In recent years, the popularity of Software-as-a-Service, Cloud Storage, and Cloud Service Models have increased. This momentum is propelled by the continued increase in bandwidth for telecommunications and current storage and processing technology capacity. There are plenty of advantages to utilizing cloud-based applications or services. The most appealing are virtually no (or low) start-up costs, nearly unlimited scalability, and the convenience of pay-as-you-go plans.

However, as the saying goes, nothing is ever risk-free, so, before making the transition to cloud-based services, here are five key areas to consider:

• Loss of Control – While it might seem convenient to no longer have a data center or the technicians associated with it; you are now at the mercy of your vendor’s infrastructure, their roadmap, and their schedule for upgrades. Be sure to select a vendor who communicates well about your service and has a track record of high quality of service.
• Structure – You might think you have carved out your own private cloud to service your business, but are you aware of the solution’s structure or architecture? Are you a single tenant or multi-tenant? With multi-tenant systems, you are nothing more than a user on a shared platform, whether that is software, storage, or some other service. Multi-tenant situations can be very complex, especially if you require a larger than average footprint within that domain or have unique requirements.
• Integration – Let’s say you purchase three different critical applications via their associated service providers. You can easily access all three applications via the Internet, and the applications help execute specific business processes very well. What happens when you need to integrate them for reporting or metrics? What happens if one process needs to hand off to the other? Some online services are already built to interact with others, but your needs might be outside what is covered. You might need to consider hosting your own data warehouse that integrates the various services.
• Jurisdiction – It is obvious what laws and regulations apply to you when you have a brick-and-mortar business in a specific physical location. For instance, a business in Pennsylvania is subject to Pennsylvania and US law. However, when a service is outside this jurisdiction, perhaps distributed globally, the legal concept of jurisdiction can be a problem. It is essential contracts spell out what law governs the agreement. Though, this may be difficult to enforce if the data center is in a foreign country.
• Security – Who has your data? Are you sure it is secure? Perhaps the vendor is better at security than you are. But we all hear from time to time about large-scale data breaches of data stored on Internet-accessible servers. Can you afford to be next? You need to carefully review the maturity of the security processes at your strategic vendors.

We can help!

Cloud services are highly productive and cost-effective for most organizations; they do come with their challenges and risks. Momentum has experience working with numerous distinguished cloud service providers and solution providers. We work with each client to determine the system and approach that best meets their needs. Our consultants can provide Independent Validation and Verification to confirm whether a specific cloud service or application is best for you. Contact us today to review your options, risks, and solutions that will best meet your needs.

Tammi Knorr – Consultant

Tammi is an IT professional with over 25 years of experience. She is a senior-level Project Manager and Business Analyst who has led analyst, development, testing, and configuration teams in a variety of settings. Tammi has successfully led complex projects using Agile and Waterfall methodologies, disbursed and diverse resource teams, and enterprise-wide software implementations. She is also a skilled Business Systems Analyst who can solve problems in complex, highly visible, and ever-changing projects. She thrives in fast-paced environments and adapts well to change using best practices. Tammi is a dynamic leader with solid communication, interpersonal, and motivational skills who has extensive knowledge of all phases of software development lifecycles and Project Management.