The cloud is quickly becoming one of the most important technologies for modern organisations – but jumping in unprepared could lead to unnecessary expenditure. 

In this article, we’ll cover three key tips on how to leverage the cloud for growth – enabling you to unlock your organisation’s full potential. 

Tip 1: Choose the Right Cloud Service Provider 

 The cloud provider you select will affect: 

• how you use your cloud deployment 

• the feature set available to you 

• the cost of implementation. 

Providers offer different services – that may or may not be better for you – so be aware of the options available: 

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This provides you with infrastructure for a monthly payment, so you can pay for computing and storage resources as a monthly cost over capital expenditure. 

• Platform as a Service (PaaS): This is an environment that gives you everything you need to build a cloud implementation, including tools and other software that will help you along the way. 

• Software as a Service (SaaS): This is when a single piece of software (rather than a whole cloud infrastructure and implementation) is provided as a service. 

If you need only the backbone of cloud infrastructure instead of a full platform, IaaS might be more suitable for your organisation – rather than having to pay for a full PaaS package. 

And there are other factors that might make some providers more suitable than others: 

• Reliability: Opt for a cloud provider that has a proven track record. Ensure you’re paying for a service you can rely on – one that will be available when you need it. 

• Scalability: This enables your organisation to become more flexible (and easier to optimise), making growth more manageable in the long run. 

• Security: Ensure your provider has plenty of cybersecurity expertise and experience so your organisation won’t be vulnerable to attacks and breaches. 

Tip 2: Optimise Cloud Costs 

 While the cloud can have many cost benefits for your organisation, it’s essential to ensure you’re optimising your investment properly. Otherwise, you could be wasting money on superfluous services – cancelling out the cost savings gained from migration.  

Being conscious of your cloud implementation requirements is the best way to cut costs. Knowing what you need will help you to: 

• specify the right cloud plan 

• keep track of your usage 

• scale your implementation. 

Different providers give you various ways to manage your cloud costs. Some will make you pay only for what you use (the ‘pay as you go’ model). Others will require you to pay for a certain allowance per month. 

By picking a plan that keeps your usage as optimised as possible, you can ensure you’re not overspending. 

Tip 3: Secure Cloud Data 

Cybersecurity should be a vital consideration in your cloud implementation – otherwise you risk vulnerability to costly and time-consuming attacks and breaches that could cause irreparable damage. 

By investing in ways to secure your data and recover from a possible attack, you can safeguard your organisation’s long-term future. 

The first step is to encrypt all your data. This ensures that nobody can access it without an encryption key, so it’s safe from anyone external trying to steal it. This acts as a barrier to those trying to take your data and sell it to interested parties. 

Back up your data and create a disaster recovery plan – so you’re prepared for the worst, and your organisation can get back up and running as quickly as possible. 

Look at security policies and controls within your cloud implementation. Limit who can access and change sensitive information. Ensure access is restricted only to those who need it for their work. This will help you to limit unauthorised access and protect your organisation’s data. 

Get Expert Help

The cloud is important for any organisation looking to benefit from the best technology available. These tips can help you to take full advantage of its power. 

Looking to get started with cloud computing but don’t know how? Contact Microsoft Gold Partner PSTG. Our experts are here to help you every step of the way.