Leveraging cloud consulting services can do wonders for your business. They assist with planning, migrating, and modernizing cloud systems. Cloud consulting services cover everything from need assessment to strategy design and ongoing maintenance.
That said, not all cloud consultants are the same, and partnering with an unreliable one can do more harm than good. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered.
Here’s how you can choose the right cloud consulting partner to ensure security, efficiency, and compliance:
- Clearly Define Your Needs
Before looking for partners, have a clear understanding of your cloud consulting goals. As hinted earlier, cloud consultants offer services for optimizing every part of your IT infrastructure.
Do you need help with creating a cloud strategy? Do you need assistance with cloud migration? Maybe you want to reduce costs and improve scalability. Focus on the outcomes you wish to achieve by leveraging cloud consulting services.
- Assess Technical Expertise and Certificates
The next step is considering the technical expertise of different cloud consulting providers. Look for certificates from major cloud providers, including:
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
Also confirm expertise in the following major cloud areas:
- DevOps
- Security
- Architecture
- Data & analytics
- Compliance frameworks
If your business is in a regulated industry, choose a consulting partner with experience and certifications in that sector. Certificates validate skills and real-world experience.
- Review Industry Track Record
A cloud consulting partner could have all the necessary certificates, but if their track record isn’t great, what’s the point?
The best thing you can do is review detailed case studies and focus on the ones relevant to your business. Look for projects successfully completed in companies of a similar size, in the same industry.
You can also request references from previous clients or ask specific questions. Focus on the following factors:
- Timely completion of the project
- Handling of unexpected challenges
- Ongoing maintenance support
- Level of compliance met
Reputable partners like Sutherland boast an excellent and verifiable industry track record.
- Review SLAs
Next, carefully review the terms and conditions of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) offered by your cloud consulting provider. It is a formal agreement between you and your cloud provider that defines performance expectations, responsibilities, and guarantees for a cloud service. Generally, a cloud SLA has the following things:
- Service availability guarantee (make sure your provider is offering at least 95% uptime)
- Performance metrics, such as response time and latency
- Security provisions
- Responsibilities
- Disaster recovery time objectives (RTOs)
- Recovery point objectives (RPOs)
- Confirm Scalability and Flexibility
As your business grows, your cloud consulting needs are bound to increase. Therefore, partnering with a consultant who will adapt to changing needs is important. This is especially true if you’re going “all in” on the cloud.
Prioritize providers with hybrid cloud or multicloud deployments. They will give you the flexibility to run workloads on different servers.
- Review Customer Support
Lastly, review the kind of customer support offered by your cloud consulting partner. Evaluate their communication style, focusing on things like:
- Transparency
- Responsiveness
- Availability
Good collaboration prevents delays and confusion.
