Cloud computing sometimes sounds like a dream come true. Higher productivity, better profits, great security, timely backups – you can find all of these and more with a cloud consulting company.
Worldwide spending on cloud computing is likely to increase to $162 billion in 2020, from $67 billion in 2015. Companies understand the power of a good cloud solution for their business.
But does your startup need to fit such a company into its technology strategy? Read on to learn whether your startup really needs one of these providers.
Enjoy the Benefit of Their Experience
Getting to know the possibilities of cloud computing takes time and energy. Your startup doesn’t have that kind of time to spare. You’re better off spending it on your new products or services.
A specialist consulting provider already has that knowledge and those skills. They’re already on top of the latest cloud tech trends.
Working with one saves time, but it also saves money. You can spend your time on billable work, instead of learning about computing solutions.
Good cloud consulting companies invest time and energy in getting to know your startup. They’ll get to grips with your specific requirements and objectives to ensure they find the right package of services to handle your cloud applications.
Their solutions should be flexible enough to grow with your startup. That’ll save money in the long run.
It could take you weeks to hack together a series of solutions to provide the same level of service. A consulting company will create a customized solution to suit what your startup needs.
No more ‘one size fits all’ approaches.
Get Help When You Need It
The other key advantage of working with a cloud consulting company is the level of support you’ll enjoy.
The company will provide maintenance to ensure your solutions remain in full working order. But they’ll also be there when things go wrong to provide 24/7 support.
Cross ‘worrying about security’ off your to-do list. A consulting company erases these worries so you can get on with growing your startup.
Do you keep your costs low by working with freelancers instead of permanent employees? Cloud consulting firms can enable solutions for these flexible workers to only access the files they need from wherever they are in the world.
On the Downside…
This all sounds very promising and your eyes lit up at the thought of more time to spend on your startup, rather than figuring out computing solutions.
Not all cloud computing companies are created equal. At the bare minimum, they should provide 24/7 support and flexible solutions.
You should also make sure any sensitive data you hold is encrypted on its way to your cloud data centers.
Ask your provider for an uptime guarantee. 1 minute of downtime in data centers can cost $8,851. So if your data center goes down, you can’t access your files – which means lost time and lowered productivity.
We can’t avoid the issue of cost, either. Good cloud consultants aren’t cheap.
But when you add up the cost of the cloud applications you need, the price of security, storage of regular backups, and support? You might find you can afford a cloud solution!
Do Your Research On Cloud Consulting Companies First
As with any investment, research companies first. Check what they offer – and what they don’t offer.
Get firm prices and work out the value of their services as well as the cost. How much will it cost to hire a consultant for a one-off job if your server gets hacked, compared to a monthly fee?
If you’d like to know more about how we can help your startup with cloud computing, contact us now.
