How to Evaluate Cloud Storage Vendors and Find Your Perfect Match

When evaluating cloud storage vendors, it’s easier than you might think to compare apples to oranges, or even apples to orangutans. Some services are geared toward small businesses, and simply aren’t adequate for enterprise use. Others offer only cloud-based solutions, when you need onsite solutions or a hybrid solution incorporating both onsite and offsite options. Still more might not offer practical solutions for your projects, such as Big Data or collaboration. Here are some questions to keep you on track when you evaluate cloud storage vendors.

Is the Storage Solution Suitable for Your Size Business?

Cloud vendors that specialize in enterprise storage are aware of the data protection/disaster recovery features, compliance regulations, security concerns, and other needs of a large business.

The majority of solutions out there are geared toward consumers, small businesses, or mid-size companies. There are relatively few cloud storage solutions that are built for and ideally suited to the enterprise. Before beginning the cloud storage comparison, conduct an in-house audit to determine exactly how much storage space you need and what enterprise features you will require.

Keeping all of your enterprise cloud storage with the same vendor offers some advantages: first and foremost, you won’t “forget” or “lose” cloud services you’re paying for. It’s easier than you might believe to contract for cloud services for the purposes of a project or development, and then neglect to discontinue the service when it’s completed its purpose. A single cloud storage provider is the best way to be sure you aren’t paying for cloud storage you no longer need.

Additionally, you can standardize best-practices for all of your storage and not need to create multiple processes for each storage vendor.

Does the solution offer you all of the enterprise features you currently use with your on-premise storage? You should not give up any functionality when you move to a cloud-based solution. In fact, cloud architectures, by their nature provide additional data protection and disaster recovery benefits that should significantly increase your features/benefits, rather than decrease your functionality.

Is the Storage Scalable and Flexible?

On that same train of thought, make sure the enterprise storage vendor will be able to handle your needs as your business grows, and as you migrate more storage and workload to the cloud. Choosing correctly now means you won’t be in the selection process again in a couple of years when your cloud storage needs grow, which will most likely be the case.

Make sure that your vendor offers flexible options (e.g., SAN/NAS, Block/File/Object, Cloud/On-Premise/Hybrid) and that you have the flexibility to change the personality of your storage as your needs change and evolve.

What are the Expected Costs for the Storage?

It’s important to study the SLA carefully and to speak to the vendor about any hidden costs or charges that might be applied to your bill. For example, sometimes businesses take out a contract for reduced charges during a trial period, and after a few months the full price kicks in. This can come with a significant sticker shock if IT and/or finance aren’t aware of and prepared for the change in price. Be sure you know exactly what you’re getting in terms of storage, service, and support, what it will cost, and whether or not those costs are expected to fluctuate over time. Also, be sure you understand how much it will affect your rates as you scale your cloud storage upwards.

What Type of Support is Available?

Is support still free at midnight? Is it even available after normal business hours?

As you discuss your storage needs, you will also want to find out what the contract includes in terms of support, and what (if anything) could affect those rates. For instance, do you get a certain number of hours of free support, after which time a rate kicks in? Perhaps you get unlimited support for a certain number of days or months, or maybe your agreement includes Tier 1 support, but not support for an issue that has to be escalated. Of course, the level of support you need will be relative to the knowledge and experience of your own IT staff.

No matter your business size or needs, Zadara’s solution always aligns with your ever-changing world. Download the Zadara Storage Cloud whitepaper to learn more today.

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