Making sure one chooses the right cloud providers has become critical to long-term success especially in Thailand, where cloud computing has grown tremendously. With a myriad of providers who are offering an even larger number of services, the available market is vast, therefore, choose one that is weighted towards your unique set of needs.
The question of where should I get a cloud server in Thailand, or Cloud Server ที่ไหนดี as a local term, has prompted many cloud service providers in the country to compete for the top position, therefore, without any hassle, you can find the most-suited company for your project. The evaluation criteria you use and the requirements you have will be unique to your organization when it comes to selecting a cloud provider.
The following are the common areas of focus during the assessment:
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Commercials, SLAs, and contracts
Many jargon-happy cloud providers are still using deliberately misleading and unnecessarily complicated language for SLAs. With the latest version of the ISO standards for service level agreements, this has been addressed to some degree and this revision is a useful framework to guide one when assessing providers’ agreements. For contracts, consider their business terms ( publicity, fees and commercial terms, insurance, operational reviews, business policies), legal protections (warranties, indemnification, limitation of liability, intellectual property), service delivery (service availability, service definition, service management, roles and responsibilities, service continuity and DR), and data assurance ( data conversion, data security, ownership and use rights, data management).
Certification and standards
All providers that comply with quality frameworks and recognized standards demonstrate an adherence to the industry’s best standards and practices. This can be helpful to shortlist potential suppliers. If security is a priority when choosing a service provider, look for suppliers accredited with certifications like ISO. Common organizations provide multiple certifications and standards. Therefore, look out for service status visibility, structured processes, good knowledge management, and effective data management. Also, understand how the provider plans to support and resource continuous adherence to these standards.
Also Read: How using cloud services could boost your business
One can measure the reliability of a service provider using several methods. These include; first, don’t expect perfection as downtime is inevitable, but how the provider deals with that downtime counts. Therefore, ensure your chosen provider has documented, proven, and established various processes for dealing with unplanned and planned downtime. Moreover, during times of disruptions like timeliness, prioritization, and severity level assessment of issues, this should be communicated with the customers. Familiarize yourself with the liability limitations and remedies offered when service issues arise. Lastly, check the service provider’s performance against their SLAs for the last 6-12 months.
Service partnerships and dependencies
It’s worthwhile to assess the provider’s relationship with key vendors in terms of their technical capabilities, accreditation levels, and staff certifications to understand whether they support multivendor environments. Are the services offered to fit into a larger ecosystem of other services that might either support or compliment them? It must be clear how and where the service is being delivered, therefore, uncover any service partnerships and dependencies involved in cloud service provision. The provider should disclose the relationships between subcontractors and connected components that play a part in delivering the cloud service. This can guarantee the primary SLAs stated, across all parts of service including those that are not directly under its control.
Company profile and business health
Take time to consider the financial profile and health of your shortlisted providers even though assessing the operational and technical capabilities of a potential supplier is important. A service provider may not have the financial resources to refund your losses when they get into trouble regardless of the contract assurances and good intentions, therefore, even though they are the most competitive and most compatible cloud service provider, it’s immaterial if they don’t have a sound business. Try and establish how the organization responded to the legal challenges that they were faced with. Through online reviews, analyst profiles, and market research get a sense of their market status. Get a good handle on the provider’s aspirations and competitive position.
Conclusion
Validate and recognize the standards and certifications the prospective providers adhere to. Also, check-in with their customers and hear what they say about them in testimonials and case studies. Hence, include both soft and hard factors in your assessment and think long-term.
Also Read: Cloud-based Software: Their Significance to Your Business
