'We can be the MSP to the MSPs in the channel': Aptum CEO on 2023 goals

Following its recent shift from traditional datacentre colocation provider to MSP, Aptum is now looking to expand its UK channel business

Cloud solutions MSP Aptum is honing in on a UK channel expansion after shifting from its position as a traditional datacentre colocation provider to a managed service provider.

Aptum is privately owned by Digital Bridge and was originally part of the Cogeco group (known as Cogeco Peer 1 at the time) but exited in 2019.

The company now boasts revenues of around $100m (£78m) and employs just under 300 people across the US, Canada, and UK.

CRN caught up with Aptum CEO Susan Bowen about its business switch and the multi-tenant, private cloud the group recently launched, specifically designed for the channel.

"We have invested in this product because we know that channel providers need an alternative to traditional infrastructure and an alternative to some of their clients going into public cloud," she said.

"But not all applications are either efficient in the public cloud, or are worth the cost of integration, or worth the cost of application redevelopment, because they might be legacy product."

Bowen explained Aptum's new product offers a self-serve portal which allows channel partners to brand for themselves and then sell onwards, meaning Aptum acts as the provider of the private multi-tenant cloud, and partners as the seller and the front end.

"The best way to put it is we can be the managed service provider to the managed service provider in the channel."

When asked about the move to becoming an MSP, Bowen explained: "It feels as though the switch happened this year, but the work and the strategy started five years ago, and we went on a big journey.

"And so, I think we now have the full credentials to be both an MSP to the channel, providing products to the channel, and we are also credited in public cloud solutions, both in terms of Microsoft Azure expert level and in AWS, we are striving for premium level."

She admitted 2023 so far has been about re-establishing Aptum's connection to the UK channel particularly through its advisor and consulting business as well as focusing on smaller cloud service providers who need a multi-tenant private cloud for their customers, but "don't necessarily want to put the capital investment in to build it themselves".

Analysing the cloud

In its process to becoming an MSP, Aptum conducted a study into cloud impact, finding that a lack of a visibility and understanding of cloud infrastructure is resulting in the benefits of cloud not being realised.

"The reason why we worked on the cloud impact study is to make sure that we get the right insights from the industry," Bowen explained.

"And that's why we surveyed over 400 IT professionals, the idea being that they are in many cases, our buyer of cloud solutions."

In the study, the vast majority (98 per cent) of respondents said they are satisfied with the rate of cloud transformation in their organisation.

However, clear challenges remain around the management and optimisation of cloud spending.

As organisations rushed to implement cloud services during the pandemic, many are paying the price for implementing cloud without the benefit of a comprehensive management strategy.

Respondents list key challenges as: integration (42 per cent), delivering cost predictability (36 per cent), lack of skills (33 per cent) and changes in technology (33 per cent).

The study also showed that organisations are continuing to invest in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, with 59 per cent of respondents using a combination of public and private cloud services.

However, the complexity of a hybrid cloud environment is causing organisations to face several hurdles, with respondents stating that complexity is a key issue holding back the adoption of more advanced cloud technologies, and many organisations admit to a lack of visibility into cloud cost and performance.

Almost three quarters (73 per cent) of survey respondents state that cloud costs are higher than expected in their organisation, while 34 per cent agree that improving cloud analytics and reporting is a top priority for the year ahead.

"It is clear from our survey that, despite living in a time of great economic uncertainty, businesses still understand the need to embrace digital transformation and invest in the cloud," Bowen continued.

"In recent years cloud has become an integral part of most enterprise IT strategies, and our survey shows that the majority of IT leaders say they have delivered business value from cloud.

"However, there are potential challenges ahead that organisations need to mitigate.

"Cloud technology continues to enable agility, scalability, cost savings, and remote work - all essential components for business continuity and growth in turbulent times.

She ended: "But, if not managed effectively with a holistic approach, the benefits of cloud can be missed."