More and more businesses have begun migrating to the cloud, and this is because of the vast number of benefits the cloud has to offer. It is an efficient and secure service a business can use as they grow, and their data needs begin to change. The cloud is a service that can grow with them so that the business can scale without any rise in IT costs.
Cloud service providers also benefit businesses because you will have the convenience of any-time- anywhere data access and you do not have to worry about security and backups because the provider covers this for you.
Additionally, many businesses can pay for cloud services with a monthly subscription option which means that you will be billed monthly or quarterly depending on the options you choose.
Data Storage Location and Security
Before signing up for cloud services, you will want to ask the provider where their data center is located. You will also want to find out if they have multiple data centers in use and if your information is going to be backed up and stored in more than one location.
Next, you will want to inquire about the security of your data while it is being stored. The responsibility of data security falls to the provider, so you will not have to worry too much about your own data security. However, you will still want all the details regarding the provider’s security efforts including their policies, SOPs, and data security frameworks.
Past Performance
Another thing to consider is the past performance data including data loss and downtime trends the provider may have experienced over the previous year. It is good to observe these specific trends, so you can have a better idea about how their system reacts and what happens if there is any downtime.
When the system experiences downtime, it can be a loss in profit and business for your company. Therefore, understanding these trends and analytics as it pertains to the prospective cloud services provider is very important.
The Price of the Services
A number of factors can affect the price you may pay for cloud services. The overall costs usually depend on your utility of the service, the physical location of the servers, and the levels of service.
Some cloud service providers may promise 99.9% uptime, and if this is the case, then you should expect to pay more for such a guarantee of service. However, if something happens and you do not experience what the provider promises, then you should see if there is any kind of compensation offered or other recourse that can be taken to rectify the poor service.
No matter which cloud service provider you decide to go with, you should always take your time to consider the bigger elements of the service like the price, security, and location to ensure that you are making the right choice for your business.
