{"id":1967,"date":"2016-08-23T10:03:02","date_gmt":"2016-08-23T15:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/?p=1967"},"modified":"2018-06-26T12:04:10","modified_gmt":"2018-06-26T17:04:10","slug":"what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look for in a Cloud Provider"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/clouds-ocean.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-1561\" src=\"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/clouds-ocean-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"smart umbrella takes data for the cloud\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/clouds-ocean-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/clouds-ocean-1024x679.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/clouds-ocean.jpg 1702w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Cloud computing has become immensely popular among businesses looking to gain a competitive edge. The benefits of working with a third party are plentiful and often have the potential to revitalize marketing, IT, and the entire professional environment. So, if you\u2019ve ever considered stepping into the world of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/cloud.html\" target=\"_blank\">cloud computing<\/a> and its related third parties, here\u2019s a few things to look for in potential providers.<\/p>\n<p>Cost containment is one of the biggest reasons companies invest in third-party services. The bottom line is important, so keep an eye out in particular for third parties that have a reputation for increasing efficiency. Additionally, you want a service provider with flexible payment options \u2013 generally \u201cby use\u201d instead of a flat rate. You don\u2019t want to pay for services you aren\u2019t actually using.<\/p>\n<p>Communication is also an important part of working with a cloud provider. Whether it\u2019s use of service or you\u2019re working with a management team, you don\u2019t want to be left in the dark about what\u2019s going on. For instance, if downtime occurs, having the ability to communicate with your cloud service provider about the issue and receive a prompt response can make a difference worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars for your company.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to understand how a cloud provider specifically helps your company. While it sounds obvious, relying on cloud infrastructure is a lengthy process. You have to understand your business needs. For instance, if you find your network running into routine errors on a consistent basis, it\u2019s worth looking into cloud providers that offer IT expertise or related solutions.<\/p>\n<p>Another one of the biggest features to address is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/data-security-solutions.html\" target=\"_blank\">security<\/a>. Your business and the clients you serve could suffer disastrous consequences if a data breach occurs. Anything from company history to client information is related. Therefore, when using a cloud provider, you should know their reputation for security. The last thing you want is for the provider themselves to get hacked. Remember that if your company becomes reliant on a third-party organization, you\u2019ll only be as stable as they are.<\/p>\n<p>These are just a few things to check for when considering a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud.html\" target=\"_blank\">cloud service<\/a>. There are still plenty of other factors that play into the cloud decision process, but adhering to the advice above will give you a leg up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cloud computing has become immensely popular among businesses looking to gain a competitive edge. The benefits of working with a third party are plentiful and often have the potential to revitalize marketing, IT, and the entire professional environment. So, if &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\">Read more <span class=\"meta-nav\">><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-knowledge-base"],"yoast_head":"<title>What to Look for in a Cloud Provider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cloud computing has become increasingly popular. 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If you\u2019re considering leveraging cloud services, here\u2019s what you should look for in a cloud provider.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stratosphere Networks IT Support Blog - Chicago IT Support Technical Support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-23T15:03:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-06-26T17:04:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/One-color-globe.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"dsparks\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dsparks\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dsparks\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/610effe029357cf39739d82d57e3b03c\"},\"headline\":\"What to Look for in a Cloud Provider\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-23T15:03:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-06-26T17:04:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\"},\"wordCount\":401,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/One-color-globe.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Knowledge Base\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/\",\"name\":\"What to Look for in a Cloud Provider\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-in-a-cloud-provider\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/One-color-globe.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-23T15:03:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-06-26T17:04:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/610effe029357cf39739d82d57e3b03c\"},\"description\":\"Cloud computing has become increasingly popular. 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