SonicWall Cloud GMS Launches for Managed Service Providers: Protect More. Fear Less.

On May 1, 1969, Joni Mitchell released her album, Clouds. In Both Sides Now, she penned these lyrics about the enigmatic nature of clouds:

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all

Exactly forty-eight years later, on May 1, 2017, SonicWall proudly launches Cloud GMS, the Global Management System for its next-generation firewalls.  Then as now, the cloud is enigmatic:  how do you know if a cloud management is right for your business?  The good news is that SonicWall gives you freedom of choice by offering both cloud and on-prem versions of GMS.  Keep reading and we will look at the cloud from both sides now.

First, cloud’s usage-based subscription model has financial advantages because of its zero upfront capital expense, which eliminates the barrier to entry for capital-constrained budgets.  Secondly, cloud’s pay-as-you-grow model enables businesses to scale painlessly because growth occurs by cloud-driven increases in cash flow with no outlays for more infrastructure.  Lastly, cloud equals simplicity, with no updates and fewer maintenance headaches for limited IT staff.

But cloud is not a clear-cut alternative to on-prem IT infrastructure for every business. There are many factors that should be considered.  First, cloud services are often geographically dispersed, whereas data privacy restrictions such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires local access of data for security and compliance reasons.  Second, cloud services use shared resources with other businesses and that may cause sleepless nights for some IT managers who prefer direct control of infrastructure.  Lastly, cloud services are remote and susceptible to latency- or bandwidth-related issues.

The real value of technology is to make the business work in ways that maximize its growth and profitability. This means enabling the business to move in new directions to capture more customers, or to keep up with the market by out-competing the competition.  Whether you choose cloud or on-prem, GMS makes your business work better by enabling resellers to transform into managed service providers.  Or in the case of managed service providers who don’t yet have GMS, to increase operational efficiencies.  In both cases, businesses can increase their top line while improving their bottom line.  We invite you to learn more about the MSP practice in A Lucrative Opportunity in Managed Security Services and Cloud GMS in Integrating Global Management of Network Security.  If you are SonicWall Partner, start a free trial of Cloud GMS now by logging in to and clicking the Try button for Cloud GMS.

SonicWall Staff