What you should expect from your cloud provider

If you are currently in the process of choosing a cloud provider, you’re not alone. Many businesses are now actively addressing the challenges of moving to the cloud, not least because it offers greater flexibility, security and scalability for the future. Here we look at the various factors to take into account – because choosing the right cloud provider could be critical for future success.

What to look for

You will expect your cloud service provider to hold your data securely and ensure it is transferred safely. You’ll also expect the highest levels of uptime. But these are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s available.

Not all cloud providers are created equal so you should take your time to assess each proposition. It’s therefore vital to look for experts who can work with you to take you from where you are now to a new way of doing things that actively fits with how your business needs to operate going forwards.

Begin by defining your selection and procurement process and ensuring it is correctly weighted according to your unique set of needs. By clarifying your specific requirements and minimum expectations before assessing providers ensures you compare against your checklist, rather than one against the other.

Questions to ask when choosing a cloud provider

What specific cloud services do you offer?

There are different types of cloud services public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud – so you may need advice regarding which is right for your business. A reputable cloud computing provider will not only explain the services they offer, but they should also help you to determine which option would best meet the needs of your business.

Also consider which additional services your cloud provider can offer, such as backup and disaster recovery, managed patching services, telephony and connectivity, and cybersecurity solutions.

What certifications and compliance do you have in place?

Look for providers who comply with recognised standards and quality frameworks and adhere to industry best practice and standards. If security is a priority, look for providers who hold ISO 27001 accreditation or adhere to the UK government’s Cyber Essentials Scheme.

What is your approach to data governance?

Cloud service providers should be transparent about their datacentre locations but you should also take responsibility for finding this information out. This can be a key factor depending on any specific requirements and obligations you may have regarding the jurisdiction in which your data is stored, processed and managed. You should also look at data loss and breach notification processes and ensure they are aligned with your company risk appetite and legal or regulatory obligations.

What security operations and processes are in place?

Ensure you assess the cloud provider’s data and system security protocols, including the maturity of their security operations and governance processes. Delve into the risk profile and ensure their information security controls clearly support your own security policies and processes. It is also important to ensure user access and activity is auditable via all routes; you could even ask to see internal security audit reports, incident reports and evidence of remedial actions taken.

How does the technology and development roadmap look?

Check how well each providers’ platform and technologies align with your current environment and/or support your cloud objectives. Do the cloud architecture, standards and services suit your business workloads and management preferences? Will you have to undertake re-coding or customisation to make your workloads suitable for their platforms? Comprehensive migration services and assistance in the assessment and planning phases may be available so it’s worth asking each potential provider about this too.

Consider the financial perspective

You’ll clearly want to establish a solid relationship with your chosen cloud provider, so their financial health and stability is key. Do they have sufficient capital to operate successfully over the long-term? How well is this backed by their internal organisation, governance, planning and risk management operations?

Secondly, the initial and ongoing costs will clearly play a big part in selecting a cloud provider. Each one is likely to have their own unique bundle of services and pricing models. Typically, pricing variables are based on the period of usage with some providers allowing for ‘by-the-minute’ usage as well as discounts for longer commitments.

And it’s worth bearing in mind that opting for application architecture that allows you to scale different workload elements independently means you would have the flexibility to use your cloud resources more efficiently. Scalability is affected by the way your cloud service provider packages its services, so take time to check that your chosen provider meets your requirements for this.

Consider service levels, performance and reliability

There can be significant variation between cloud service providers in this respect, so take time to check whether the ones you’re considering offer ‘out of the box’ terms and conditions or an individually negotiated contract and Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Often, cloud agreements can seem complicated. Look for a clear definition of the service and deliverables and seek clarity on roles and responsibilities, including the split between you and the provider. How is service accessibility and availability managed and assured (maintenance, incident remediation, disaster recovery, etc.) – and how does this fit with your requirements?

Ultimately, SLAs should cover three major elements: service level objectives; remediation policies and penalties; and exclusions and caveats. As well as looking for terms which are relevant, explicit, measurable and unambiguous, also consider what is auditable. Issues should be clearly identifiable and resolvable, making clear by whom and in what time period. What compensation is available and what are the processes for logging and claiming? What is the scope of the SLA and what exclusions and caveats apply?

Check the performance of each cloud provider against their SLAs for the last 6-12 months. Some will publish this information – but if not, do ask as this should be supplied on request.

Lastly, be aware that downtime is inevitable and every cloud provider will experience it at some point. That said, you should expect cloud providers to guarantee at least 99.5% uptime – this is widely available across the sector.

Don’t forget support during migration and beyond

One of the key reasons to transition to a cloud-based environment is the expectation of lower operational costs through reduced infrastructure and servicing of hardware and software. Ideally your cloud partner will take on the responsibility of keeping the systems and software up to date, thereby freeing up your IT resources for greater focus on other strategic projects. This is where the concept of ‘support’ really delivers.

If you have a team of inhouse IT experts who are either skilled or experienced in cloud hosting, or have the time to dedicate to managing your hosted infrastructure, your need for support will be lower than if you have a smaller team - limited resource and skills will mean you will need to rely on the support services of your cloud provider even more.

When evaluating potential cloud partners, bear in mind that for some companies, the idea of providing support as part of a service contract simply means attempting to fix problems as they occur. Not all providers agree that support begins with the customer relationship and continues with a collaborative approach on an ongoing basis. Be clear on what support you are receiving when you sign up. Ultimately, try to avoid generic hosting solutions that are essentially based on a ‘one size fits all’ approach; instead look for a provider that actively gets to know the nuances of your business and can explain how they will support your unique requirements.

And finally…

• Consider both hard and soft factors in your assessment of possible cloud providers.
• Think about the longer-term implications – flexibility, along with a clear exit strategy will avoid a lot of headaches down the line.
• Take time to establish SLAs and contractual terms that work for your business as these are your main assurance that the service you expect will be delivered as agreed.

At Access, we can support your migration to the cloud from planning through to implementation and beyond, which is why we have a team of cloud transition specialists to guide you and your business through the process. Why wait? Book a call with one of our specialists today. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to transform the way your business works.