It is common knowledge that the Cloud is the future of business. Many have already moved to the Cloud and many others plan to at some point in the future. One of the major incentives for this move is the freedom from costly hardware. This requires finding a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) to host your virtual desktops or applications. This is the first blog in a multi-part series that will help you decide which host is right for you by helping you know which questions to ask.
Can the solution be configured? The correct answer is “Yes”. The CSP should be able to configure most every aspect of a virtual desktop or application to fit your needs. Additional resources can be added as needed with little to no down time. Users can be added or removed quickly and you only pay for what you need.
Is the contract flexible? Again, the answer should be “Yes”. One of the major selling points of the Cloud is the flexibility and this should also be present in your hosting contract. Your CSP should offer their services on a subscription basis and you pay a monthly bill like you would for any other utility. The contract should not lock you in for the long term and should allow for cancellation with a reasonable notification period.
These are the first questions that you should ask any potential CSP and if the answer to either is “No”, it is time to move on to the next candidate. Our next blog will talk about security and data ownership.
