The cloud technology market is still relatively new, and the industry is exploding with new providers offering solutions. As the market matures, it’s inevitable that some of these companies will not be able to survive in the face of competition. It’s important to be prepared in the event your provider is one of the unlucky companies that doesn’t make it.
The risk: Using any provider comes with a certain amount of risk, but with on-premise technology, you weren’t faced with a data retrieval scramble or the need to immediately replace software, because you owned it.
With a cloud provider, you may receive only a couple weeks’ notice that they’re closing shop and that you need to find another solution. This means a quick choice of another provider, plus data retrieval and all the complexity of network configurations and security planning.
Preventive medicine: As part of a comprehensive business continuity strategy, you need to have a contingency plan in place. It should include considerations such as the course of action to take if the provider were suddenly unable to operate, as well as the functions that are necessary to run your daily business processes.
When evaluating a cloud services provider, you should have conversations about their own business plan. Evaluate whether their company will be able to achieve long-term profitability and if their plans fit well with your own trajectory. You should also ask the hard questions, such as what their plan would be for your business continuity if their company experienced difficulties.
It’s important to note that some cloud providers operate with a proprietary file storage platform, meaning that it will not transfer to a new provider.
Make sure your contract with the provider includes information about what will happen in the event that your provider faces bankruptcy or default, or if they simply decide to no longer support a technology that your business uses.
Multiple providers: Many enterprises are avoiding much of this risk by partnering with two or more providers. This offers protection in case a provider goes out of business, because not only will you have a ready partner that can shoulder all business workloads, but your IT staff will already be familiar with the technology, taking many of the unknowns out of the equation. Having multiple cloud providers isn’t just a safety measure for the possibility of a provider going out of business. Doing so provides protection surrounding a variety of disaster recovery and business continuity objectives.
To begin working with a stable provider that will prioritize your business continuity, contact us at TeleConsult, where we will create a custom plan for your technology needs.
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