9 Things to Consider Before Switching to Cloud Computing

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE SWITCHING TO CLOUD COMPUTING For many positive reasons, cloud computing has caught the attention of many business owners. Unfortunately, literature on the subject is full of confusing and unfamiliar technical terms, such as multi-tenancy and virtualization, which make finding helpful information extremely difficult. While the cloud has revolutionsized the way we do business, it is important to understand some key issues and concerns before you invest in it. CLOUD COMPUTING HAS MANY BENEFITS Green Efficient Fast Less Expensive HOWEVER, THIS NEW PRACTICE DOES COME WITH SEVERAL PRIVACY AND SECURITY ISSUES, AND THE PROCESS OF MIGRATING DATA (MOVING DATA ONTO A CLOUD PLATFORM) CAN BE CONFUSING. To help you fully understand the process, the following checklist covers the major concerns and issues that you should consider when evaluating a cloud service ARE YOUR EXISTING APPLICATIONS READY FOR CLOUD COMPUTING? It is a good idea to carry out an assessment of your key applications to determine whether they are ready to run on the cloud. Do this in relation to various cloud options (i.e. private or public cloud) so that you can gauge each one's suitability. ACCESS AND OWNERSHIP OF YOUR DATA All data that you put into the cloud remains your own intellectual property The operating systems, applications, and hardware are owned by your provider. Your contract should allow you to access or export your data even after your subscription has ended. WHAT TECHNICAL SUPPORT WILL YOU RECEIVE? Cloud-based services are renowned for being easy to use. Nevertheless, you are likely to need technical support at some point. When considering a provider, ensure that the level of technical support you will receive is adequate for your needs. CHANGES IN DATA VOLUMES One key benefit of cloud computing is its flexible nature. You can get additional resources, like power or storage, as soon as you need them. However, the time it takes to move data grows with the storage size. Migrating 1TB, for example, takes a lot longer than moving 1GB. You may have to factor in : downtime while the data is moved. If you think that your data storage needs may change, look carefully at any agreements for clauses about data volume charges. Most cloud solutions base their pricing on the amount of data. COMPLIANCE When considering using a cloud service, you should compare the controls put in place by the cloud service provider with any other relevant regulations on your organization. To understand whether a provider is suitable, you will need to thoroughly review all of their service-level agreements and contracts. COST EFFECTIVENESS The cost of cloud application migration varies greatly depending on the cloud computing provider you choose. It is a good idea to carefully analyze the cost of moving each application compared to the return-on-investment you will get for moving it. Take operational expenditure, capital expenditure, and the overhead cost of data migration into account. STRATEGY Coming up with a solid strategy for moving your applications onto a cloud platform is important. It should detail how you will look at the various cloud computing options available, work out your priorities, and balance those priorities with the cost. The main choice is between public or private cloud infrastructures. You will need to weigh up possible benefits to your marketing strategy and business model against feasibility, security, and cost. 8, DEALING VWITH DOWNTIME Since cloud services are run by multiple data centers, they are able to guarantee almost 100% uptime. 99.9% O1l UPTIME Avoid any service that offers less than 99.9% uptime. Find out what strategies the service has put in place for dealing with downtime if it occurs. DATA MIGRATION Migration is the most important aspect of the service because it has a massive impact on the future efficiency and security of each application. You should expect a detailed time frame from your vendor. The more specific you are about your requirements, the more likely it is that data migration will be successful. ALL BUSINESSES SHOULD FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO CLOUD IMPLEMENTATION VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE THEY MAKE AN INVESTMENT. THE CLOUD IS ONLY AN ADVANTAGE IF THE RIGHT VENDOR IS CHOSEN AND THE CORRECT AGREEMENTS ARE PUT IN PLACE. OVelocity (866) 244-7601 @VelocityNet VelocityNS.com NETWORK SOLUTIONS %24