How to ensure you pick the best cloud service provider for your company’s IT resources
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Most companies these days have a heavy reliance on their IT, networking and data, so taking the leap and outsourcing your precious files and processes to a third-party cloud service provider can be a daunting process.
Cloud networking can bring tremendous benefits to companies and offer them a level-playing field to compete against far larger, more profitable rivals – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all cloud providers will end up being the perfect fit for your firm. Just like all other areas of life, not all cloud providers are created equal, and it’s quite likely a provider that works for one company could end up a terrible match for your particular needs.
Finding the perfect match
A little like online dating, you should try to ensure the qualities, skills and experience of a prospective cloud provider match as closely as possible to your particular requirements. While most people realize the world doesn’t stand still and circumstances can (and do) change over time, finding a provider that can grow with you and support you through times of upheaval is vital if you’re to make the best of the opportunities cloud computing can offer. Reading up on terraform Azure articles should give you a better idea of just how cloud integration could affect and positively benefit your firm’s processes and give you a better long-term view of the relationship.
Below are just a few of the primary points you should consider when choosing which cloud firm to work with:
Track record and recommendations: Recommendations and personal accounts of experiences from friends, colleagues or associates are a great way to get under the skin of a cloud provider and see how they operate. Ideally, you should ask around and get as much feedback as possible. At the end of the day, things will always go wrong with IT projects – however, it’s how a company deals with problems that’s important.
Accreditations and standards: As you might expect, cloud companies are highly regulated in terms of quality and standards, so look for a firm that has awards and certifications that closely match your business operations. While these aren’t necessarily a guarantee of finding the perfect company, they will at least help your draw up a shortlist.
Find a firm with matching technologies and service provision: Your firm likely already has a raft of software and processes you already run, so you should try to find a cloud provider that closely aligns with your current operations and can support existing apps, operations, etc.
Think long-term: No business stands still, and it’s likely your IT requirements today will be vastly different from those you might have tomorrow. You should try to ensure you partner with a cloud provider that has the scalability and adaptability to grow with your company over time.
Third-party relationships: Most cloud companies have existing vendor relationships in place to help them provide their services. You should take the time to understand what external services your prospective provider relies upon – and tie-down exactly how these relationships might affect the service they provide you.
Remember, timing is crucial: Before choosing a cloud company and making the move, you should be aware that a migration to the cloud will almost inevitably cause some downtime or operational issues – so try to pick a moment when the change will result in the least disruption.
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