Whilst uptime and performance are obvious important considerations, levels and standard of support should be looked at too.
Having access to high-quality support and lines of communication with engineers in the data centre environment can be critical in order to solve performance and availability problems within the shortest possible times, especially if you don’t have the time, resources or in-house expertise to manage a complex cloud environment effectively.
Before you sign a contract with your chosen provider, make sure that they have been clear on the support process. What are the SLAs? How long are you likely to have to wait for help? Will the business know and understand your cloud environment? It can be frustrating to have to explain the ins and outs of your business to an unfamiliar support person in a time of crisis.
This is where the smaller cloud providers often have the advantage. Because they are smaller, they often work on a more one-to-one basis with their customers so it’s more likely that you’ll have conversations with the same key consultants every time you get in touch for assistance.
Try to find out what sort of help will be available to you during the migration process. Many IaaS solutions are very much self-service, which is perfect if you have the in-house skills available to set-up and managed your cloud platform, but if you’re not 100% comfortable or familiar with this degree of control, you should look for a provider that offers extra support during the on-boarding process.
Is support included? Some cloud providers charge a significant premium for support on top of their core service costs, whereas others include support in the original price tag. Make sure you’re clear on how this will work, and what the costs will be so that you can work out what the implications are for TCO and ROI.
We work hard to ensure that every customer gets a level of support to suit their individual business needs and deliver a smooth transition to the cloud. If a customer is a first-time cloud user and needs additional support to get up and running, we’ll help them get to grips with our tools and understand how our cloud can underpin their business objectives. This translates into happier and more successful customers in the long run.
If you put in the legwork and research first and find a cloud partner that can really help you drive your business forward, you will benefit in the long run from bespoke, tailored and quality advice and support from a partner that truly understands your business and your growth strategies. Look for a cloud partner, rather than a supplier to create a strong working relationship that will stand the test of time.