Are you ready for cloud computing?

Impressed by the lower costs and increased efficiency promised by cloud computing? You’re not alone. According to recent research, many businesses see the cloud as their top technology priority for 2011.

But just hold on a moment. While cloud computing might think it’s ready for them, not every business is ready for cloud computing.

Neil Cross from Advanced 365 explains seven key things to consider before adding cloud computing to your IT strategy.

1. Work out what you want to achieve and why

Every aspect of your business IT should be about improving how your company operates in some way.

It’s not about technology for technology’s sake. Cloud computing is no different, so make sure you understand what improvements you want to see after adopting cloud computing.

Consider cloud services alongside non-cloud alternatives and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each. Moving to cloud computing because it’s ‘the latest thing’ isn’t a good enough reason.

2. Understand your overall business needs – not just your IT needs

Many businesses decide to adopt cloud computing to make their IT systems more efficient.

However, cloud computing can mean fundamental changes to your IT infrastructure, so it’s vital the proposed changes are well-suited to your entire business. Cost savings alone are not enough to justify such big changes.

3. Prepare thoroughly before you start using it

It might seem obvious, but it’s surprising how many businesses don’t do this. Plan the introduction of cloud computing meticulously. Work out how it will be adopted, managed and monitored.

You can access ‘on demand’ cloud services in minutes with your credit card - this can be a good way to try out different options and see some practical examples of cloud computing in your business. However, this doesn’t mean you should become complacent about the planning required.

4. Make it less complicated as well as less expensive

Cloud computing won’t automatically work out cheaper than managing IT systems exclusively in-house. You’ll incur extra costs for accessing cloud services.

Additionally, things might get more complicated. You’ll have to work out how to manage your cloud supplier(s) and how to link the different parts of your business IT together.

Address both areas – cost and complexity – when considering cloud options.

5. Think about the risks

Carefully consider the potential risks of cloud computing, as well as the benefits. Will your data be held safely and securely? Is your chosen cloud computing supplier reliable and experienced?

6. Choose the right partner

Your choice of cloud computing supplier will be key to how easily your business can start using cloud computing. Don’t judge on cost alone. It’s far more important that your supplier can manage their services in line with your requirements.

Choose your cloud computing supplier with the same care you would pick any other key supplier. Check what level of service they guarantee, what support is available, how they monitor your service and – crucially – how and where your data is stored and protected.

Carefully check the hours your cloud provider’s support team is available. You’ll probably want to choose a provider offering 24/7 telephone support, so you can get things fixed quickly if there’s a problem.

7. Decide what service level agreement (SLA) you need

If you’ll be relying on cloud computing for crucial parts of your business IT, you need to be confident it can be trusted. For instance, if your customer database is in the cloud, losing it even for just an hour or two could cause huge disruption. A day or two and your business could be under threat.

Your SLA is a commitment to you from the cloud provider. It should guarantee you a certain level of availability for the service, and explains how quickly they’ll respond in the event of any problems.

SLAs are contractually binding and give you a performance guarantee you can hold your cloud provider too. Make sure your SLA fits your requirements.