The world of cloud computing is vast and full of options. One of the biggest names in this field is Amazon Web Services, more commonly known as AWS. As businesses increasingly move their operations to the cloud, they encounter a fundamental choice: should they manage their cloud resources themselves or opt for a managed service? This brings us to a service that simplifies cloud operations for many businesses: AWS Managed Services (AMS).

In this article, we will explore what AWS Managed Services are, how they work, and what benefits they offer. We will also compare them to self-managed services to help you understand which approach might be better for your business needs.

What Are AWS Managed Services?

AWS Managed Services is a service that helps you operate your AWS infrastructure more efficiently and securely. Think of it as having a dedicated team of AWS experts who take on the responsibility of managing your cloud environment. This team handles the day-to-day operational tasks that are necessary to keep your infrastructure running smoothly.

With AWS Managed Services, you can offload tasks like monitoring, patch management, security, and backup services. This allows your internal IT team to focus on more strategic initiatives and application development, rather than getting bogged down with routine infrastructure management. The service is designed to implement best practices and maintain your infrastructure, which helps reduce operational overhead and risk.

The core idea behind AMS is to provide a more hands-off approach to cloud management for businesses. It offers a combination of automation, expertise, and operational support to ensure that your AWS environment is well-maintained and secure.

How AWS Managed Services Works

AWS Managed Services provides a structured operational framework through a mix of software-based tools and the expertise of the AWS team. It’s designed to be a proactive partner in managing your cloud infrastructure.

One of the main ways AMS works is by automating routine but important tasks. For instance, when a new server needs to be set up, or a change needs to be made to the network, AMS has automated processes to handle these requests securely and efficiently. This automation extends to monitoring your systems for any issues. If a problem is detected, the system can often fix it automatically or alert the AMS team to investigate.

Patch management is another area where AMS provides a lot of value. Keeping servers and software up to date with the latest security patches is a continuous effort. AMS automates this process, scheduling and applying patches to keep your systems secure without manual intervention.

For security, AMS offers a range of services including data protection, managing user access, and monitoring for security-related events. If a security incident occurs, the service has a clear response plan to address it. AMS also helps with planning for disaster recovery, ensuring your business can continue to operate even if there’s a major disruption.

AWS Fully Managed Services vs Self Managed Services

When you use AWS, you have a choice between using fully managed services or managing the services yourself. Understanding the difference between these two approaches is important for making the right decision for your business.

AWS Fully Managed Services

As the name suggests, fully managed services are those where AWS handles most of the management tasks. This includes managing the servers, storage, operating systems, and databases. With a fully managed service, you don’t have to worry about the underlying infrastructure. You can focus on using the service and developing your applications.

A good example of a fully managed service is Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service). When you use RDS, AWS takes care of all the administrative tasks, such as patching the database software, backing up the database, and managing the underlying servers. You simply create a database instance and start using it.

The main advantage of fully managed services is the convenience they offer. They significantly reduce the operational burden on your team and allow you to get started quickly. However, this convenience comes at the cost of some control. While you can configure the service to some extent, you don’t have full control over the underlying infrastructure.

AWS Self Managed Services

Self-managed services, also known as unmanaged services, are the opposite of fully managed services. With a self-managed service, you are responsible for managing all aspects of the service. This includes provisioning the servers, installing and configuring the software, managing security, and handling backups.

An example of a self-managed service would be running a database on an Amazon EC2 instance. In this case, you would be responsible for everything from installing the database software to managing the security of the server. This gives you complete control over the environment, but it also requires a significant amount of expertise and effort to manage.

Self-managed services are a good choice for businesses that have specific requirements that cannot be met by a fully managed service. They are also suitable for businesses that have a dedicated IT team with the skills and experience to manage the infrastructure.

A Comparison

To give you a clearer picture, here is a comparison of the key differences between AWS fully managed and self-managed services:

Feature AWS Fully Managed Services AWS Self Managed Services
Management AWS manages the infrastructure, applications, and databases. The customer manages the infrastructure, applications, and databases.
Support 24/7 support for all queries and issues. Limited support, focused on issues with AWS resources.
Flexibility Limited control over the underlying infrastructure. Complete control over the infrastructure.
Cost Generally more expensive due to the comprehensive management. More budget-friendly, but requires a skilled in-house team.
Security Shared responsibility model, with AWS managing infrastructure security. The customer is responsible for all aspects of security.
Scalability Automatic scaling to meet demand. Manual scaling of resources is required.

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Benefits of AWS Managed Services

Now that you have a better understanding of what AWS Managed Services are and how they compare to self-managed services, let’s look at some of the benefits they offer.

Enhanced Security and Compliance

Security is a major concern for any business operating in the cloud. AWS Managed Services helps to enhance your security posture by implementing best practices and providing continuous monitoring. The service includes more than 150 managed guardrails and security checks to mitigate risks.

AMS also helps with compliance. The service has achieved certifications and attestations for various frameworks like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. This can be a great help for businesses that need to comply with industry regulations.

Increased Operational Efficiency

By offloading the management of your infrastructure to AWS, you can significantly increase your operational efficiency. The automation-first approach of AMS helps to reduce human error and improve the speed and consistency of operations. This frees up your internal team to focus on more valuable activities.

According to AWS, customers of AMS see an average annual operational and AWS cost-saving of 10-15%. This is achieved through a combination of automation and the expertise of the AWS team.

24/7 Monitoring and Support

AWS Managed Services provides 24/7 monitoring of your infrastructure. The service uses proactive alarms to detect and respond to incidents. This ensures that any issues are addressed quickly, minimizing downtime and impact on your business.

You also get access to a team of AWS experts who are available to help you with any issues or questions you may have. This can be particularly valuable for businesses that do not have a large in-house IT team.

Proactive Maintenance and Upgrades

Keeping your infrastructure up-to-date with the latest patches and upgrades can be a time-consuming task. AWS Managed Services takes care of this for you. The service proactively identifies and resolves potential issues, applies patches and upgrades, and optimizes your infrastructure for performance and reliability.

This proactive approach helps to minimize the risk of downtime and ensures that your business operations run smoothly.

Who Should Use AWS Managed Services

AWS Managed Services can be beneficial for a wide range of businesses. Here are a few scenarios where it might be a particularly good fit:

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs)

SMBs often have limited IT resources and may not have the in-house expertise to manage a complex cloud environment. AWS Managed Services can provide the support they need to operate on AWS effectively.

Enterprises Looking for Operational Efficiency

Large enterprises can also benefit from AMS. By outsourcing the management of their infrastructure, they can improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. This allows their internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth.

Businesses with Strict Compliance Requirements

Businesses in regulated industries, such as healthcare and finance, can benefit from the compliance support provided by AMS. The service can help them to meet their regulatory requirements and reduce the risk of non-compliance.

How to Get Started with AWS Managed Services

Getting started with AWS Managed Services is a straightforward process. The first step is to assess your needs and determine if AMS is the right fit for your business. You should consider factors such as your internal IT capabilities, your budget, and your requirements for control and customization.

Once you have decided to move forward, you can contact AWS to begin the onboarding process. The AWS team will work with you to understand your environment and create a managed account for you. They will then set up the necessary configurations and stacks to get you up and running.

After the initial setup, you can start using the service to manage your infrastructure. You can request changes and deployments through the AMS console or API, and the AWS team will handle the rest.

Why Choose a Partner Like Renova Cloud

While AWS Managed Services provides a great deal of support, some businesses may find that they need a more personalized and hands-on approach. This is where a partner like Renova Cloud can make a difference.

Renova Cloud is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner with a team of skilled engineers, architects, and DevOps specialists. We have proven experience in executing advanced technology projects and can help you get the most out of your AWS investment.

At Renova Cloud, we understand that every business is unique. We work closely with our customers to understand their specific needs and challenges. We then tailor our services to meet those needs, providing a level of support and expertise that goes beyond what you might get from a standard managed service.

Our services include:

  • Consulting, Migration, and Modernization: We guide your migration to AWS and modernize your applications for peak cloud performance.
  • DevOps and Automation: Boost agility and reduce manual work with our CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation.
  • Managed Services: Our 24/7 services cover monitoring, security, and performance, so your team can focus on your business.
  • Cost Optimization: We eliminate wasted cloud spending and give you clear control over your budget.
  • Data and Analytics: Unlock powerful insights from your data using analytics and Generative AI on AWS.

By partnering with Renova Cloud, you get more than just a managed service provider. You get a trusted advisor who is committed to your success. We are here to help you navigate the complexities of the cloud and achieve your business goals.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you succeed.