As a growing number of business IT systems and operations become externalized and migrated to the cloud, it is imperative to ensure you choose the right cloud provider for you.
The right cloud provider can provide benefits such as:
- Saving costs by eliminating IT hardware and staff
- Collaborating employees remotely online, so they have access to their company information.
Cloud technology has given companies the convenience to manage company data and activities online. These also include solving IT concerns such as maintenance, security and support.
Once you have chosen to use cloud computing, it can be challenging to select the most suitable provider from an ever-growing vast market.
So how do you choose the best provider? The following are considerations to point you in the right direction.
Identifying Business needs
It is essential to clarify what your business requires in regards to its service, security, technical requirements, data governance and managing service needs.
The type of service is also essential as each cloud provider will offer you something different.
Cloud solutions can be software-based and if you want to store photos, videos and documents; then Dropbox would be ideal.
Another is Salesforce, which provides Online customer relationship management services (CRM).
Salesforce provides a platform which supports business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) contexts.
Its purpose is to promote sales, marketing and customer support.
The type of cloud is also essential as there are three different types. These are public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud.
- Public cloud offers services on the internet from its data centre infrastructure. Service providers make applications and storage which are accessible to users online.
- Private cloud is when offered computing services are only available by a selected group of users, this can be either on a private network or over the internet.
- Hybrid cloud combines elements from both public and private cloud by delivering easier access features exclusively to public cloud and high security provided by the private cloud.
A Cloud provider should not only explain their services but also help identify what your needs are. This way, they can best meet your business needs.
Security
A cloud service provider must ensure adequate safety for data privacy. Data and privacy protection are essential when storing data into a cloud.
The risks include:
- Data loss or unauthorized access/disclosure
- Service providers failing to update online security leaving them vulnerable to malware and hackers
- Data not being secure due to poor security practices
Do not be afraid to ask your provider for internal security audit reports. Feedback can give you insight into what actions they took to remedy any problems which could pertain to your business.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
An SLA is an agreement between the service provider and business that should ensure a high standard of service is maintained. It should be able to respond to system and applications while being reliable and available at all times.
The issues regarding SLAs are how agreements can often be overly complicated by the use of excessive jargon. It would be advantageous to possess the technical proficiency and knowledge to understand SLAs, but a provider whos willing to make an SLA transparent would be more convenient.
There are mainly two groups of SLAs. The first being a more traditional approach where there are a set of terms and conditions. This document will be available online for to all applicants.
The second is a customized contract where exclusive agreements with built-in provisions. Always ask how they plan to support their requested customization and who is responsible for the variation.
The main issues in an SLA are to monitor service levels, be sure to implement penalties for underperformance or errors and ensure remediation policies.
Cloud Server User Interface
An often overlooked issue is the interface that goes along with the cloud service.
A user-friendly interface should be in place, allowing users to perform tasks easier and more efficiently. A complicated interface may require a specific IT team to perform basic tasks.
Having a simple UI allows users to access internal and client data from anywhere at any time, enabling access for different devices by logging in.
The cloud providers client portal should be easily accessible via a smartphone, laptop or tablet.
Company profile and track record
While it’s essential to know your provider’s technical and operation capabilities, its financial health and track record with past clients is also vital.
The cloud provider should have a track record of financial stability so it can continue to operate successfully long term.
Providers who have had financial difficulties in the past may lack the financial resources to cover your losses should a problem arise, regardless of what assurances are in the contract.
Find out any potential legal issues that the provider may be currently involved in; this may include past or present lawsuits against them.
Inquiring about Company profile changes such as corporate mergers, acquisitions or future changes in company objectives is also worth knowing.
You can find out this information by not only asking your provider but also doing your research. Checking online reviews, articles and analyst profiles will help your business understand their current position with its competitors.
