DM Jul-Aug 2022

Dm ANALYSIS: AS-A-SERVICE
"AS-A-SERVICE IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT, BUT IT WAS THE CLOUD THAT ENABLED ITS MODERN CHARACTERISTICS
AND MADE IT AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR LARGE AND SMALL BUSINESS ALIKE. STANDARDISED, ON-DEMAND
AND NO COMMITMENT SOLUTIONS NOT ONLY BRING OBVIOUS BUSINESS BENEFITS, BUT ALSO HEIGHTEN
CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS FOR SUSTAINED VALUE."
operations, flexibility increasingly
becomes a priority.
Outsourcing implementation shifts
ownership from IT departments to
specialised vendors. Without the need
for skills and expertise from internal
talent pools, services can be installed
more quickly and with minimal
disruption to infrastructure.
VISIBILITY OF EXPENDITURE
Value for money has always been
important, but now customers are
expressing a need to have more
visibility and control over their
expenditure. The as-a-service model can
help facilitate this by eliminating
substantial upfront payment, allowing
businesses to spread the bill across
multiple months of service.
Maintenance and upgrades incur no
extra cost and if something goes
wrong, the provider, not the customer,
is financially liable. The ability to
switch off the service if it does not
deliver the value that was originally
intended also means wasted
expenditure can be avoided.
INCREASED SECURITY
Data security breaches incur high
financial costs and long-term
reputational damage. With the stakes
so high, it may seem counter-intuitive
to outsource security infrastructure and
potentially 'lose control'. However, as
service providers have a vested interest
in identifying potential weaknesses in
your security infrastructure, it can make
your business more resilient as a result.
The more people monitoring a
private network, the better, as it
ensures a quick response to any
vulnerabilities that arise. General IT
companies that don't specialise in
security can struggle to follow new
threats and lack the personnel to
support any action needed.
With as-a-service, you can costeffectively
gain access to a dedicated
team of experts who not only follow the
market closely (so are aware of
emerging threats), but are focused 24/7
on securing the network. Shifting to
service-based models that increase
resilience is a valuable preventative
investment.
AN UPGRADED 'AS A SERVICE'
MODEL
As-a-service is not a new concept, but
it was the cloud that enabled its
modern characteristics and made it an
attractive option for large and small
business alike.
Standardised, on-demand and no
commitment solutions not only bring
obvious business benefits, but also
heighten customer expectations for
sustained value.
Cloud technology has certainly
revolutionised the value of as-a-service,
but in such a saturated market it is no
longer enough to remain competitive.
Customer needs are changing all the
time, and to keep up with the
evolution of as-a-service, businesses
must prioritise value in every decision
they make.
More info: www.canon.co.uk
34 July/August 2022 www.document-manager.com
@DMMagAndAwards