Having 24/7 access to business information is a huge concern for any IT manager. Securing and recovering business information is vital, so these are must-have requirements.
Decision makers need to clearly understand how a vendor will protect business information and how efficient the vendor is at data recovery in the event of an unforeseen disaster. Managers need to establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with a cloud vendor clearly outlining expected recovery times for any unexpected event or downtime that would cause a business interruption.
There are potential savings that can cover the cost of using a cloud solution by outsourcing the data storage requirement. The immediate ability of a cloud service provider to increase storage as needed adds to that value, as well. However, cost efficiency and the ability to scale up or down depending on demand are also vital. The benefits of being cost-efficient and scalable are the following:
Cost-efficient – Business is no longer required to replace, upgrade, or maintain on-premises data storage hardware and software. Scalable – As data storage requirements grow, the company does not have to add more primary and backup storage space that may require a larger footprint for the new hardware in a data center or server room.