All businesses have had some experience with the cloud. Today, the cloud is firmly established and it has matured to the point where we are just now beginning to see mass migration and implementation. More and more companies are making the move away from dedicated servers to take advantage of the favorable aspects of cloud hosting.
Many companies had the initial experience of small business website hosting on the cloud. Today, business owners are more selective about what the publicly available cloud providers are actually providing. As with any maturing technology, complaints are on the rise between enterprises and their cloud service providers. When it comes to the finer details and the friction of vendor client relationships, the cloud is no different than any other traditional IT vendor.
This sometimes means it may be necessary to switch providers. Here are the top three red flags to look for when deciding if it’s time to switch providers.
1. Reduced Support For Hosting Services
Many people sign up for cloud hosting and quickly realize that support is slow to respond or not helpful when they do. It is important to choose a provider that offers instant, live support 24/7 with qualified engineers
Look to cable television and the net neutrality battle as an example. Once we got hooked on the convenience and choice of 200 channels, the quality of service declined. Some public cloud providers are following the same trajectory. Key-services are being discontinued to keep prices low, attract new customers and lock them in.
Unfortunately, many cloud hosting service providers are delivering slower access and computing services while suffering more outages. When you call to get answers, you can’t get anyone on the line.
Service declines are the fastest way to lose customers. More businesses are reevaluating their providers for these reasons.
2. Security is not what you expected
For most providers, security is a primary concern. Many while experiencing and dealing with the challenges of growth, are not keeping up with current threats. They may lack certain approaches like identity-based security and advanced encryption. Some push users to third-party solutions or outside consultants, abdicating responsibility. This is another key reason driving businesses to look elsewhere for hosting services.
3. Someone else is providing better value
The cloud wars continue. As more companies come online prices continue to drop and services continue to expand. The provider you signed up with years ago may be providing the same value as when you signed up. It might not be increasing prices or reducing services, but there are other options out there. For example, Togglebox is a cloud host provider that offers excellent value, low prices and top-notch customer service. If your company is not staying competitive, switching to a provider like Togglebox might make sense.
The cloud has moved way beyond small business web hosting. Today, as a business owner, you have options. It’s about more than price. You need to look for scalability, customer service, services offered and value. Even if you’re currently happy with your provider, someday you may need to move on. It makes good business sense to plan for that possibility now!