A cloud service provider (CSP) gives your business access to enterprise-grade infrastructure, network resources, and applications via the internet for a low monthly subscription fee. These services are hosted in data centers that are managed by scores of expert technicians. This means you save a lot of time and money since you don’t have to worry about implementing and maintaining your own data centers.
Businesses typically work with multiple public and private cloud providers depending on what they need.
There are many factors to consider when searching for CSPs, however. You need to think about flexibility, range of services, security, etc. There are also some common mistakes you need to avoid when choosing a CSP.
Going in without a clear strategy
Making a department by department transition may seem easy at first but without a long-term cloud strategy, an organization risks making ill-informed decisions that lead to serious problems. For instance, it may find itself stuck with the wrong providers or waste money on unnecessary services.
A long-term strategy considers long-term business needs, goals, and options such as possible developments in your cloud portfolio such as centralized management as you subscribe to more and more solutions. It also means partnering with CSPs that are flexible with the latest technological trends and integrations so they can meet your future requirements.
Opting for a biased strategy development partner
When you need assistance with building your cloud portfolio, don’t just rely on one CSP’s opinions. Some prioritize their own objectives over helping you truly consider the performance and functionality of your CSP choices.
To avoid this, you’ll want to hire an IT consultant that is not only neutral but one that will not be drawn in by the hype surrounding the latest solutions. This expert should have in-depth knowledge and solid relationships with major cloud providers like Microsoft and Amazon, so they can propose the best CSP for your needs and budget.
Failing to evaluate your team’s skills
Your cloud environment will be managed by your own internal team or a managed services provider (MSP). Either way, they should possess the proper technical and process abilities that match up with your choice of CSP, or you may find yourself investing in extensive training and support.
Assuming every workload is compatible with a CSP
Not all workloads will run successfully with a cloud provider. For instance, legacy workloads can be cost-prohibitive. Or you may find yourself locked in with a CSP that can’t run your workload at all. You need to make an impartial technical review of your workloads to find the best possible cloud provider to host and manage them. Again, consulting with an IT expert helps in this scenario.
Taking service level agreements for granted
The right service level agreement (SLA) ensures your CSP delivers your requirements, especially in terms of availability, storage capacity, and response time. This SLA will also be crucial in protecting your investment, setting your expectations, and gauging the CSP’s level of commitment.
Don’t just assume every CSP offers 99.9% service uptime, on-demand storage capacity, or five-minute response times. If the CSP is not capable of meeting your requirements, it may be best to look for an alternative.
Neglecting background check
While looking for CSPs, you will no doubt find a lot of options. Service uptime may be of primary importance or you might be looking for a provider that can supply the most optimal services on a limited budget.
Whatever the needs of your organization, running a thorough background check will help determine the most suitable CSP. This involves looking at previous case studies, testimonials, and awards. You may also have to request feedback from existing clients to gauge a prospective CSP’s customer service and performance.
Overlooking data security
When planning to migrate your data to the cloud, security should be your most pressing concern. After all, data breaches can lead to huge losses such as hefty fines, reputation damage, and other costly repercussions.
This is why you need to carefully assess the prospective CSP’s data security measures. Make sure that it has more than adequate data security by checking on its security certifications, data encryption, and user authentication policies. Are they protecting their data centers with advanced intrusion prevention systems and firewalls? Do they update and back up their systems regularly? Asking these questions will ensure you’re working with a secure and reliable CSP.
Cloud computing offers a chock-full of benefits to your business, but it’s important you work with the right provider. Consider SpectrumWise — we help your business boost productivity and reduce costs by moving critical components of your IT infrastructure to the cloud and managing them for you. Talk to us today to find out more.
