If you’re considering to support mission-critical applications into the cloud, you need to be adequately aware of the benefits of cloud hosting. One needs to understand that hosting the data and applications in the cloud is more secure and empowers one to access applications from wherever. In all probability, one needs to think about saving time by doing away with on-premise environments which can cause delays while managing workloads. Such situations call for a reliable cloud hosting provider that will help you migrate workloads on to the cloud.However, before you get a cloud hosting service, we believe it is a must to know some basics while selecting the right hosting provider that is most suited for your needs.
- How many customers does the provider cater to, at once?
We have this pegged at number one for a legitimate reason – your reputation. If you endorse a cloud provider to your customers, you’ve put your reputation on the line. Now, if your provider caters to a select few customers, no problem. But if he has a large number of clients, you need to know what kind of a bandwidth provision he has made for clients who have more requirements. Because this will decide whether the provider can serve you with total dedication or not.
Through experiences, a provider knows the scope of work and the importance of the tasks that they are undertaking. But it’s not true for every cloud hosting provider because each one gives a different bandwidth. So going ahead, do not be scared to pose this question since a cloud hosting provider is aware of the intriguing challenges that follow.
- How do they handle support?
Furthermore, if you continue running into an issue, you have to ensure that there is a strong security net set up. So how would you know about this? Ask the provider whether they potentially offer each help 24x7x365? Is it U.S. /country-based? Is there a strategy for a particular region? What are the communication channels available – email, talk? These questions are good to begin with so that you get a clear picture. - What is the server uptime provided?
Cloud hosting providers need to have an awesome degree of high uptimes and a low degree of downtime. A good hosting provider will offer 99.999% uptime with no organized downtime. Just imagine what downtime could do to your business in, say, late-March or early April. Such events have a gigantic potential impact on your ability to profit your clients or your keep up your business. Hence, you’ll have to ensure that the provider you trust, must know how to host fundamental applications with best in class reliability.4. What kind of a backup policy do they have?
Data backup should be a must when it comes to hosting providers. So what should be the period for which your data should be held in case of a problem? 30 days? 60 days? Some providers are known to hold longer than that. In the same manner, if the worst comes to worst, you require your data restored from a fortification. Hence, put this in your list of to-dos going ahead.
Which applications do they support?
Your applications are the ones that make or break it for your business right? But what gives you a clear competitive edge is when they are compatible with your cloud hosting provider’s environment as well. It’s the method by which you leverage your clients or how you keep the pulse of the financials for your business.
Last but not the least
It may not sound very important, but if your cloud applications can supervise costs, track specialist time, pay bills, manage stock, or administer client associations – chances are that your cloud provider knows how to make space for them as well. So make sure that you allow the provider to host these as well. It is inevitably you who will be at an advantage (along with your customers of course) if you follow these tips while choosing a cloud hosting provider.
