Modern businesses have changed dramatically over the last few years. Regardless of size, there are fundamental changes that affect almost all organisations. Traditionally restricted by geographic location, building and time zones, businesses of all sizes now demand and require, access to data regardless of these restrictions.
Cloud computing is sometimes portrayed as the answer to many of these challenges.
Businesses have looked to take advantage of cloud services to become more flexible in their operations and save on in house hardware costs. Some companies have been able to migrate fully to SaaS (Software as a Service) based platforms, others have taken a hybrid approach and moved certain systems into the cloud, such as accounts, file sharing and backups.
However, with all its benefits, there are pitfalls with cloud computing and some businesses have not been aware of these before adopting the services. Key areas that need to be considered before buying into a cloud service are:
Security
Data Location
System Management
Cost
Security
Slick marketing campaigns can give the impression that a vendor has a watertight platform that is completely resilient to hacking and data theft. However, it’s clear that as more data is put into the cloud, the determination by hackers to access this data has increased.
The gap in security mechanisms between consumer and business-grade products has reduced in recent years. But a company must understand how a cloud vendor protects its data and there should be additional, enterprise grade measures in place for companies.
There are two basic layers of security that need to be protected. The physical layer (building(s) data is stored in, access control, system hardware, resilience to natural disasters etc..) and the virtual layer (servers, desktops, software services, backups etc..). A thorough analysis of any solution being adopted into enterprises needs to be carried out, prior to signing any agreements.
Data Location
In its simplest form, the “cloud” is just someone else’s computer/server, somewhere. Some businesses must adhere to strict compliance and regulation. Usually, this means that data stored needs to be within a geographically accepted region. This could be a broad as Europe but may have to be narrowed down to a specific country.
Check contracts carefully as you may agree to terms that allow data to be moved out of a specific region or sovereign state for operational purposes. Don’t skim over the small print but study it carefully.
If you don’t want to partner with one of the larger cloud providers, then select a smaller specialist vendor that can provide a country/region-specific environment and the potential to “see” your data in situ, in a datacentre.
System Management
How much access do you have to your environment? Will this be co-managed with the vendor and your IT department?
Many providers will aim to deliver a service that is as hands-off as possible for the end client. Whilst this is an understandable stance it may be that your organisation requires more granular access to the administrative side of the platform. It is worth discussing with your provider options to co-manage the system.
If you have an in-house IT department, they may well be able to take on some of the smaller administrative tasks such as deploying new desktops. There may also be a cost-saving if your IT provider can take on some of the support associated with the system. If, however, you do choose to have your system completely managed, make sure you have looked over the SLAs to ensure any service will be responsive. Check the hours the vendor's admins work. Are they available 24/7 365?
Cost
There is a real possibility that cloud-based services can save your business some cost. It’s important to do a cost analysis to determine how these potential savings will be realised. For example, it may be attractive to take on a cloud platform if you are looking to renew hardware to maintain an on-premise version.
But look ahead over the next five years and assess if you will genuinely save money. It’s better to look at a cloud service in terms of operational benefit and viability rather than focus exclusively on cost. Will your organisation benefit from the flexibility, outsourced administration, and scalability of the cloud system? How does it compare to the risks and limitations of managing an on-premise system?
When you start to look at it more broadly, it may be that the cost is not as important. In fact, over a period of years, you may find it’s more expensive to run a system in the cloud but maybe you are more efficient and profitable because of it.
Summary
Making the move to cloud services is a key decision for organisations. It’s important to look ahead and plan for the next few years, taking into consideration operational benefits, cost, and security.
Get in touch with us if you want to make sure you are clear on the options you face. Finding the right partner is as important as finding the right system.
