How to Choose the Right Cloud Service for You
The boom of the Information Age has brought about a lot of changes in the way we, as humans, interact with one another, ranging from the social to the transactional. Our livelihoods and businesses have gone from keeping track of physical inventories to managing digital assets, seemingly overnight. And, to this day, this rapid push towards the digital advancement leads our businesses into the cloud computing space.
Why the Cloud?
Utilizing cloud services depends entirely on the use case. Some business flows will work better if they were cloud-based, while others may suffer, especially if their offices do not have a good internet connection to begin with.
Many businesses have been shifting their systems to the cloud due to the costliness of scaling resources in-house over time. For example, not all businesses have the foresight or the resources to invest in a lot of storage space when they first start their business. Increasing storage space later down the line can be costly and will require some technical know-how. Cloud storage, on the other hand, offers storage that will scale with your business as it grows, where cloud service providers will manage the intricacies of the process in your stead.
Of course, the cloud is not only limited to storage capabilities. The vast array of offerings in the cloud space is available for any business to utilize, becoming a standard across big and small businesses alike. However, not all cloud service providers share the same quality and plans– you should make sure that the cloud service provider you choose should be up to par to your business’ needs.
The Qualities of a Great Cloud Service Provider
There are many companies out there that enable businesses to use their cloud services, each having their own pros and cons. Your cloud service provider is supposed to be your partner that will guide you into the world of the cloud– so how can you discern which providers to trust with your business?
They Value Security
Security should be the top priority of any service provider. Data leaks and other such security breaches have been known to invade the world of cloud computing– and it shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially if your company deals with a lot of sensitive customer data. Make sure that the provider you choose has a security policy suitable to your business, and make sure that it is compliant with the laws of your industry and your government.
They Have Top-Notch Support.
Businesses, especially those intertwined with tech, will always experience some kind of bug or issue, ranging from minor ones all the way to the alarmingly major ones. These are a given and should be accounted for by your cloud service provider, which is why they should have quality support tasked to help you out during your time of need, be it at 2 in the morning, or during unexpectedly high server traffic during the weekend. Big or small, such issues should be quickly responded to. During such cases, you should also be given a clear estimate of when these issues should be fixed. A reputable service provider will be helpful yet efficient, and will provide a service level agreement appropriate to your business.
They Provide Invaluable Cloud Knowledge And Expertise.
Industry accreditation, technical expertise, and a lengthy experience working in the cloud space are the top things to consider when looking for a cloud service provider. Do your research, read reviews, and talk to some of their users– you may find out some valuable information that may help you in your decision-making.