As more and more IT systems are being externalized, selecting the right cloud providers is crucial for long-term success. However, a considerable market exists, and a large number of businesses provide a wide range of services. Including giants of the industry like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google as well as smaller niche businesses offering specialized services. Cloud solutions companies in USA can provide the best services for your business.
So how can you pick the best cloud service out of all of them? A well-defined selection and procurement procedure that gives due consideration to your unique set of needs is the answer.
We have narrowed down the important elements into a clear list of 6 topics to consider.
CHOOSING A CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDER: WHAT TO DO?
USE THESE SIX KEY AREAS AS A GUIDE
The requirements you have and the evaluation standards you employ when choosing a cloud provider will be particular to your business. However, any evaluation of a service provider will often concentrate on a few key criteria.
To make it easier for you to evaluate vendors and choose a service provider who will give your business the value and advantages it expects from the cloud, we have divided these into 6 categories.
CERTIFICATIONS & STANDARDS
The adherence to industry best practices and standards is demonstrated by providers who follow recognized standards and quality frameworks. Although standards may not ultimately have an impact on the service provider you choose, they can be quite helpful in reducing the pool of potential suppliers.
TECHNOLOGIES & SERVICE ROADMAP
Numerous service providers provide comprehensive relocation services and even aid in the planning and assessment stages. Make sure you have a solid grasp of the support provided, connect it to the project's tasks, and select who will handle what. Service providers frequently have technical personnel on staff who can close gaps in your migration teams' skill sets.
To fill up the skills gaps, you might require additional third-party support from some large-scale public cloud providers, so ask the platform provider for a list of reputable partners with in-depth platform expertise and experience.
In accordance with your specific cloud plan, you might also wish to consider the whole range of services that providers can give. This is less critical if you intend to employ different best-of-breed services from a wide variety of providers, but if you prefer to use just a few major cloud service providers, it is crucial that they provide a decent selection of complementary services.
DATA GOVERNANCE AND SECURITY
It's possible that you already have a classification strategy in place that specifies the various data types according to their sensitivity and/or establishes guidelines for how the data should be stored. Knowing the legal or data privacy rules that apply to personal data is a minimum qualification. In light of this, the location in which your data is stored and the consequent local legislation to which it is subject may play a significant role in the decision-making process. If you have particular needs and obligations, you should search for service providers who provide you with a choice and control over the country where your data is kept, handled, and controlled.
Although cloud service providers should be open and honest about where their data centers are located, it is your job to do your own research.
Make sure you assess the cloud provider's data and system security levels, the sophistication of security operations, and the security governance systems on offer. The provider's information security safeguards should be openly risk-based and support your own security protocols.
SERVICE DEPENDENCIES & PARTNERSHIPS
Consider how the provided services might integrate into a larger ecosystem of complementary or supporting services. Do existing integrations with marketing and finance services exist when picking a SaaS CRM, for example? Exists a cloud marketplace for SaaS where users can purchase supplementary services that are already set up to seamlessly interface with one another on the same platform?
Any service dependencies and partnerships that are involved in the delivery of cloud services must be identified. Since SaaS companies commonly build their services on top of already-existing IaaS platforms, it must be clear how and where the service is being provided.
In general, be cautious when choosing service providers who have a lengthy list of subcontractors. especially when it comes to mission-critical corporate operations or information covered by data protection laws.
According to the Code of Practice, service dependencies must be explicitly explained, together with any implications for SLAs, accountability, and responsibility.
CONTRACTS, COMMERCIALS & SALES
The perceived complexity of cloud agreements is a result of a lack of industry standards for how they are created and explained. When describing SLAs in particular, many jargon-loving cloud firms still employ overly convoluted, or worse, intentionally misleading wording. The most recent version of the ISO standards for service level agreements, ISO/IEC 19086-1:2016, addresses this to some extent and provides a useful framework for evaluating provider agreements.
Generally speaking, contracts range from pre-written "terms and conditions" that are agreed upon online to individually drafted contracts and SLAs.
RELIABILITY & PERFORMANCE
Check to see if the service provider you choose has established, tested, and documented methods for dealing with both scheduled and unscheduled downtime. They should have procedures and plans in place that detail how they intend to get in touch with customers during times of disruption, including how to prioritize issues, communicate on time, and gauge their seriousness.
Be aware of the remedies and responsibility limitations offered by the cloud provider when service flaws emerge.
Rundown
These tips will help you in choosing the best cloud solutions company in the USA. As part of your assessment of potential providers, determine and validate the accreditations and standards they uphold as well as what their clients have to say about them in case studies and testimonials.
A clear exit strategy and avoiding proprietary technologies might help you prevent lock-in and save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Because they are your main method of assurance that the services will be given as agreed, take the time to construct useful SLAs and contractual conditions.
