As more and more IT systems and processes are being externalised, ensuring that you pick the perfect cloud provider for your business is an essentiality – particularly for long-term success. The last thing you need is to migrate your business to the cloud, only to find you rushed into it and ended up working with a cloud service provider that isn’t quite the right fit.
Fortunately, there is much that you can do to avoid this scenario. In this article, we’re going to share the 8 critical criteria required to help you find the ideal cloud service provider for your business.
Table of Contents
1. Certification and business practice standards
The first and most obvious criteria to consider is certification. Your chosen cloud service provider must adhere to internationally recognised standards and use quality frameworks that demonstrate their authority.
2. A commitment to technological innovation
Your prospective cloud service provider must have a decent roadmap of service development in place. How do they plan on innovating and growing as the goal posts move? How can they guarantee your data will remain safe in the future?
3. Data management and information security
Additionally, the location in which your data will be stored and the relevant local laws in which it will be subject to is another critical consideration.
4. Cloud service provider vendor relationships
You should also look into your prospective provider’s relationship with any key vendors that they depend on – including their technical capabilities, certifications, and accreditation levels.
5. Contractual agreements
It wouldn’t be unwise to seek legal counsel when entering a contractual agreement for cloud services, especially if you feel a little overwhelmed or out of your depth.
You should also aim to work with a provider that is willing and prepared to offer you flexible terms – and indeed provide you with details on how they intend to support any variation agreed upon. This is even more important when working with smaller, less established cloud service providers.
6. Performance and reliability
While you shouldn’t expect total perfection as every cloud provider will invariably experience some inevitable downtime at some point or another, it’s important that you be stringent with your expectations of a cloud service provider’s performance and reliability.
They must have an established and well-documented process for dealing with any planned and unplanned down-time, including disaster recovery.
7. Migration support
Vendor lock-in is not uncommon in the world of cloud computing and it is something that you should be aware of before making any commitments.
How easy will it be for you to migrate your data to a different cloud service provider if in the event you wish to jump ship and roll with someone else?
Research carefully and thoroughly before making any final commitments.
8. Business health and reputation
How well established is your prospective cloud service provider? Are they likely to be going anywhere any time soon? It’s always worth taking the time to assess the financial health and profile of any shortlisted providers to ensure that you don’t end up throwing your lot in with an organisation that may be likely to fail in the near future.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are many different considerations for you to ponder on before you go ahead and start planning your transition. Rest assured that there are many excellent cloud service providers in Australia, so, as long as you take your time and do your due diligence, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding the right provider for you.
