Pre-note: Initially, I started writing this so that our sales professionals could build confidence in their messaging when offering our cloud service, but in reality this information is more critical for the decision-maker. It’s important that you are empowered in the sales process and can direct a more constructive conversation about cloud services. I flipped the switch because, let’s face it, many sales professionals just sound the same.
Technology continues to move closer to the business and more dollars are spent managing daily work processes. This means that you should answer one vital question prior to looking at cloud service providers. “What does my company plan on achieving by migrating to the cloud (or a specific cloud)?” You should answer this question for the entire organization, not just your department. Understanding the business objectives of the cloud is the key to finding a cloud service provider for your business. According to Tech Target’s – Project Success Plan: Cloud Migration, you should “opt for a provider that can speak to the business advantages you would gain through their service, such as higher customer retention or streamlined product delivery.” Your goal could be to get ahead of your competition by achieving quicker delivery requirements. Find a company that speaks and understands to your goals and how their cloud service will help you accomplish your business goals. Which providers are trying to solve your business problems? Many large cloud service providers will focus on technical aspects of their cloud service like uptime, performance, scalability ease, etc. These along with costs, are commodity features in the cloud – meaning they are the technology features behind every cloud, some may be “better” than others, but large public cloud services are priced and sold like a commodity. Why do you think it’s so difficult to find an apple’s to apple’s comparison?
I encourage you to talk to sales professionals when you begin this process. The great ones will understand your business and act as a cloud advisor. They will focus on your business and then pair you with the right cloud service(s). If you are speaking to a sales professional or cloud broker who is not interested in helping you answer this question, it’s imperative that you find one. Keep shopping until someone truly understands your business goals and how the cloud can provide your company with a competitive edge. In addition, you might have to pair particular business challenges with internal cloud challenges. Many organizations have a lack of expertise in the cloud and/or need additional security and compliance. You may also have a declining budget and a platform with spend management controls could help you get more for less. This means that cloud services providers like AWS might not be the best cloud environment for your business – or maybe – it is perfect for some of your business but not all of your business. There are thousands of niche service providers and platforms available to you. It could take months to decipher which are imperative to your business without focusing on your company’s business objectives first. Multi-cloud environments and workload migrations across clouds used to be difficult and costly to manage. However, as cloud management platforms such as, CloudHelm, hit the market with a promise to let you choose and manage multiply cloud services, you will be able to best optimize your cloud usage, security, compliance, and management depending on your organizations business needs. For more information about this subject, IT services and IT consulting, please contact us.
