Cloud storage is the fastest, and most reliable and secure way to improve business efficiency and productivity. When you swap your regular servers for cloud based hosting, it allows you to adopt an agile approach to your online business and lay the foundation for some serious growth and expansion.
Here are some things you need to consider before moving to the cloud hosting.
Data Security
Before moving to cloud-based hosting, it is extremely important to make sure your data will be completely secure and safe. You need to ask the vendor for assurances to make you feel comfortable about your decision. Before you choose a particular service provider, you should ask for a written agreement ensuring data security and privacy. Since you will be giving control of your intellectual property, you need to make sure it stays in reliable hands.
Support
You need to make sure that the vendor provides 24/7 customer support. In case you lose your data in the Cloud, you should be able to get in touch with someone through instant chat, email or telephone. Moreover, the vendor’s customer support should respond promptly. Nothing can be worse for your business than unnecessary downtime. Hence, before you move your business to Cloud storage, you should understand the process of getting back up after a problem.
User-Friendly Environment
Although it takes just a few seconds to sign in, future actions can be complicated. You need to look for a Cloud station where you can move around quickly, intuitively and experience instant signs of progress. Usually, what you experience in the first few minutes of your interaction with the Cloud environment will give you an idea of what’s ahead.
Scalability
It is important to understand that everything in this world has a limit. Although Cloud storage may seem to be scalable (pay-as-you-go), even Clouds can have certain limits. At some point, you may run into capacity limitations. You need to ask the vendor about these limits (software, people, storage and so on). You need to know when you are approaching a limit. It may be some sort of a symptom, like slow speed. You need to ask all these things before moving to cloud-based hosting.
Shared vs Dedicated Servers
Last but not the least, you need to choose between shared and dedicated servers. Shared hosting is always inexpensive. With this hosting, your server will be one of the various server programs running on single hardware. In other words, you will share physical resources with other clients on the same server. This will spread out the bandwidth, cost of hardware and maintenance. However, it also means that you will be able to use a portion of the speed and power of the server. If one of the clients starts using more resources, it may degrade your performance.
On the other hand, dedicated servers offer numerous benefits over shared servers. However, they can be very costly. Even a basic dedicated hosting package can easily cost more than $100. If you add technical support, management, upgrades and firewalls, it can easily cost around $1000 per month. However, dedicated servers are always more reliable, secure and provide much better performance.
Conclusion
These were some points you need to consider before moving your business to Cloud storage. Moving to Cloud may be one of the most important business decisions you ever take. Therefore, you need to carry out an extensive research and make sure you know everything before proceeding with your decision.
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5 tips to choose Best Cloud Storage:
If you landed on this page, probably you are looking for tips to choose suitable cloud storage for yourself… or maybe your company. Have you heard of S – T – A – F – F before?
Here is the S – T – A – F – F tips that gives you an idea when choosing the best cloud storage:
Storage space
This is the number one question you need to ask yourself because this is why you pay for the space and service. Spend a few hours, check on all your hard drives, pen-drives, external drives and cds, you will have an overall picture how many storage space you need to keep your digital life on cloud.
Spend another few more hours or days, scan through your data and categorize them, if you never do so before. You will be surprised by yourself that you have a lot of redundant data. This is how everyone is doing it, backup another copy just in case the original is corrupted.
Type of files
There are so many files in your computer and types of files that in your top priority list will eventually shortlist the service providers for you. If you are a multimedia lovers, no doubt you need a large capacity to keep all your movies, musics and lyrics. If you are a programmer or using exclusive program for your task, you may want to short list the providers that backup the whole computer settings.
If you have no clue on what types of file you frequently using, here is the suggestion for you. Do a little experiment by yourself, for the next couple of days, pay a little bit attention on the files you using on your computer or mobile, you will have a picture of the files you using the most.
Affordable
Now is time to get to real business, probably you already have chosen THE ONE company that you going to pay them the money. Which plan I should start with ? You do agree with me this is the toughest stage, am I correct ? My recommendation is go for the affordable plan! You always allow to upgrade your plan down the road.
If you commit yourself to a longer period like 6 months or 1 year, many cloud storage company will offer you special discounts. Savings up to 20% or 30% from normal price, some even up to 70% ! Do keep in mind, some of the company does not have money back guarantee policy but for me I would definitely not going for any plan or company without this.
Features
Moving on forward, now it is time to think deeper, what is the most critical features I want from cloud storage service. Many cloud storage company offer almost similar features and do not differ a lot apart from file sharing capability, unlimited storage spaces, file synchronization and file versioning.
Free Trial
As I remembered, I used to download a lot of free trial to experience it. Some of the company offers 30 days to use, some of them offers 14 days or 15 days for the users to experience the service. In my opinion, is not the matter of how long you can use the free trial or how many capacity provided during the trial period, it is the features that you can experience it while you using the trial account.
After the free trial expires, you can decide if you like the service and pay to stay with them. Or, if you rather try out another provider. Bear in mind, some of the company may trash your trial account, so don’t keep you real data while trying, a few duplicate files are good enough.
Here are some things you need to consider before moving to the cloud hosting.
Data Security
Before moving to cloud-based hosting, it is extremely important to make sure your data will be completely secure and safe. You need to ask the vendor for assurances to make you feel comfortable about your decision. Before you choose a particular service provider, you should ask for a written agreement ensuring data security and privacy. Since you will be giving control of your intellectual property, you need to make sure it stays in reliable hands.
Support
You need to make sure that the vendor provides 24/7 customer support. In case you lose your data in the Cloud, you should be able to get in touch with someone through instant chat, email or telephone. Moreover, the vendor’s customer support should respond promptly. Nothing can be worse for your business than unnecessary downtime. Hence, before you move your business to Cloud storage, you should understand the process of getting back up after a problem.
User-Friendly Environment
Although it takes just a few seconds to sign in, future actions can be complicated. You need to look for a Cloud station where you can move around quickly, intuitively and experience instant signs of progress. Usually, what you experience in the first few minutes of your interaction with the Cloud environment will give you an idea of what’s ahead.
Scalability
It is important to understand that everything in this world has a limit. Although Cloud storage may seem to be scalable (pay-as-you-go), even Clouds can have certain limits. At some point, you may run into capacity limitations. You need to ask the vendor about these limits (software, people, storage and so on). You need to know when you are approaching a limit. It may be some sort of a symptom, like slow speed. You need to ask all these things before moving to cloud-based hosting.
Shared vs Dedicated Servers
Last but not the least, you need to choose between shared and dedicated servers. Shared hosting is always inexpensive. With this hosting, your server will be one of the various server programs running on single hardware. In other words, you will share physical resources with other clients on the same server. This will spread out the bandwidth, cost of hardware and maintenance. However, it also means that you will be able to use a portion of the speed and power of the server. If one of the clients starts using more resources, it may degrade your performance.
On the other hand, dedicated servers offer numerous benefits over shared servers. However, they can be very costly. Even a basic dedicated hosting package can easily cost more than $100. If you add technical support, management, upgrades and firewalls, it can easily cost around $1000 per month. However, dedicated servers are always more reliable, secure and provide much better performance.
Conclusion
These were some points you need to consider before moving your business to Cloud storage. Moving to Cloud may be one of the most important business decisions you ever take. Therefore, you need to carry out an extensive research and make sure you know everything before proceeding with your decision.
-------
5 tips to choose Best Cloud Storage:
If you landed on this page, probably you are looking for tips to choose suitable cloud storage for yourself… or maybe your company. Have you heard of S – T – A – F – F before?
Here is the S – T – A – F – F tips that gives you an idea when choosing the best cloud storage:
Storage space
This is the number one question you need to ask yourself because this is why you pay for the space and service. Spend a few hours, check on all your hard drives, pen-drives, external drives and cds, you will have an overall picture how many storage space you need to keep your digital life on cloud.
Spend another few more hours or days, scan through your data and categorize them, if you never do so before. You will be surprised by yourself that you have a lot of redundant data. This is how everyone is doing it, backup another copy just in case the original is corrupted.
Type of files
There are so many files in your computer and types of files that in your top priority list will eventually shortlist the service providers for you. If you are a multimedia lovers, no doubt you need a large capacity to keep all your movies, musics and lyrics. If you are a programmer or using exclusive program for your task, you may want to short list the providers that backup the whole computer settings.
If you have no clue on what types of file you frequently using, here is the suggestion for you. Do a little experiment by yourself, for the next couple of days, pay a little bit attention on the files you using on your computer or mobile, you will have a picture of the files you using the most.
Affordable
Now is time to get to real business, probably you already have chosen THE ONE company that you going to pay them the money. Which plan I should start with ? You do agree with me this is the toughest stage, am I correct ? My recommendation is go for the affordable plan! You always allow to upgrade your plan down the road.
If you commit yourself to a longer period like 6 months or 1 year, many cloud storage company will offer you special discounts. Savings up to 20% or 30% from normal price, some even up to 70% ! Do keep in mind, some of the company does not have money back guarantee policy but for me I would definitely not going for any plan or company without this.
Features
Moving on forward, now it is time to think deeper, what is the most critical features I want from cloud storage service. Many cloud storage company offer almost similar features and do not differ a lot apart from file sharing capability, unlimited storage spaces, file synchronization and file versioning.
Free Trial
As I remembered, I used to download a lot of free trial to experience it. Some of the company offers 30 days to use, some of them offers 14 days or 15 days for the users to experience the service. In my opinion, is not the matter of how long you can use the free trial or how many capacity provided during the trial period, it is the features that you can experience it while you using the trial account.
After the free trial expires, you can decide if you like the service and pay to stay with them. Or, if you rather try out another provider. Bear in mind, some of the company may trash your trial account, so don’t keep you real data while trying, a few duplicate files are good enough.