Transferring your business operations, emails, and document storage to the cloud can reduce operation costs, streamline workflow, and eradicate the need for an in-house IT infrastructure and personnel, according to https://dade2.net/.
A good cloud hosting provider will facilitate remote employee collaboration, reporting and ensure secure access to business information. With cloud hosting services, the business can focus on core business activities and let the cloud hosting provider handle troublesome IT services. But how do you find the best cloud hosting provider to reap these benefits? Here are tips when selecting a cloud service provider:
1. Know Your Cloud Needs
Before choosing a cloud hosting provider, it is essential to know your business needs. Every business has different cloud computing needs. Knowing your needs will save you money and ensure smooth operation.
For instance, if you need cloud storage only, there is no need to pay for other cloud computing needs such as web hosting, infrastructure for IT networking, virtual servers, and much more. In addition, knowing your needs makes it easy to shortlist which cloud hosting providers to work with. For instance, if you need storage services only, you can choose to use Dropbox. On the other hand, if you need sophisticated cloud computing services, you can opt for Amazon Web Services or IBM SmartCloud Enterprise, among others.
2. The Safety of the Cloud Service
When it comes to running a business, data security is critical. With cloud services, you will be storing most, if not all of your business data in the cloud. You could also be running applications on the cloud, or have dedicated servers for your business. Therefore, it is important to know their security infrastructure when choosing a cloud computing service provider. Only work with a cloud service provider that has the best security measures such as firewalls, anti-virus detection, routine security audits, data encryption, and recovery.
3. Where is the Data Center, and Is It Secure?
All cloud hosting providers have a data center. Therefore, it is important to know the location of the data center. Be sure you are not dealing with a provider with a data center in a basement that can flood anytime or get broken into by thieves! Also, ensure your provider has power backup, and if you are into green living, you can insist on sustainability. Always check ISO27001 certification before working with any cloud services provider. The certification is proof of security compliance.
4. How Prolific are Downtimes?
While downtimes are sometimes unavoidable, you must check the reputation of your service provider regarding downtime. If they always have downtime, avoid them and look for a different provider. Downtime can adversely affect your business. In addition, check how responsive the company you are to hire restores or communicates when this happens.
5. Service Accessibility
One advantage of cloud hosting is the ability to access your data any time, anywhere. Therefore, before you decide to work with a specific cloud hosting provider, know how you will access your data and whether you can access it from any location. You should be able to sign in from any device anywhere, anytime, as long as you are connected to the internet.
6. What is the Pricing Structure?
Like when shopping for any other product or service, you must consider cloud hosting costs. Look at the packages being offered and compare them with different providers. However, ensure you compare the same package to get the best of your money. Remember that the most expensive company is not always the best and vice versa. Go for a package that suits your needs at a price your business can afford.
