7 Factors to Help You Choose the Right Cloud Service Provider

Technology

Businesses today are dependent on the cloud. With digital transformation, cloud services have emerged as paramount to support infrastructure, including storage, databases, networking, etc. Most cloud service provider offers flexible services and supports a pay-as-you-use model, thus providing cost-efficient solutions. In recent times, cloud services have accelerated to enable effective remote working. By 2026, it is predicted that public cloud spending will exceed almost 45% of all IT spending.

How to choose the right cloud service provider (CSP)?

Picking the best cloud service provider can be a challenging task as there are many players in this field, and most of these offer almost similar features. But, in-depth analysis will help you understand the difference between various cloud service providers. Moreover, your specific business requirements and the minimum expectations will help you assess the right cloud service provider.

To help make your decision easier, we have created a cloud adoption guide, relating in terms of features, pricing, security, and various other factors. All these aspects will guide you to make an informed decision.

Data Security

Security is one of the most important considerations when choosing the right cloud service provider. Research that the service provider meets all the strict security standards and prioritizes security among their most significant features. They must be compliant with data security standards like the ISO 27000 Series.

Moreover, if you hold your data within a particular geographic region then recheck with your cloud service provider, as different local laws may apply for data compliance. Ensure the security of the cloud regarding the jurisdiction where your data is stored, processed, and managed.

Adaptability

Another consideration while narrowing your choice is that a good cloud service provider should be adaptable to your infrastructure requirements. These include various types of business hardware and software, ensuring cloud computing benefits in real time. While selecting a cloud service provider, check if they are adaptable to the varying behavior of components in your list created.

Try to hire an adaptable cloud service provider who understands your requirements along with your infrastructure and offers solutions in relation, while not making a compromise with business continuity. Conceptualizing the benefit of infrastructure, in the long run, is one of the strong attributes of a good cloud service provider.

24/7 Support

Your cloud service provider must offer 24/7 monitoring and all-time support. System monitoring and direct access to technical support around the clock is the most desirable feature a service provider must offer.

There are some providers who charge for aftercare customer services. So, it is essential that you make sure about support policies in advance, especially when you are migrating critical business services. Enquire about the response time and confirm communication channels that include live chat, phone calls, emails, and others.

Check BCDR

BCDR stands for Business Continuity and Disaster recovery. As the name suggests, it is the service provider's capacity to restore hosting service once an interruption has occurred due to a disruptive event such as a natural calamity. The cloud service providers must be able to recognize and mitigate the risks that might obstruct a business process and must be capable of establishing methods to reduce them further.

Other variables for BCDR requirements include data replication at multiple points and infrastructure redundancy at different levels. These all are standard components of most CSPs and must be included in their fees.

Price Structure

Another important component to check with your CSP is their price. Every cloud provider has different pricing tiers, and often include:

• Pay-as-you-use: Here you are allowed to pay what you use without paying a high amount as an up-front cost.
• Reserved: You can also pay in yearly increments with an upfront cost based on your estimated usage.
• Volume Discounts: Get a discount on your volume usage as your company grows. You can even buy in advance based on your previous year's usage and your forecasts and receive a good discount.

Assistance in Transition

There are many chances, that you are working on the desktop version and considering a change in hosting providers. In this scenario, the assistance provided by your cloud service provider becomes crucial. Data migration along with cloud application deployment are two important considerations that the hosting company should be able to perform for you and should not demand any extra charges for these services.

Scalability

It is important to scale a business as it grows. Your cloud service provider should offer scalability as and when your business requires it. If your service provider has bottlenecks and has a limit, you will be forced to switch your provider, which may be difficult many times.

Conclusion

Why Choose eComStreet as Your Cloud Service Provider

eComStreet is a one-stop solution for your business’s digital transformation and offers superior customer support. We have a demonstrated track record of providing customers with high-quality services and offering long-term value for our customers.