5 Things You Should Look For In a Cloud Provider

More and more organizations are moving pieces of their infrastructure and critical services to the cloud. The benefits of this move are many, including increased security and availability, improved disaster recovery options, and reduced management time required. Still, for all these benefits, there are many companies that are reluctant, or downright scared, to move to the cloud. Often, this is because they want to maintain a certain level of control over their infrastructure – a level of control that is a challenge to achieve with many cloud providers.

To put it simply, sending critical services and infrastructure to the cloud scares many companies because they do not know where that cloud is or what happens when something goes wrong and they need additional assistance. Cloud services typically abstract humans from the equation, which is a problem when you need to speak with someone about your specific concerns and needs.

These concerns are understandable and legitimate, but they should not keep you from making a strategic business decision to embrace the benefits of cloud computing. As with anything in business, if you allow your fears to drive your decisions, you will be left behind while your competition moves forward and claims a competitive advantage.

Cloud computing can revolutionize your IT infrastructure and the way that you do business, but you need to make sure that the provider you partner with for your cloud initiatives is a right fit for your business. Here are a few things you should be looking for in a cloud provider.

  1. A Local Option – Partnering with a provider that is local to you has a number of advantages. Perhaps you have been hesitant about a move to the cloud because you are fearful of “where” that cloud is or you do not want to give up complete control of your infrastructure. If this is the case, then a local provider whose facilities you can visit, and whose team you can work alongside when needed, may be the answer for you. A local provider is also likely to be a group that knows you and your organization and takes your business success personally. That type of relationship is very difficult to find when you work with national or even global providers to whom you are little more than an account number.
  2. Cloud Services, Not Just a Platform – Many cloud providers offer a compelling platform, but that is all they offer – a platform. Most organizations, especially those who are new to the cloud, need more than just a platform. They need a provider who has services to complement their platform and ensure a successful transition to those cloud services. When considering cloud providers, weigh their platform alongside their services to get a sense for what the whole package looks like.
  3. Cost Predictability – One of your driving factors for moving infrastructure to the cloud may often be cost savings, but contracts whose prices fluctuate based on usage can quickly negate any savings you had planned. For instance, you may have one month where your usage is much higher than normal. Perhaps you are doing some critical development and testing and you need to spin up a number of VMs (virtual machines) as part of that process. That one month of additional usage could push you to a higher contract level, and cost you more money each month going forward if your plan does not have a way to accommodate these special circumstances. In other cases, you may pay for what you use, which means that one month may be one price and another may be wildly different. That unpredictability makes budgeting very difficult, so you should be looking for a contract with predictable rates and a way to account for those aforementioned special circumstances.
  4. Flexibility – Every organization’s needs are different, so a “one-size-fits-all” cloud solution may not suit your needs in the way that your business requires. The ability to work with your cloud provider (again, this is where a local option can be very helpful) to shape the solution to your needs can be critical to its success.  Whether you are moving all of your infrastructure to the cloud or going with a hybrid cloud/on-premise solution, a provider who can work with you to find the right solution for your needs is important. They should have the flexibility to make your plans happen today, and also the scalability to grow and adjust as your needs change in the future.
  5. Compliance and Security – Security and compliance considerations are at the top of almost all company’s concerns when it comes to the cloud. If you are handling sensitive data or personal client information, you want to be sure that your cloud provider has the necessary proper compliance credentials to meet any regulations your company or your industry may be subject to. You also want to be mindful of physical security and disaster readiness. How access to the actual facility is handled or what the plans are in case of natural disasters, power outages, and more are important considerations to look at when selecting a cloud provider.

 

The cloud should not be a scary place for you or your organization. By being mindful of the points covered in this article, and selecting the right cloud provider, you can realize all the benefits of cloud computing for your business.

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