5 Key Questions to Ask Cloud Computing Solution Providers

Solutions Review lists the five questions you need to ask cloud computing solution providers when you’re evaluating platforms. For five key cloud computing questions to ask yourself, consult our Buyer’s Guide for Cloud Managed Service Providers.

Cloud-based products and solutions have become more advanced over the past decade, featuring broader scale and expanded possibilities. Cloud services vendors are pushing out cloud solutions and services for technologies in a wide breadth of verticals and industries, and hyper-scale cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform continue to extend their platforms to create an all-in-one enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure.  

To help you evaluate prospective cloud computing solutions, these are five cloud computing questions to ask solution providers during product evaluation. If you find these questions helpful, check out our Buyer’s Guide which features five more questions to ask yourself, a comprehensive overview of the market, and full, one-page profiles of the top-22 offerings, as well as our ‘Bottom Line’ analysis.

5 Key Questions to Ask Cloud Computing Solution Providers

How can my business add cloud services?

You may enter into an agreement with a managed service provider to fulfill a single goal, but then end up wanting more down the line. Many enterprises think that they just need help migrating their data and applications onto the cloud, but later realize they want to add automation to their workloads. Since your initial agreement will only cover the services you start with, understanding how adding services affects your partnership in terms of cost and support is crucial.

What security services does the managed service provider deliver?

When you incorporate a managed service provider into your cloud deployment, you need to make sure they have strong security systems to keep your data safe. Every service provider should have native security protocols and strategies in place to protect your cloud environment from both internal and external security threats. This also applies to data compliance; a managed service provider should disclose any and all data regulations that they are able to comply with.

Does the service provider support hybrid cloud/multi-cloud?

Many organizations are designing hybrid cloud and multi-cloud infrastructures, and you need to make sure that your potential managed service providers support these deployments. Some providers only support one public cloud vendor, while others manage multiple cloud providers; some are able to manage your on-prem infrastructure in addition to your cloud. Knowing what an MSP supports upfront will help you determine which providers will work for your enterprise.

Is the service provider likely to grow in the immediate future?

The cloud managed services market is still in its relative infancy, which means that many managed service providers are likely to expand their business within the next few years. As providers continue to grow, businesses need to know what their potential managed service providers currently offer, what services they plan to offer in the future, and when they intend to deploy them. Knowing a service provider’s roadmap allows you to know what they can and can’t provide immediately

How easy is it to switch cloud managed service providers?

You might find after working with a managed service provider for a while that they just aren’t right for you. It happens more often than you think, but if you don’t plan for this scenario beforehand, the cost of moving from one provider to another could be high. MSPs should outline an exit strategy in their service level agreement (SLA). This will let you know how the service provider will assist your enterprise in successfully transitioning away from their services