Cloud computing makes commercial sense for many businesses today, but with so many providers offering cloud services, how do you decide which company is right for you? It is important to choose the right provider if you want to achieve a more cost-effective and agile infrastructure by streamlining your IT operations into the cloud.
With cloud computing service providers facing similar security issues as other types of organisations, you should first undergo due diligence in order to ensure that the company has the appropriate capability and expertise to deliver a secure and reliable cloud service. For your added peace of mind, this should then be committed to a tight SLA.
Successful cloud computing depends on your ongoing relationship with the cloud provider. Before selecting a cloud computing company, the following issues should be verified with short-listed providers:
- Strong encryption – will data be fully encrypted before it goes into the cloud?
- Robust application – essential for handling sensitive data
- Privileged user access – obtain as much information as possible about the people who will manage your data
- Regulatory compliance – is the service provider willing to undergo independent audits and security certifications?
- Data location – cloud computing providers should commit to storing and processing your data in specific jurisdictions in order to adhere to local data privacy requirements
- Data segregation – as data in the cloud is typically in a shared environment, enquire how your data will be segregated from other customers’ data
- Data access – can your data be retrieved quickly if needed?
- Disaster recovery – ensure the provider will replicate your data and application infrastructure across multiple sites
- Long-term viability – ensure your data will still be available even if the cloud computing provider ceases trading or is acquired by another company.
As an established cloud computing company, Optim IP follows best practices for delivering secure and resilient cloud services. Call us today to find out more.
