What happens when your cloud provider goes out of business?
A cloud computing expert has warned IT departments they must have a fall-back position in case their cloud provider goes out of business.
Expert Thoran Rodrigues makes the point that when it comes to using cloud resources, the business utilising that service doesn’t actually own anything. With physical equipment, companies won’t lose anything if the manufacturer goes under. But when it comes to the cloud, firms are simply renting a space. If that space ceases to exist, it’s highly likely that the data stored within that space will also be gone – which would inevitably lead to huge operational problems.
Mr Rodrigues does not advocate avoiding cloud services altogether. Instead he maintains that IT departments should have a back-up plan in place. He recommends that businesses maintain a good and close relationship with their chosen cloud provider, which may enable them to anticipate problems before they arise. Furthermore, he says IT departments should devise a disaster recovery plan in case the worst does happen.
In fact, Joe McKendrick writing for forbes.com recommends backing up the company’s data to a separate location – such as on-site or a secondary cloud – which could serve as backup for some businesses. Indeed, the more disaster recovery plans an IT department has, the better.
IT departments would also be well advised to vet cloud partners thoroughly before entering into contracts to ensure they are a good fit with their company – although Mr Rodrigues notes that smaller cloud firms should not be disregarded.
He writes: “While smaller service providers may be much harder to vet, their services can have a huge impact on business results, so not discarding them out of hand simply due to their size can not only keep IT on the good side of businesses users, but also bring positive results for the company as a whole.”