How to Choose the Right Cloud Service Provider?
Cloud infrastructure is getting its share of popularity over the last few years. Looking at the flexibility it offers, cloud...
is getting its share of popularity over the last few years. Looking at the flexibility it offers, cloud services are the top preference for enterprises right now. However, when it comes to DIY cloud solutions, it becomes an expensive affair. Well, in such cases the best option is to choose a cloud service provider.
There are just so many cloud service providers (CSP) right now that choosing one from the mass is like finding a needle in the haystack. But that does not also mean it is impossible to find the right one.
In case you are thinking of getting a cloud service provider on board, here are a few factors you could look for while picking the right one.
5 Factors to Remember Before Picking your Next CSP
Choosing the right cloud service platform is very critical as you might be thinking of putting critical data and infrastructure out there. Due to this, the need for keeping your options open based on critical factors becomes very crucial. Here are the 5 most important factors you need to consider before you finalize your next cloud provider.
- Security
Security is one of the top concerns/factors that you need to take into consideration before choosing a cloud provider. Your infrastructure, data, and many other important functionalities will be going online, and therefore, you must evaluate the security aspect of your cloud provider.
These security aspects should also align with your business and enterprise goals so everything works in tandem, and smoothly. Not only that but understanding every little detail about the security features is also very important. You must also understand the paid security features offered and the out-of-the-box security features that should also be taken into consideration.
Giants like AWS and Google Cloud put everything upfront on their websites, but it is still a good practice to know everything about the cloud provider you choose. Also, make sure, you ask all the questions related to your use case and scenarios that you run into on a daily basis.
- Compliance
When it comes to going online with your workload and functionality, the importance of compliance protocols increases exponentially. Your industry might be following a few compliance standards and making sure that they are replicated on the cloud architecture you choose is very critical. You might be holding HIPPA, PCI DSS, GDPR, and other frameworks. Your cloud provider should help you tick off all or most of these compliance standards while deploying their cloud solution. When your applications go public, your responsibility increases two-fold, and compliance standards are applied to make your job easier.
- Architecture
Architectural workflows play a big role while choosing a cloud service provider. Wonder how? Let us help. You might be using many Microsoft services as a part of your business workflow, and in such cases investing in Azure might be a good call. The reason being, all Microsoft services will be easily integrated and you will have a steady and efficient solution in hand. Similarly, if you are using Amazon or Google services majorly, going for AWS would be a safe call.
In any case, your architectural flow should match the one you already have in place, to make sure the flow of work is smooth and maintained even when the platforms have changed.
This stands true with respect to the storage aspect as well. Storage technologies are offering two major archival storage solutions, hot and cold storage. Cold storage often comes with a smaller price tag, but a huge list of restrictions. Therefore, make sure which one stands right for you before choosing the cloud provider.
- Manageability
Understanding the manageability of the cloud provider you choose, is also very critical. You don’t want your team spending more time managing cloud functions that could have been done by alert setting or simple automation scripts. In such cases, you must understand what your cloud platform demands you to manage. There are various services that support orchestration tools and integrate with other services to make your task easier.
- Service levels
Well, your business needs to do everything in proper order and have strict needs in terms of response time, capacity, support, and availability. In such cases, a cloud service level agreement can help you keep all this in place. A contractual relationship helps in maintaining transparency between the two parties. Establishing such a relationship between the cloud service provider and the customer will not only help you to keep track of their responsibilities but also make your job easier in case of handling discrepancies and unexpected losses.
are there to help you make your work efficient and manageability easier. Cloud is a flexible option for making infrastructure more transparent, efficient, fast and most importantly to avoid bottlenecks that your traditional systems had. So, a little bit more cautiousness in choosing the right cloud provider should not be a big task. Our list of factors will help you in the long run. So, are you ready to pick your next cloud service provider? All the Best!
