There are many cloud software migration service providers in the market. Some well known and some not so much. All of them provide unique advantages, but how do you narrow down on a single cloud service provider? In this article, we walk you through how to choose a cloud service provider.

Certifications

A cloud service provider’s certifications demonstrate their skill and adherence to leading practices in the industry. They can be immensely useful for shortlisting service providers who meet your business needs. For example, if security is of prime importance to you, then you could narrow down on cloud service providers who have ISO 27001 certifications.

Cloud architecture

Different cloud service providers provide different cloud architectures. Some of them may not align with your business requirements. For this reason, you must look into:

• What type of services the service provider offers;
• How their infrastructure handles workloads;
• What Operating Systems (OS) they support and;
• How easy it is to manage your account on their platform.

Data security

Next, evaluate the cloud service provider’s levels of information security and how they operate. This is a point that major technology migration services stress. Make sure the cloud platform captures all access data via all channels. That is, it should be able to track IP addresses and authenticate access for authorized users only. Furthermore, check how compliant their resources are.

Contracts

Cloud agreements can be lengthy and filled with unnecessarily difficult-to-understand jargon. However, it is immensely important that you carefully go through it. Smaller service providers are more inclined to negotiate and agree to your terms. This may not be the case with bigger players in the industry. Check if the agreement correlates with the objectives of your business.

Pricing

Finally, you will need to take the pricing of cloud service providers into account. The most popular pricing model is the pay-as-you-go model. It allows you to scale up or scale down the resources you want to use at any time. And the price you pay for the service changes according to that. This is the safest pricing model. Ensure that your cloud service provider offers it.

Conclusion

Migration to new technology, especially a new cloud service provider is a long-term commitment. It is crucial to choose the right service provider whose architecture and goals align with yours. By putting the above-mentioned points into effect, you can choose the best service provider.

Even then, it can get confusing. For that reason, our cloud experts at SmartPoint can help you not only find which CSP would suit you the best, but also help you migrate your data and applications. Want to leverage the benefits of the cloud in your business? Contact us to know more.