Improving security, a growing remote workforce and modernizing customer IT environments are among the workloads that are keeping MSPs busy as customers continue to explore how cloud technology can improve their business.

That’s the story from a variety of MSPs surveyed by CRN at CRN parent The Channel Company’s XChange NexGen 2022 conference, held this week in Orlando, Fla.

Compass Solutions, Applied Innovation, Ascent Data, Clutch Solutions, LAN InfoTech, BizCom Global, XIOSS and Cloud First IT answered the question: What are the common use cases for new cloud business you’re seeing right now?

[RELATED: NexGen 2022 Panel: XaaS ‘Fits The Bill’ For Customers Scaling Fast]

How Are People Using Cloud Computing?

Applied Innovation (formerly known as Applied Imaging) and LAN InfoTech are members of CRN’s 2022 Managed Service Provider 500.

Even with cloud computing seeming ubiquitous by 2022, much opportunity remains for MSPs in selling customers cloud services and helping them optimize their existing cloud investment.

Optimizing existing cloud use was the top initiative for responders to Flexera’s 2022 State of the Cloud survey, followed by migrating more workloads to the cloud. The need for managing cloud costs creates an opportunity for financial operations (FinOps), according to the report.

Overall cloud spending by small and midsize businesses “has grown substantially,” according to the report. “Fifty-three percent are now spending $1.2 million annually—up from 38 percent in 2021.”

Here’s more of what partners had to say to CRN during NexGen this week.