The cloud offers IT resources and infrastructure that’s cost-effective, scalable, and accessible from any network-enabled device. With the right provider, you’ll be able to unlock these benefits and more. It’s therefore important to thoroughly research cloud service providers and ask the right questions before signing the dotted line.
If you’re looking for a cloud service provider, asking the six questions below will help you find one that meets your technical and business requirements.
What types of cloud services do you provide?
Before anything else, be sure to ask your cloud service provider about the types of cloud solutions they offer. This ensures their offerings and support services align with your business needs.
Most cloud providers typically have three main types of cloud computing services:
- Public cloud services, such as AWS or Azure, offer scalability and cost-effectiveness by sharing resources among multiple users.
- Private clouds, a solution that dedicates infrastructure to a single client, provide heightened security over data. Due to offering a greater level of control over one’s data, however, private cloud solutions are generally pricier than the public cloud.
- Hybrid clouds offer the flexibility of public cloud services with the customizability of private cloud setups. This enables your organization to thoroughly secure sensitive data in the private cloud whilst taking advantage of the public cloud’s on-demand scalability.
It’s also important to inquire about your provider’s customer support services, ensuring that their response time, availability, and resolution time is suited to your expectations.
What are your service level agreements?
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract that defines the minimum performance standards a cloud service provider can guarantee. These agreements outline crucial factors such as uptime, response times, and data security, making them essential in ensuring business continuity and performance reliability.
Before signing a contract with your cloud service provider, be sure to inquire on their SLAs to gain insight into the level of service you can expect from them. This will help you make more informed decisions and establish transparency between you and your provider. It also provides a framework for accountability, offering assurance that they’re committed to maintaining a high standard of service delivery.
How flexible are your services?
Flexible cloud services offer the adaptability needed for a growing business with evolving needs. The ability to scale resources up or down in response to changing demands can help you ensure optimal performance and cost efficiency.
Inquire about the provider’s flexibility, focus on scalability, customizable service plans, and ability to adapt to technology advancements. Ask questions like “Can I easily upgrade or downgrade storage, computer power, and other features?” and “How does your service accommodate sudden spikes in usage?” These questions will help you find a provider that can help you optimize costs while maintaining operational agility.
What are your backup and recovery procedures?
A reliable backup and recovery process can enforce business continuity and data integrity. In the case of unexpected disasters such as data breaches or system failures, these procedures function as an effective failsafe in protecting your business, customers, and sensitive information.
By inquiring about your cloud provider’s backup and recovery protocols, you can gain a sense of how quickly and reliably they’ll restore your data in the case of an incident. Consider posing questions about data redundancy, frequency of backups, and the restoration process, helping you gain insight into the provider’s commitment to data security and resilience.
Where and how will you store our data?
Asking your cloud service provider about the location and storage of your data is crucial for compliance and data security. This can be especially important among industries with strict regulatory requirements, such as those in finance or healthcare. Cloud providers with secondary or “fallback” data centers are essential, as they offer an extra layer of security to ensure continuity in the face of unexpected breaches or outages.
Additionally, inquire about your provider’s security measures, security team, and history in dealing with cybersecurity issues. Knowing how your data is protected against unauthorized access can offer a clear picture of your provider’s commitment to ensuring the protection and confidentiality of your sensitive data.
What is your pricing structure?
Finally, understanding your cloud provider’s pricing structure can help with budgetary planning and avoiding unexpected costs. The most common pricing structures include pay-as-you-go subscription models, which charge based on actual usage of computing resources, the number of users, or features requested. Some may offer tier-based pricing, which are flat subscription fees that offer increasingly advanced features as you move up the pricing tiers. There may also be cloud pricing plans that allow you to commit to a certain level of usage in exchange for discounted rates.
Clarifying the pricing structure not only ensures transparency, but also helps you meet your technical requirements while fitting neatly within your budgetary constraints. It also allows you to assess the total cost of ownership and compare providers effectively.
Shopping around for the right cloud service provider? Reach out to our experts at outsourceIT today and discover the best cloud computing solutions tailored to your business needs.
