A majority of organizations today work on the cloud, with more companies making the move to the cloud each day. If your organization is thinking of making the move to the cloud and looking for a potential cloud services provider, there are some specific qualifications you will want to vet.
If you are not sure where to begin, here are some recommendations of what to consider.
1. Security
Cloud security is one of the most important factors you should consider when selecting a partner. You’ll want to learn everything you can about a potential vendor’s security measures and the tactics they take to preserve your applications and data. In addition, make sure you understand what part of security the vendor is responsible for and what part you are responsible for if it doesn’t all fall onto one side.
2. Compliance
Different industries have different standards they must align with based on law or ordinance. For example, the healthcare industry is beholden to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), while other organizations, especially those who are in or do business in the European Union, must comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When you are selecting a cloud computing partner, you will need to ensure they can comply with any of these special laws that govern your industry. Some potential cloud computing vendors may have more experience or expertise working with different industries.
3. Architecture
As part of your vetting process, you’ll want to make sure that a potential cloud computing partner uses a platform or technology that aligns with your organization’s environment and that supports your objectives. Does the platform, for example, suit the size of your company’s workload or what you predict your future workload will be? There are some vendors out there that will help you complete that assessment for use and future use.
4. Migration
One of the biggest steps you’ll go through when working with a cloud computing provider is the migration process — the actual process of moving data, applications, or other business elements to the cloud computing environment. You’ll want to know how your potential vendors manage this process, how long it takes, and what kind of assistance they provide.
Selecting a cloud computing vendor is an important decision that can considerably impact any organization. You’ll want to get it right. That’s why it is important to be sure you know what to look out for.
Comments