Cloud technology has gained popularity worldwide, especially after big-name companies fully embraced it. Choosing your cloud provider can be difficult, with more and more providers entering the market daily. If you make the wrong choice, you may have to pay high costs, delays, and security risks in everything you do.
Choosing the right service provider is vital for the success and profitability of your company. You can research all the available options and providers online and go through the features they offer to find a cloud service that meets your business's unique needs. Here is the criteria that will help you select the right cloud service provider for your business:
Data security is crucial for every business, as data breaches and losses can lead to substantial financial and goodwill losses in the future. Once you determine your security goals and lay out the security policy for your organization. This includes the mechanisms and tools used in protecting your data and applications. You can better understand each specific area involved in ensuring data security by learning about the shared responsibility model and Azure's and Google’s approaches to security.
You should also consider additional paid services available on the cloud provider’s website for added layers of security. The AWS and Google Cloud have their security tools, paid products, and integration partners listed on their websites. This can give you an idea of what tools should be included in your cloud service package. The security needs of your business depend significantly on the industry you operate in. It is vital to ensure that your cloud provider meets your unique security needs and provides additional support if needed. You should also actively follow cloud security best practices to protect your valuable data.
You need to ensure that your cloud service has an architecture that complies with the rules and regulations specific to the industry structure you operate in. Remember, different industries and organizations have different frameworks, including GDPR, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, etc. Moving your data and application access to a public cloud platform is a big decision. Therefore, you need to consider the compliance of the cloud provider with the relevant frameworks to avoid legal problems later on.
Different cloud platforms will demand your team to manage different aspects. Some venues have more complex systems; some have simpler ones. Therefore, it is essential to go through the website for each service to determine your responsibilities beforehand. Every cloud supports different orchestration tools and has a different process to integrate with other services or applications in your business. It is essential to choose a cloud provider that offers easy integration with other applications and into the systems of your business. Researching cloud manageability will also help you determine the future role and efforts of your team.
Customer support is an integral part of any service. You need to give this parameter utmost importance, as only good customer service can help you tackle problems that occur while operating the cloud software. However, you can ask upfront questions from customer support. This can ensure that the cloud service meets the unique needs of your business.
The cost you pay for a service significantly impacts your decision. If you are a new business that is just starting, chances are your budget is limited, as are your options. It is important to consider associated costs and sticker price, including any staff that you may need to hire to manage it. You can search up market prices online by comparing the price list of big-name competitors in the cloud industry. They might have an ongoing sale or even provide discounts for smaller organizations. If your data volume is not as much, you may find some small-scale cloud service providers, specially designed for small businesses on a limited budget.
It is essential to scrutinize the provider's contract. Look for specific terminologies like the limitation of liability, intellectual property rights, and the basic terms of the agreement. This will help you evaluate the degree of legal protection your cloud provider offers. These terms will also represent the privacy rights and data protection they offer. Providers can limit their liability if you claim against them. However, the terms of the contract will inform you about it.
Selecting a cloud provider can be pretty tricky. However, you can start by analyzing the exact requirements of your business. Use this tp find the characteristics required by your team in an ideal cloud service. Shortlist cloud providers using cost, affordability, compliance, and security. Consider the legal protection they provide. You can contact the customer service staff of each provider through phone or email. This ensures the cloud service you select has the exact specifications required by your business.
