If like many business owners, you’re looking to move across to a cloud storage provider, you might be wondering where to start.

Cloud storage offers huge benefits to your business and can really future proof your growth. It’s a much less expensive way of storing data, because you only pay for the space you need, but it’s also extremely scalable. It can flex up and down as your business changes. If you’re moving away from in house servers due to downsizing of your office, it’s also a really attractive option to facilitate operating in a smaller and more cost effective office.

The cloud storage market is a very competitive field with three big players dominating the space; Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

All three are credible and reliable providers, but your business is unique and you need to find the one that is right for  you.

The security of your data is going to be your first concern and although all big players boast robust security measures, these are the specifics we think you should be checking for:

• • • End-to-end encryption: This scrambles and fragments your data, making it useless to anyone who accesses it without a decryption key. As soon as the data leaves your devices it’s encrypted. Even while it’s being stored, so no one else can view it.
    • Share function: You need a robust and safe share function when you’re storing business data. Some services allow you to share files via their platform instead of using your own email. You may even be able to specify how often a file can be shared.
    • Multi-platform compatibility: Which devices and browsers will you be using to access your data? The best services will be compatible across different operating systems and devices, so you can get your files wherever you are, on whatever device you’re using.

Once you have peace of mind that the above requirements are in place, we recommend you then assess their Cloud Service Level Agreements (Cloud SLAs), in particular around security of your data and GDPR regulations.

We would also recommend you review the support you can expect to receive should you need to get in touch. How will it be available, Live Chat, Email, Phone and across what hours?

Finally we would always suggest reviewing the overall pricing structure of a cloud storage solution. Which unfortunately isn’t as straight forward as you  might expect. The top three players all have quite differing pricing structures, so it is not quite an apples to apples comparison. It will come down to your usage patterns and your budget, but it’s something we always recommend our clients consider carefully before signing on the dotted line.

We have years of experience in moving our clients over to a suitable cloud storage solution, so if you’d like some help, simply get in touch on 01392 796 779 or email us ask@bluegrass-group.com.