In the world of Cloud Computing, customers are becoming more diligent in understanding vendor Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which are designed to protect the customer in the event of downtime. However, an SLA offers zero protection if the vendor declares bankruptcy. Collapses of cloud storage providers due to bankruptcy don’t happen very often—but they do happen. Looking forward, how can companies choose a financially stable provider? Here are a few preventative solutions to avoiding cloud provider shutdowns:
- Go with the hybrid cloud. Connect your existing infrastructure with external providers.
- Make sure your cloud solution is based on commercially available hypervisors such as VMware. This will allow you to easily move data to a new cloud quickly if necessary.
- Choose a partner with stable financials. This is obvious; however, your due diligence should include the following:
How long has the vendor been in business?
What has their growth been a result of – organic and/or acquisition?
What does their business model encompass – do they have a single site, multiple sites, etc?
How are they funded?
Developing a strong relationship with a dependable provider ultimately safeguards your business. An important consideration is recognizing the benefits of partnering with a regional provider. If a provider won’t allow you to get an up-close, personal look at their operations and explain exactly how your solution is delivered it should raise red flags. Solid providers will not only give your team a personal tour of the data center and show you exactly where your data is located, but also welcome any questions you have about their capabilities and business model.
A common practice in the cloud world is for providers to claim that they have their own data centers but then actually sublet from another provider where they don’t have full control of the critical power infrastructure or physical security. Expedient Data Centers is a network of nationwide data centers offering a wide range of managed services and network connectivity with 9 total facilities in Baltimore (2), Boston, Cleveland (2), Columbus, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh (2).
- Founded in 2001
- Financially sound (zero debt)
- Consistent double digit growth
- Positive EBIDTA
- Plus…
Expedient’s data center facilities are interconnected with a private 100Gbps network, enabling Expedient to deliver premier colocation, cloud computing, network and managed services. Our approach complements a variety of industry and government compliance requirements, including SOX, PCI DSS and HIPAA, supported by third-party SOC attestation.
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