By now, the concept of the cloud is ubiquitous, but for many business leaders the idea still presents more challenges than opportunities. Understanding the complicated technology, not to mention the vast array of delivery models, degrees of services and levels of security available, can be a daunting task for companies under pressure to adapt or adopt.
In a new white paper, “Developing a Cloud Sourcing Strategy: Six Steps to Select the Right Cloud Partner,” Leaseweb gives decision makers the tools they need to formulate an effective cloud strategy or to identify the right cloud partner to executive it. In summary form, these six tips will help you find the cloud partner for your business.
- Support and services — For most businesses, concerns about cost, security, vendor management and technology take the lead in the search for a reliable cloud partner. Surprisingly, the ability of a provider to smoothly and effectively deliver customer support, SLAs and managed services is often minimized or overlooked, at the expense of the customer. When deciding which cloud partner best fits your needs, don’t underestimate the crucial importance of the support and services they make available. It’s the difference between a cloud partnership that takes your business to new levels and one that just adds to your daily hassles.
- Architectural alignment — One of the biggest considerations is whether to use a hyper-scale or traditional hosting model. Practically speaking, a hyper-scale provider requires users to be responsible for operational, day-to-day tasks, while hosting providers oversee the day-to-day management of the infrastructure elements. It’s up to you to decide which is a better fit for your technical team and business needs.
- Security and compliance — Data centers are a frequent target of malicious attacks, so it’s important to make sure that your cloud provider is prepared for every eventuality. This means everything from physical security and network threat recognition, to regular security audits to updated compliance certifications like HIPAA. Your data is your most valuable asset, so make sure it’s going to be treated that way.
- Support for data sovereignty and residency requirements — In tandem with security and compliance issues, data residency is another issue that frequently stalls cloud and hosting projects. The growth of “bring your own device” (BYOD), big data and cloud projects is dragging sensitive data to third-party clouds and data centers. This makes many business owners uneasy, which is why it’s so important to address the location of your data, the laws governing the export of data wherever it’s stored and the security and encryption of that data.
- Financial management — Traditional hosting companies typically offer a more basic cost scheme, based upon initial configurations with monthly utilization. This traditional model works well for companies with steady and predictable usage patterns. Hyper-scale cloud services, on the other hand, were built around granular per minute or hourly costs from their inception. Provisioning is primarily self-service and allows users to turn up server, storage and network services. This feature appeals to users who need to spin up environments in near real time and then turn them down when not needed. Consider your requirements to determine which model fits you – or if you want a mix of both.
- Cultural and strategic alignment — Cultural fit with your service provider is a key point that never receives enough attention in the RFP process. For nearly all enterprises, using a cloud or hosting provider is truly a new venture, one that requires extensive internal buy-in. For first-time cloud buyers, the ongoing degree of partnership is an unknown factor. Each provider engages and on-boards clients differently.
If you’re in the process of picking a cloud partner for your business, remember that no one becomes a cloud infrastructure expert overnight. But with a smart approach, you can make an informed decision that will lead to great results for your company.
Ultimately, remember that you will only achieve the higher-performance and lower-cost environments you are aiming for by choosing the provider that fits your needs and requirements best.
To learn more, visit us at here to receive our full white paper on selecting the right cloud partner today.