There’s no doubt about it – more and more companies are adopting public, private and hybrid cloud solutions, as well as embarking on digital transformation initiatives. In fact, according to Gartner, IT services will grow at 4.7 percent in 2019 thanks to digital transformation. But as many organizations have come to find out, selecting the right service provider is much spookier than anticipated. As we approach Halloween, here are the top three things to consider when selecting a cloud provider that won’t leave you wondering whether you’ll get a trick or a treat.
Trick – Don’t Settle for One-Size-Fits-All Cloud Services: If a cloud provider is pushing you into a general cloud model or service, without understanding your organization’s business needs, reconsider. Your organization’s storage needs are unique, so look for a provider that can work with you on a flexible, customized solution that can adapt to market changes and your company’s specific goals and requirements as they mature and change.
Treat – Transparent Pricing from the Beginning: Most public cloud services seem cost effective and affordable up-front, but many companies end up being blindsided by unexpected costs at the end of every month. That’s because many solutions make it very affordable to push stagnant data to the cloud, but very expensive to access and pull data from the cloud. Look for a service provider that delivers transparent pricing options before you sign on the dotted line.
Trick – Falling for the False Promise of Uptime: One of the highly-touted benefits of the cloud is data access anytime, anywhere. And while that’s true, organizations should be doing more than taking service providers at their word. By demanding better service-level agreements – ones that stipulate specific uptime requirements – you avoid the costs and headaches of not being able to access your data whenever you need it.
The cloud and digital transformation are still incredibly new initiatives for many organizations, but selecting the right service provider shouldn’t add to the fright of making the investment. At Markley, our team is committed to providing customized, transparent and reliable cloud, networking and data center services to every one of our customers. To learn more, reach out to our team of experts at info@markleygroup.com.
Happy Halloween!
