Don’t Let Your Cloud Investments Go Awry

The cloud is a common tool for businesses, but organizations tend to utilize it in different ways. Some use it to support a remote workforce, while others use it to avoid financing new hardware on a regular basis. Some even use it to fill in the gaps created by product and service demand. However your business uses the cloud, chances are that you will encounter issues if you do not take measures to adequately manage it.

Here are three major challenges that businesses run into when over-relying on cloud solutions.

Management

How often do you forget that you have signed up for a video streaming service or some other Internet-based service in your personal life? The same can happen for cloud services for businesses. Workers or departments might sign up for accounts based on a specific one-time need, then forget about it. The problem here is that cloud services automatically renew every month for the user’s convenience, and this convenience can cost your business considerable amounts for services that are not being used.

Most cloud service providers tend to market their services as cost-effective, but the reality is that if a business depends on a cloud service, they are more likely to overpay for it. While they might have the ability to scale accordingly, businesses will often pay for services that they simply do not use.

For businesses that choose to not go the software-as-a-service route and instead opt for the in-house cloud infrastructure, they often have a difficult time predicting the costs of their hosting computing resources. Most businesses need to set a baseline for any costs related to their technology, so not having a clear understanding of these costs can be problematic. There are ways to mitigate the costs, but small businesses tend to struggle more with IT management compared to larger organizations.

Security

Security has been a major pain point for the cloud. When a company cannot see where their data is stored and processed and has no control over the physical infrastructure, it’s easy to see why. It is one of the biggest considerations and challenges that any business doing business in the cloud must take into account, particularly for those that utilize sensitive or private information. The cloud is just as susceptible to hackers as traditional computing methods, and things like data breaches, compromised authentication, hacked interfaces, account hijacking, and other issues do not just disappear when a business starts using the cloud. If you are having issues trusting your cloud provider, take these tips into consideration:

• Ensure the security of your cloud provider - Ideal cloud platforms will have identity management, authentication, and access control tools integrated right into the solution.
• Check their privacy and security controls - Check which cloud providers have to adhere to database privacy and security laws. Since these laws and regulations are growing day by day, you should plan to work with only those who take it seriously.
• Ensure they help you with compliance - If your business is subject to industry-specific compliances and regulations, you need to choose a cloud provider that makes this possible.
• Set up cloud management - If you properly utilize tools that help you monitor the effectiveness of your cloud solutions, you can maintain security and learn valuable insights that you can apply to your operations.

Performance

Cloud performance is incredibly important for businesses, especially if you want to get the most out of your solutions. Downtime is something that should be considered for all services that require an Internet connection, and your organization should also consider if the cloud is capable of giving you access to tools that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford at the level of reliability that you expect.

A handful of major cloud providers have had major outages over the past couple of years, so downtime is a very real possibility that must be addressed. If there are issues that arise, you will want to make sure you are working with a cloud provider who can resolve the issue, as well as alert you that the problem is happening in the first place. Remember that problems with your cloud services will translate to bigger problems for your business, so do your due diligence and research cloud solutions before committing to one for your business.

Walsh IT Group can help your business navigate the cloud and implement great solutions that are ideal for your needs. To learn more, reach out to us at (832) 295-1445.