Cloud-based products and solutions have become more advanced over the past decade, presenting broader scale and expanded possibilities.
Cloud computing providers are driving cloud solutions and services for technologies across a wide variety of industries and sectors, and large-scale cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform continue to expand. their platforms to create a comprehensive environment, that is, an enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure.
With increasing applicability, cloud services are gaining popularity as they serve a wide variety of demands, both in nature and volume.
But what to consider when choosing a cloud computing provider? We show you!
10 key questions to choose the cloud provider for your company
1. Does the provider support my applications?
Support is one of the key issues when choosing your provider. Both so that your legacy systems or applications (own or from other providers) and cloud strategy can be migrated, taking into account that they must be compatible.
The vast majority of applications currently manage to run normally in the cloud, but it is important to understand what the characteristics of your applications are and if they are adaptable to the use of this technology.
For example, if your company uses an ERP from a specific vendor, talk to your software provider to ensure that it can be migrated to your cloud model without any headaches.
2. How can my company add cloud services?
You might enter into an agreement with a managed service provider to meet a single goal, but then end up wanting more down the road.
Many companies think they just need help migrating their data and applications to the cloud, but then realize they want to add automation to their workloads.
Since your initial agreement will only cover the services you start with, it’s crucial to understand how adding services affects your partnership in terms of cost and support.
3. What security services does the managed service provider offer?
When you incorporate a managed service provider into your cloud deployment, you need to make sure they have strong security systems in place to keep your data safe.
Every service provider must have native security strategies and protocols to protect their cloud environment from internal and external security threats.
This also applies to data compliance; a managed service provider must disclose any and all data regulations that it may comply with.
4. Does the service provider support hybrid cloud/multi-cloud?
Many organizations are designing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud infrastructures, and you should ensure that your potential managed service providers support these implementations.
Some providers only support one public cloud provider, while others manage multiple cloud providers; some may manage your on-premises infrastructure in addition to your cloud. Knowing what a cloud computing provider supports in advance will help you determine which providers will work for your business.
5. Does the supplier offer the benefit of buying upfront?
We live in a time when the economy is on everyone’s mind and the vast majority of public cloud providers (mainly) market their cloud through the dollar. This is why some providers offer the upfront purchase model, that is, the customer can make a pre-purchase at a fixed cost.
Likewise, you can anticipate that if your demand undergoes any change, the supplier will be able to guarantee the dollar price during your purchase, which does not restrict readjustments.
6. What is the payment term?
The big players in the market offer payment according to the use of cloud services, very similar to what we are used to with our day-to-day consumption accounts (water, electricity, telephone).
But if your business needs to use a large volume, some providers offer discounts based on increased usage. You must know how to negotiate with suppliers to understand how these discounts work and also what is the best payment date.
7. Is it good to know where the Data Centers are?
We know that by contracting cloud services, our applications will be hosted “somewhere” in the cloud, but have you ever thought that the response time could be better if the location is closer to you?
An important point is to identify the region of your current provider and understand how the response works in case of unavailability, ensuring speed and providing a fast experience for users.
8. What is the responsibility matrix like?
Good question! At the time of contracting a provider. What is the responsibility of each one’s security measures? It is important to clarify that there may be several types of measures and both parties are responsible.
Whose responsibility is it for the security that the provider implements and operates? Or, who is responsible for the content and applications that the customer runs within a cloud provider?
9. Is the service provider likely to grow in the immediate future?
The cloud-managed services market is still in its relative infancy, which means that many managed service providers are likely to expand their business in the coming years.
As providers continue to grow, businesses need to know what their potential managed service providers currently offer, what services they plan to offer in the future, and when they intend to deploy them. Knowing a service provider’s roadmap lets you know what they can and cannot provide right away.
10. How easy is it to switch managed cloud service providers?
After working with a managed service provider for a while, you may find that they simply aren’t the right fit for you. It happens more often than you might think, but if you don’t plan for this scenario in advance, the cost of moving from one provider to another could be high.
It is possible that your company chooses and controls its own security model to protect its content, applications, platforms, etc., but it is important to define where the responsibility of the provider ends and where yours as a client begins.
Each provider offers a responsibility matrix model and this must be clear to the contracting party.
Deciding on the best cloud provider is a very important time for your business, but knowing which questions are important can make your journey to the cloud easier.