As IT continues to move farther into the cloud, having the right cloud support services in place will become an increasingly important goal for business leaders. Choosing a cloud support provider isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. You need to make sure your data will be secure and your cloud services will integrate as seamlessly as possible with your existing technologies.
As you shop around for cloud support services, here are three essential questions to ask:
1. Where will my data be stored, and what happens when I delete it?
As a business leader, you are ultimately responsible for the stewardship of your data, even when it resides in the cloud. Therefore, the first thing you should know about any cloud support provider is the physical location where your data will be stored. Additionally, it’s important that you are aware of any backups made. While backups can be an important security measure in terms of preventing data loss, you need to be assured that when you do need to delete your data, someone else won’t be holding onto a copy of it.
2. Who can see my information?
Most cloud services are offered on a shared-server basis, which means multiple clients’ information is stored on a single physical server. This helps keep costs down and makes the services more environmentally friendly. However, it’s important to ask about the measures your provider uses to keep your data separate from that of other clients and prevent your information from falling into the wrong hands. (Or, alternatively, you can opt for non-shared cloud services, which are more expensive but still cost-effective for many businesses.)
3. How easy will it be to migrate my data to another CSP?
Before locking yourself into cloud support services, make sure you have an escape hatch. If, for whatever reason, you decide not to continue with your current provider, you need to ensure your data can be easily moved to another cloud support provider. Shuttling data between providers is becoming an increasingly necessary capability, and some companies are better at it than others.
Got more questions about cloud support services? Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to answer them for you.
[ Photo by: ryanmilani, via CC License ]
