, it’s important to deploy it in the right way. SoftwareOne provides a wide range of support, beginning with a quick-start deployment programme that includes help for setting up partner-beneficial contracts and earning incentives. With these, you can quickly take advantage of Arc-enabled SQL resources while protecting your existing SQL estate.
Using our proprietary calculator, you can easily visualise your cost savings based on your specific technology setup. And our Cloud Support Service ensures that you get the best possible CSP deal, helping you to unlock cost savings and revenue growth.
We accelerate and facilitate your migration and modernisation journey, whether that includes a hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructure. SoftwareOne has a wealth of expertise to guide you on moving Microsoft SQL Server from SPLA to Azure Arc with an end-to-end strategy. We also provide support for updates and patch management across your entire estate and work with you to strengthen governance, security and compliance.
All of this helps MSPs and hosting providers to support innovation and develop new offerings, enabling you to protect existing customer relationships, develop new ones and build your business.
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