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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital transformation process has sped up, increasing the reliance of businesses on cloud abilities. Over 90% of businesses have seen an increase in cloud adoption because of the pandemic. Such shifts facilitated remote work, serving the rising needs for customized customer experience, and improving system reliability. That’s why modern businesses count on different managed cloud service providers to support IT infrastructures (storage, software, database, and servers) and improve their flexibility, scalability, performance, innovation, and cost efficiencies.
For many businesses, selecting the best-managed cloud service provider for efficient data storage and IT infrastructure management is a challenging process. It is because many managed cloud service providers claim to offer exclusive services. So, in this blog, let us find out how to find the best cloud partner and vital questions to ask them before hiring.
Benefits of Hiring Cloud-Managed Service Providers
In the cloud-dominated marketplace today, businesses are under rising pressure to embrace cloud computing technology and adopt digital transformation to be highly competitive. They turn to cloud service providers that can assist them in navigating the cloud computing complexities while guaranteeing the effectiveness and robustness of IT infrastructure. The managed cloud service providers provide many benefits beyond in-house, robust IT management, adding to the success and growth of businesses.
Below are some astonishing benefits you can get when you hire a cloud service provider:
- You may save time, effort, and money on hiring in-house specialists.
- Processes are managed by skilled cloud professionals.
- Scale upward or downward according to the changing needs of your business.
- Get complete access to the latest technologies and leading-edge applications.
- Most cloud service providers are subscription-based; therefore, you can expect the amount that you spend every month.
- You get regular maintenance and automatic updates on your IT system.
Questions You Should Ask When Hiring A Cloud Managed Service Provider
When you embark on the journey to locate the best-managed cloud service provider, assessing the prospective provider with the correct questions can uncover valuable insights. So, we will offer you the questionnaire that can help you employ a managed cloud service provider who aligns with the goals and needs of your business:
What Kind of Services Are Offered by You?
Whether you are a business or a software development company Toronto, ask the provider if they offer the particular services your business requires, like monitoring, scalability, security, network management, and data backup. A complete range of services guarantees that the chosen service provider meets your changing needs. Just because you do not need a specific service at that time does not mean that you won’t need it later.
How Do You Guarantee Data Security?
Even a minor security breach can prove to be catastrophic, getting your whole business working to a standstill. Therefore, before signing an agreement with a cloud service provider, check their approach to the client’s data security. Do they apply data encryption? How do they track and respond to any threats? Do they have HIPAA, ISO 27001, and other compliances?
Do You Have Service-Level Agreements?
It is another vital question to ask. Service Level Agreements are contracts between the user and the provider defining the service level that the cloud service provider will offer and their assured response times. If they fail to offer the level of services that they assured, it makes the agreement void, like free service or refund.
What is Your Support and Communication Model?
24/7/365 support isn’t a trend. It has now become a necessity. Before you select a managed cloud service provider, make sure that it provides responsive support for emergencies and issues. Inquire about their average response times and communication modes to know their dedication to customer services. When you hire mobile app developers NYC, you can ask them also about the chosen service provider as they generally know most cloud service providers.
What Team Structure Do You Have?
Ask the cloud-managed service provider to offer insights into their team- the team’s experience, the cloud experts who will work on your project, the tech stack that will be used by them, and more. Understanding such elements will tell you how the service provider is efficient in handling the cloud requirements.
Do You Offer Regular Maintenance and Updates?
It is another vital question to ask the provider before signing a contract. Find if the provider serves the need for regular maintenance and updates to guarantee that your IT infrastructure remains updated with the industry trends. All reputed cloud service providers regularly manage and review your system. They also ensure to offer maintenance when they detect any vulnerabilities.
Can You Offer References?
There can be no better means to guarantee the credibility of the selected managed service provider than getting references from their previous clients and checking their testimonials. Ask them about client references and. Call them to check their satisfaction rate. In case the service provider hesitates to provide previous clients’ references, you should move to another option because this can be a red flag.
What Offboarding Process Do You Follow?
It is an often overlooked question when looking for the best cloud service provider. Your business will need changes over time. The capability of the provider will have to change to meet those requirements. You don’t want to be stuck with a specific provider who doesn’t meet your growing needs. Having an obvious exit strategy indicates an honest agreement.
If your selected cloud-managed service provider manages to offer satisfactory replies to all these questions, it is a green signal that you can sign a contract with the interviewed candidate.
Also Read: How to Develop Mobile Apps?
