Choosing to migrate your business’s data and applications to the Cloud is not an issue to consider lightly. It is, however, a decision that typically saves companies money, improves their security, and increases productivity.
Selecting the right Cloud Service Partner is an essential first step. It’s important to understand that providers may offer different features, so understand what’s important to you and how the various features impact you.
At a high level, be sure to ask for a complete list of what is and is not included in your agreement. Below are 12 questions we recommend asking your Cloud Service Provider before signing on the dotted line.
- Where is our data stored?
- What security measures are in place to protect our data?
- How are costs calculated (by resource utilization or user)?
- How often are backups performed?
- What is the disaster recovery plan in the event of a disaster?
- How do I get my data back if I want to move to a new provider?
- Do you offer real-time monitoring, security updates, and patching?
- What redundancy is in place for power, internet, network, and servers?
- What is your SLA in the event of an outage?
- Can I increase or decrease my capacity and services as needed?
- Is there a limit to the amount of data I can store?
- Do you provide IT support if I have a problem accessing data?
Remember, knowledge is power! There are many benefits associated with cloud computing, and cloud service providers offer a vast array of options, so it’s important to understand your business’ needs and ask in-depth questions. Contact your Managed Service Provider to help you get the process started. They can help you make some of the more complex decisions and may even provide a Cloud solution that meets your needs.
If you’re not sure where to start, contact an ACT specialist today. We’re happy to answer your questions and guide you in the right direction.