In today’s digital era, cloud computing has completely transformed our ideas related to storing, processing and managing data and apps, as nowadays all the resources can be accessed easily while being in any corner, eliminating the need for being dependent on local servers or personal computers. Considering the benefits, businesses without any delay have started to rely completely on the services of cloud server providers for the purpose of storing and managing their data.
Businesses of all sizes be it a startup or an established enterprise, are provided with a wide range of services such as support for the infrastructure and platform for software application and other storage solutions. Not only this, these services have in fact helped businesses with their advanced security mechanisms along with streamlining their operations. Have you ever thought about how the reliance on cloud server providers mushroomed in such a short span of time? Well, the answer is global pandemic, which brought the digital transformation in the whole world leading almost all the organisations to show their preference towards cloud services in order to support telecommuting.
Without such a profound rise in the web server provider services, the market has become vast with an umpteenth number of cloud storage solutions providers offering a broad range of services. However, with such a vast availability, how will you make sure to choose the right cloud server provider for your needs? Well, there are multiple factors to consider such as their services, security, reliability and much more before making any decision and in this blog, we will discuss all the factors important for making a wise decision but before that it is important to understand what cloud services are.
Understanding Cloud Server Provider Services
These are the services that run in a cloud computing environment and are usually delivered to the users on demand. Unlike traditional servers, services are also provided remotely allowing users to have easy access to all the resources while being in any corner of the world. There are no restrictions to the location of cloud servers as these can be located anywhere by the cloud server providers and will perform all the functions of the traditional servers, storing data and running applications for instance.
Steps to Consider to Choose the Right Cloud Server Provider
Evaluating Your Needs
Before selecting any of the providers for your business, you must analyse your business needs. Without a iota of doubt, it is important for you to be completely aware of your requirements and what are your minimum expectations. In short, it can be said that it is crucial to compare the provider against your checklist, so that you can make a better decision for yourself or your business.
When you will be completely aware of all your management requirements be it technical, service, security or data governance, you will be able to evaluate the potential managed server provider services. All your configuration needs, required work along with the help you need from your provider will be determined by the cloud server provider chosen by you while transferring apps and workloads to the cloud.
Scalability
The cloud server provider should always offer scalable services as it is one of the important features helping you adjust resources as per your changing needs and this feature should be provided by every server management services provider, as if services are not scalable, you would not be able to meet the varying needs of your business or may end up paying more. With the feature of scalability, you will just need to pay for the resources you are using, so always try to shortlist those who offer scalability as their key feature.
Types of Scaling
- Vertical: Where you can allocate and deallocate resources while handling the difficult tasks.
- Horizontal: Getting computing resources distributed efficiently in order to deal with multiple tasks.
- Global: For multiple virtual machines in distinct areas across the globe.
Certifications and Standards
Never forget to check your provider’s certifications and standards as it will help you analyse whether the provider is right for you or not. You have to make sure whether the provider is meeting all the industry standards and complying with stringent regulations or not. As all the industries and regions have their own unique requirements when it comes to compliance standards and regulations, you should start with those regulations which are required for your own business.
Security and Compliance
As safety of the data should be top priority of every server management service provider, you should always make sure that your service provider offers advanced safety and security measures, helping you safeguard your data and files from any of the illegal accesses, data breaches or other cyber attacks. Checking the security measures followed by your provider will provide you a real insight into the services of your web server providers.
The security mechanism should include:
- Data Encryption.
- Security Audits so that activity of the user can be tracked via the logs.
- Proper physical security, including CCTV surveillances and guards.
- Identity and Access Management Control (IAM).
- Security monitoring tools.
Data Backup and Recovery
One of the most important features of any ISP is providing data backup and recovery solutions, as it is required to keep continuity and avoid disruptions in the business operations in cases of disasters be it natural like earthquake etc or manmade like cyberattacks. So, your provider should always offer-
- Data backup solutions.
- Policies regarding data retention for the faster recovery of the data.
- Recovery time objective and Recovery point objective (RTO and RPO). These are basically the standards which are used to check the time spent while recovering from the incident.
Cost and Pricing
Although it is not advisable to choose the cheapest option available as there may be some loopholes in that. So choose the provider which ensures affordability without any compromises with the quality. Look for the providers offering a pa-as-you-go model, as over there you will just be paying for the resources you use.
Customer Support
Although each one promises to offer the best services, there are certain times when things go wrong and to be honest, we cannot blame the services of any of the providers because technical issues can occur any time. However if such a thing happens, have you thought, what will you do? Only one answer comes to the mind of everyone that is seeking help from cloud server providers customer support but getting this would only be possible if your cloud storage solutions provider offers round the clock customer support services, so that you can be provided with the immediate assistance without any disruption in your operations.
Selecting the Cloud server provider which offers all the above mentioned services and fulfils all the criterias is crucial for every business to ensure efficiency and improved performance. We, at Velosting ensure that customers are provided with scalability, security, affordability and improved performance, helping them achieve their goals. So, take your time and evaluate all the necessary criteria’s before making any informed decision. If you have any doubts regarding cloud services, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
