There are many cloud service providers (CSPs) that claim to provide exceptional performance and service for their customers. With so many CSPs competing for your attention with differing offerings, how do you choose the managed cloud hosting plan that’s right for your government agency?
To begin, weed out the competitors that can’t prove a record of success with similar projects for other government agencies. The field of cloud service providers capable of hosting and protecting the nation’s most sensitive systems and data is rather small. Further refine this pared-down list by evaluating each CSP against six must-have criteria for selecting a cloud service provider.
You’ll then want to define exactly what you need from the CSP. What will you be using the cloud hosting environment for – testing or prototyping, maintaining non-production systems, hosting sensitive information? From there, you can more easily compare service add-ons, like application support, backup and recovery, and security compliance.
CSPs that offer bundled cloud solutions, where secure government cloud services are integrated from a single provider, deliver tremendous convenience and value. Bundling enables 10%-40% cost savings over other government clouds, shortens deployment and ATO schedules, allows for faster support and higher uptime SLAs, and reduces implementation risk.
When contracting a cloud service provider, everything should be in writing. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of each party at every stage of the contract lifecycle, and demand a robust service level agreement (SLA) that defines data accessibility, uptime projections, service capacity, remediation policies, and resolution expectations. Choose a cloud service provider that can deliver a project scope that is both unambiguous and highly detailed.
GovDataHosting does all this and more. We make choosing a cloud hosting plan easy and convenient with a simple cost- and service-comparison chart. Have questions? We’re with you every step of the way with our dedicated white-glove support team.
Selecting the best CSP partner for your government agency can allow you to efficiently adopt emerging technologies, innovate in the cloud, and propel your mission forward. It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Start the conversation today with GovDataHosting and enjoy single-source, integrated services that outperform the rest.
