Choosing a Cloud Partner: Things to Consider

Multiply your success with the right partner in cloud services! With this guide, choose your cloud partner consciously. Make a difference in cloud services with Makdos. Ready to get started? Keep reading!

Cloud Partner Selection: Things to Consider

Cloud technology has played a leading role in the transformation of the business world in recent years. Cloud partners, one of the tools that realise this transformation, offer flexible and cost-effective solutions suitable for the technological needs of companies. Cloud partnerships allow companies to rent resources, services or applications from cloud service providers without investing in their own infrastructure. This helps companies pay only for the resources they need and respond quickly to their scaling needs. However, not all cloud partners are created equal. Choosing the right partner is vital for business process continuity, data security and cost optimisation.

Understanding Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

When we talk about cloud technology, three main service models usually come to mind: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service). These models offer users different levels of control, customisation and management. IaaS provides the user with infrastructure components such as virtual machines, networking and storage, while PaaS provides developers with the platform to build, run and manage software applications. SaaS provides users with completed applications that can be accessed over the Internet. Each model has its own advantages and use cases. If you want to learn more detailed explanations of these models and the differences between them, you can read our previous article "Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS" that we prepared before.

Importance of Data Centre Location

An often overlooked but critical factor in cloud partner selection is the location of the data centre. Data centre location directly affects many factors, from data access speed to legal regulations, data protection policies to local bandwidth costs. A physically closer data centre can provide lower latency and faster data access. In addition, the country or region in which data is held will be subject to that country's data protection laws and regulations. This is particularly important when it comes to personal data protection and cross-border data transfers. Therefore, considering data centre location when choosing your cloud partner can be key to optimising performance and ensuring regulatory compliance.

The Role of Security and Compliance in Cloud Services

With the widespread adoption of cloud technology, data security and compliance issues have become more prominent. These two factors should be at the centre of the decision-making process when choosing a cloud partner. Security refers to protecting your data in the cloud environment, defending it against unauthorised access and being prepared for potential threats. Compliance refers to the extent to which cloud services comply with specific industry standards, legal regulations and best-practice guidelines. Especially in regulated industries such as personal data protection, financial services and healthcare, the security measures and compliance certificates offered by the cloud partner are critical for your business processes to continue smoothly and in compliance with the law. As Makdos, we strictly adhere to these standards. We are aware of the responsibility of working with well-known companies especially in the financial sector. For this reason, we are regularly audited by the ICTA and the Central Bank, thus providing our customers with the highest level of security and compliance guarantee.

Cost and Pricing Models of Cloud Partners

In addition to the technological advantages offered, cost and pricing models also play a critical role in the selection of cloud services. Cloud partners usually offer flexible pricing models that suit the needs of users. These models can range from pay-as-you-go to fixed monthly or annual fees, from special discounted commitments to scaled prices. For growing businesses in particular, this flexibility can make budget planning easier, while also helping to avoid unnecessary costs. However, this flexibility can also sometimes lead to costs escalating faster than expected. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand the pricing model and clarify its scope before making a deal with a potential cloud partner.

Importance of Performance and Uptime

Performance and uptime are top priorities for businesses when migrating to the cloud. Because the performance that the cloud partner can offer directly affects how quickly and effectively your applications and services will be delivered to users. Especially for workloads with high performance requirements such as big data processing, real-time analytics or high-traffic web applications, the performance capacity of the selected cloud partner plays a critical role. Likewise, uptime is vital for business continuity and customer satisfaction. A cloud service with low uptime can lead to business losses, decreased customer satisfaction and damage to brand reputation. In this context, as makdos.com, we generally work with Tier 3 data centres. These data centres meet certain standards to guarantee high uptime. Therefore, when choosing a cloud partner, the performance guarantees and uptime commitments of the partner in question should be carefully evaluated.

Evaluation of Support and Customer Service

In this period when we have moved most of our business processes to the digital environment with cloud technology, the quality of the service received is of great importance as well as how fast and effective solutions are produced to the problems encountered. In this context, when choosing a cloud partner, the quality of the support and customer service offered should be closely examined. Although many companies offer standard support services today, what is really distinctive is how fast and solution-oriented response you can get at the time of the problem. For example, as makdos.com, we have been providing 24/7, 365 days uninterrupted service since the first day. We have an experienced team that can respond to the problems and support requests of our customers within an average of 3 minutes at any time of the day. This is a vital detail for business continuity. Therefore, when choosing a cloud partner, evaluating the support and customer service capacity in detail will help you avoid possible problems in the future.

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans

In a digitalised world, data protection is critical for business continuity. Data loss or access problems can not only cause financial losses, but can also cause serious damage to the reputation of your business. Therefore, when choosing a cloud partner, it is essential to evaluate in detail how data backup and disaster recovery plans are created. As we mentioned in our previous article titled "Cloud Storage Solutions and Benefits", data backup is an integral part of business continuity plans. As Makdos, we secure the data of our customers with the backup service we offer in this field. Especially for corporate companies, upon request, in order to be prepared for disaster scenarios, we keep the main systems of the companies running with replication in different data centres. This guarantees that your business continuity will continue even in a possible disaster.

Understanding Cloud Partner Technology and Infrastructure

With the increasing importance of cloud technologies in the business world, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a cloud partner is the technological infrastructure of that partner and how this infrastructure is built. Technological infrastructure directly affects not only the quality of the service, but also your business continuity and data security. Therefore, it is critical to have a deep understanding of your cloud partner's technology and infrastructure. As Makdos, we have designed our entire network infrastructure as redundant in order to provide uninterrupted and high quality service to our customers. We have a 40 Gbps uplink line in accordance with today's technological conditions. However, our cloud infrastructure runs entirely on storage and in the form of clusters. This provides advantages to our customers in terms of both high performance and reliability.

Contract Conditions and Commitments to be Sought

Contract terms and commitments are also of great importance. The agreement with the cloud partner sets out the rights and obligations between the parties and will be the main document to be referred to in the event of a possible dispute. Therefore, the contract terms and commitments must be clear, understandable and fair. The contract should ensure that critical issues such as data security, service level commitments (SLA), data backup and recovery procedures, payment terms, duration and termination of the contract are addressed in detail. All of these conditions are vital to the continuity, reliability and quality of the cloud service, and therefore particular attention should be paid to these details when choosing a cloud partner.

Importance of Management Panel and User Interface

In order to take full advantage of the benefits offered by cloud technologies, the functionality and user-friendliness of the interfaces and management panels through which users access these services is of paramount importance. No matter how powerful the technological infrastructure behind a cloud service is, if end users cannot access these services easily or if the management panel is complex and incomprehensible, this may negatively affect customer satisfaction. In this context, Makdos makes a difference in the sector with its unique management panel and user interface developed entirely by its own software team in order to respond to the needs of its customers in the best way possible. This customised interface aims to keep customer satisfaction at the highest level with its usability and simple design. Thus, users do not experience any difficulty in accessing or managing cloud services.

Data Transfer and Bandwidth Considerations

Data transfer and bandwidth in cloud services is one of the cornerstones of performance and user experience. Fast and uninterrupted transfer of data to the cloud environment is critical, especially when working with large data sets. In this context, the cloud partner you choose should specify the data transfer speeds and bandwidth capacity in advance and these capacities should be at a level that meets your needs. Bandwidth constraints can cause slowdowns or interruptions in data transfers, which is an important factor in ensuring that your business processes are not disrupted. In addition, identifying possible additional costs in advance makes your budget planning easier. Therefore, when choosing a cloud partner, special attention should be paid to data transfer and bandwidth issues and clear information should be available on these issues.

Customisation Opportunities with Cloud Partners

Cloud technologies are often characterised by their flexibility and scalability; however, the needs of every business are unique and customisation needs to be available to fully meet those needs. When evaluating a cloud partner, it is important to consider how customisable the services offered are. Customisation opportunities allow businesses to create cloud solutions specific to their workloads, applications and data structures. This ensures a perfect fit, taking into account both technical requirements and budgetary constraints. Especially in hybrid cloud solutions, customisation in the integration of local and cloud resources plays a critical role for a smooth operation. Therefore, when choosing a cloud partner, evaluating their customisation capabilities and flexibility in this regard will help you find the most appropriate and effective solution.

Importance of References and Customer Feedback

When choosing a cloud service, references and customer testimonials are critical in order to get an objective idea of the quality of the service offered by the partner. References are concrete examples of how reliable and effective a business partner really is. Therefore, when choosing a potential cloud partner, evaluating the feedback of customers who have previously worked with this company is very valuable for an objective decision-making process. In addition, customer feedback provides detailed information about the scope, performance and support quality of the service. Makdos 24/7 365-day service provides customers with the opportunity to reach and get detailed information at any time. This is a great advantage in terms of customer satisfaction and assurance. As a result, when choosing a cloud partner, references and customer feedback are one of the key factors that will enable you to make the most accurate and informed choice.

Data Privacy and Protection Measures

When it comes to cloud services, data privacy and protection measures are a top priority. Business critical data and customer information must be protected against potential cyber attacks and data breaches. You should ensure that your cloud partner adopts advanced security protocols and methods in accordance with industry standards. In addition, you should expect basic security features such as data encryption, network security, access control and firewalls. When choosing a cloud partner, evaluating your service provider's competencies and commitments in this area is critical to protecting both the security of your data and the reputation of your business. It should be remembered that data security is not only a technical issue, but also an assurance that your business gives to customers.

Conclusion Choosing the Right Cloud Partner

Choosing the right business partner when switching to cloud technologies is a critical factor for the success of all your business processes. The partner you choose should offer the most suitable solution for you with its technological infrastructure, security features, customer service and cost-effectiveness balance. Makdos not only fulfils all the criteria mentioned in this article, but also aims to keep customer satisfaction at the highest level. With our high quality infrastructure, 24/7 uninterrupted service and expert team, Makdos is ready to offer you the best partnership experience in cloud solutions. You can rely on the experience and expertise of makdos.com to ensure the success of your business on the cloud and benefit from the most innovative solutions in the industry.

Choosing the ideal cloud partner is a critical step for the success of your business. Finding the right partner is the key to increasing your technological capacity, accelerating your business processes and maximising your data security. If you want to take your business one step further, you can choose Makdos with its experience in the sector, affordable pricing model, superior customer service and high technological infrastructure. Contact us for the most suitable cloud solution for you and experience the difference of taking your business to new heights!