Moving your business operations to the cloud can lower costs and increase productivity improving your workflow and eliminating the need for IT support and hardware. But perhaps the biggest benefit any company acquires is the ability to concentrate exclusively on its business.
Now, let's face it: choosing a cloud provider is no easy feat. With a vast array of companies offering an ever-growing menu of cloud computing solutions, choosing one can be challenging. There are, however, a few essential things you should consider to simplify the decision-making process and select the right provider for your needs. Just be sure to involve both the business and IT leaders in your organization before making the final call.
Be sure your provider knows your business objectives.
Before signing with a cloud provider, make sure that provider is fully committed to understanding your business and the specific objectives you hope to achieve with cloud. To do this, listen to what providers promise you. If they are too focused on only technology outcomes, then they may deliver excellent technology, but may not be relevant to your business.
Inquire about security and cost
Security and cost are significant factors. Unfortunately, comparing costs and security prowess isn't always easy. In addition, tracking down information related to a provider's costs and security strategy can be tough. Anyway, security should be one of your majors considerations when it comes to storing your company's critical data in the cloud. You've got to be sure that you're completely comfortable with your cloud provider's approach to security. In addition, the location of a cloud provider's data centers and servers where your company's information will be stored are as important as online security. Think about that.
Inquire about pricing structure
Pricing for cloud computing services can vary significantly, but you should only pay for what you use. The pricing scheme should be pay-as-you go from the outset, with the ability to add services as needed. Here the question arises: can your cloud provider scale up to meet your business needs? Ensure you're choosing a flexible cloud provider. Find out what the capability to sustain the service when your business grows.
Inquire about customer support services
Technical support should be available to you online or by phone 24 hours a day, every day. You should also inquire about the average response and resolution time.
inquire about risks: what happens if your provider loses your data?
On the off chance your cloud provider accidentally deletes or loses your precious data, you need to know how it will rectify the problem. Will the provider compensate you for losses? What data redundancies does it have in place to mitigate the risks of data loss?
Finally, inquire how you will get set up.
Once you choose and sign with a cloud provider, the next step is typically to log in to your user dashboard and begin configuring your account and adding employees as users. Some cloud vendors will walk you through how to install and set up their services, while others, simply provide online introductory guides.
