Cloud computing is changing how IT service is developed, deployed, scaled, maintained and paid for. Synergy research declared 2015 as “the year when cloud became mainstream” According to a research report by Synergy, from Q4 2014 to Q3 2015 cloud revenue has increased exponentially. Despite the proliferation of cloud usage, its full potential still remains relatively unexplored.
A cloud service partner can guide you through the limitless possibilities with cloud and can help you achieve the guaranteed efficiency effectively. Your cloud partner must be able to support you meticulously, following the SLAs from sales through service, which is not something every vendor can achieve. The right choice will mean a mutually beneficial partnership, while the wrong choice could mean a disaster.
Choosing a cloud service partner involves deeper considerations than selecting a standard vendor, as you will be putting entire aspects of your cloud business model in their hands. The inundation of new entrants in the market means that service partner has little to no experience in hosting or application delivery, thus raising concerns not only about their current service performance but also the ability to evolve their services to meet future needs.
What to look for in a Cloud Service Partner?
The primary challenge for the enterprise is to identify a cloud service partner with a portfolio that includes expertise in a full range of environments for its workloads. Also, the portfolio should extend beyond today’s vision and offer a foundation for your future cloud strategy. Specifically, look for the following characteristics:
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- Interoperability: To make the most out of cloud services, enterprises should select a partner that enables workloads to span across multiple environments.
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- Security: When a cloud service partner enters the cloud, you are entrusting the information with them. Businesses should make sure that the cloud service partner keeps security as a priority. Ensure that they build the cloud architecture for optimal protection, including measures to isolate enterprise workloads on physical servers, protections against Internet-borne attacks, and clear administrative access controls.
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- Cohesive and Dynamics Migration strategy: Is the cloud service partner’s cloud offering a hastily launched effort to survive the current momentum, or is it a diligently built foundation for future services? Cloud service partner that is committed to the transformational potential of the cloud will be able to articulate a clear vision of the future and will invest development resources to ensure they are leading—not following—the trends.
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- Experience: The cloud service partner should have a track record in managing enterprise data centers, providing secure hosting, and delivering mission-critical applications.
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- Flexibility: Just as different workloads are suitable for different environments, they also require different configuration and delivery parameters. As such, the cloud service partner should offer a menu or range of options related to performance, security, and resiliency, enabling the enterprise to select—and pay for—just the settings it requires for each workload.
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- Technical Expertise: Make sure your cloud solution partner offers a range of managed and professional services to help you develop a cloud strategy, migrate to the cloud, and maintain optimal cloud performance
The key to making this decision work is to forge effective partnerships.
Sysfore, a Microsoft Gold partner, uses leading network, technology, and service expertise to deliver our service anytime, virtually anywhere, quickly and efficiently. Contact one of our experts today and we will help you find the perfect solution for your business. Write to us at info@sysfore.com or give us a call at +91 (80) 4110 5555.