Industry analysts predict that organizations will invest significantly in different forms of cloud computing in the coming five years. And an easy way to migrate to and benefit from the cloud is to rely on external providers. With cloud computing evolving at a fast pace, more and more vendors are stepping into the cloud computing market to leverage the opportunities offered by this transformational IT trend. Each vendor offers a different set of services, pricing, delivery and support models.

With so many players vying to lead in the market, it becomes critical to choose the right partner when seeking the true benefits of the cloud. This article highlights how to choose a cloud service provider that helps you achieve the outcomes your business requires.

While cost, scalability, expertise, and operational stability are the obvious criteria, there are some other important aspects you must consider when choosing a cloud service provider for your enterprise:

Requirement Analysis

The first step to choosing a cloud provider is to have a clear understanding of your own cloud needs. Are you looking at cloud to augment your IT internal capabilities or are you migrating your non-strategic business applications to the hosted cloud? Once you decide your cloud gameplan, look for a partner who can help you execute that well. After all, if you don\'t understand what you need now - no matter who you choose, it may turn out to be the wrong provider. Also, the provider you choose today may not be the right one after an year because your cloud strategy might change! So, look for a provider with stability, resources and long-term vision. And do not forget to review your cloud strategy, and consequently your vendor, periodically.

Cloud Portfolio

There are multiple cloud-enabled service offerings available in the market - including infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, cloud-based applications (SaaS), applications hosted in the cloud, information services, business process services, security services, and enabling technologies to support delivery of cloud computing services. Each offering is unique in the business needs it caters to and in the way each is delivered. So, the first and the foremost question to ask is if the service provider can deliver the exact cloud services you need.

Security

You need assurance that your systems and data are in secure hands. When choosing a cloud service provider, take stock of your security requirements and the issues that need to be addressed such as data movement, storage, access control, network security. And then find out if the provider's security levels and capabilities meet these needs. Ask if the cloud service provider has the appropriate technology and processes in place to ensure security, such as content encryption/decryption, disaster recovery, restricted access, intrusion protection, firewall services, etc. Be sure to go through the provider's security documentation/certifications, and physically visit the provider to see how they operate behind the cloud.

Service Support

Cloud computing is a service-based computing model; so look for a service partner that instills confidence and trust - that not just guarantees infrastructure, but guarantees visible business results. Ensure the cloud service provider offers high levels of reactive support (which includes responsiveness to fix operational problems), and proactive support (which includes account management, preventive maintenance, and alerts for resource allocation and upgrades - available only in case of a managed solution). While custom contracts are not so common in the cloud computing model, look for defined, enterprise-class Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) for performance, availability, provisioning time, and issue resolution, with defined penalties for violation of agreements and formal escalation policies.

Pricing Model

Service-based billing is one of the key highlights of cloud computing that translates capital expenses into predictable operational costs. However, each cloud service provider has their own way of pricing their services. While some may charge per-instance charged by the hour/month, others may charges based on the resource usage. Some providers may ask for upfront payment or for a base commit. And in some cases, you may need to pay for customer support. Bottom line; be aware of what you are getting into to avoid surprises later and where possible negotiate yourself a custom price.

As the cloud environment evolves, so does the cloud providers and their service offerings. The best way to ensure that you acquire the cloud services you need is to be very clear in your selection process. Know exactly what your cloud criteria are today and what you anticipate they may be tomorrow. This way you're better prepared to choose a provider that is not only equipped to meet your current needs.