5 useful factors while selecting the right cloud service provider & offering what should be considered. Check thier support, services & cost.
90% of entrepreneurs rely on cloud servers for data handling and for all the right reasons.
Data has become an eminent part of the business cosmos.
Its growing eminence can also make handling and updating data time-consuming as it calls for 24*7 attention.
Cloud services providers have intervened and made things easier for entrepreneurs by making it possible to store data on cloud servers.
So you do not have to worry about backing it up on multiple devices or repeatedly checking on its security.
Although their increased demand has made things easy, it has also increased the options available and made it difficult to make the right choice.
Read below to find out what makes a perfect cloud service provider.
Security
No point in guessing data security should be your priority when leveraging cloud services.
Data breach has cost even the leading companies like Yahoo, making it the one thing you should never compromise. That is why when exploring cloud services, always find out their take on data security.
Further, since the leading cloud services providers are global names, providing services across several countries, always check where their data center is based and what are the security rules of the jurisdiction they adhere.
It will also help you understand their liability to your security and the protocols they follow. Here are some things you should find out beforehand:
- The geographical location of their data center
- Data recovery policy
- Identity management
- User authorization
Additionally, go for the providers who offer advanced security measures like multi-factor authentication, data encryption, the highest quality firewall, Access Control and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) & Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS).
Compatibility
It is a significant factor influencing your decisions. The cloud service provider you choose should not restrict your choices but offer a wide array of options that fulfill your needs.
Since you are likely to work with your cloud service provider for a long time if it is essential to understand their take on different technologies. So always be proactive to find answers to the questions like if they can support custom solutions, host different cloud computing environments, and if they back up service on the service level agreement.
It also influences how easily you can integrate current software with their platforms and API integrations. Therefore they should be your focus when making the right decision.
Customer Support
Needless to say, when you are working with a cloud service provider, you will need their assistance for efficient data functions. A mishap or a security threat can happen at any time. So you need someone who is there for you 24*7.
Additionally, fast response time and flexibility in support also make things infinitely better for you. Ideally, you should be able to pick the communication via which you want to receive assistance. This can be anything from phone calls, live chat, email, or other.
So before choosing your service provider, check out their customer support terms and their reviews on social media because you would not like the idea of handling your data to someone who isn’t accessible when the needs arise. Round the cloud support and promote services should be your first choice.
Pricing
Every business has plans and budgets for its projects. So if you are planning to migrate to cloud services, you should plan your budget. At the same time, you should also be familiar with the pricing to make the right decisions.
There are serval plans, so carefully look at the services offered to ensure they match your business model, network, hardware requirements, and the number of users they support.
Here transparency also plays a major role, as other factors like hidden costs or maintenance costs – including consumption of value-added services for a month, an hour, half-yearly, or year-wise can also influence your decisions. The best approach here is to compare the pricing and services of different providers before picking up the one that suits your needs.
Here are a few types of payment models you can choose from:
- PAY-PER-USE (Pay only for WHAT you are using exclusive of UPFRONT COSTS)
- HYBRID (offers the combined benefits of PAY-PER-USE
- SUBSCRIPTION-BASED), &
- SUBSCRIPTION-BASED (lets you RESERVE cloud resources you may avail in the future for a specific period
Services
When you are looking for cloud service providers, knowing business requirements is the top priority, this will let you decide the services you want to avail of and the best option for the same. Broadly speaking, there are three types of cloud services:
- IaaS – Infrastructure-As-A-Service
- PaaS – Platform-As-A-Service
- SaaS – Software-As-A-Service
When you recognize what you need, reach out to a cloud service provider offering these solutions. But that does not end here; other factors like SCALABILITY, RELIABILITY, SPEED, or ACCURACY need attention too!
Leading cloud services providers
There has been a surge in demand for cloud service providers. So you can choose among several reputable providers in the market, including tech giants like Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and others. Although they will help you maintain your data and keep it updated, it is essential to check out the services they offer to make the right choice.
Concluding Words
Data handling can take a significant amount of time for entrepreneurs. The good news is that cloud service providers make data handling easy by reducing the need to store it physically on devices and update it regularly.
