Cloud service providers offer a wide range of services, such as, storage, hosting, application, etc… In Singapore itself, there are already several options available. You might be asking by now, how to choose a cloud service provider in Singapore?
Choosing a cloud service provider can be daunting because you need to determine whether they are the right fit for your needs. You will also need to check out their pricing, terms of services, security, and technology carefully before signing up.
If you are going to use one provider for all your needs, you will want to make sure it is easy to switch between different types of cloud service providers as your needs change.
This article is intended to help you choose the right CSP for your company needs, whether it is for email or other cloud services, storage or collaboration, hosted apps or even dedicated servers.
What is a Cloud Service Provider?
Cloud service providers facilitate a web-based interface to manage your virtual machines and computing resources such as storage, computer power and network bandwidth. The cloud services are accessible over the internet.
As of now, there are various cloud service providers available in Singapore, but most of them only provide a certain service or a certain set of services. Hence, it is not easy to find out which CSP is the best for your needs.
Benefits of Using a Cloud Service Provider
Let’s first explore the benefits of using a cloud service provider.
- Increased Speed and Reliability of Data Transfer
Cloud services provide you with the latest technology that allows you to transfer data faster and more reliably. As compared to using a traditional computer system, cloud services also save time because there are no software installations required.
The applications that are used for data-intensive processing run without any delays because there are servers dedicated to them with fast network connectivity.
- Easy to Set Up and Manage
In case you want to start a business or want to expand it, cloud services can be provided quickly, with minimal investment and in most cases, at a low cost. When you want to start a business, you need to consider using the best technology services that can help you grow and expand.
Cloud services are easy to use because they come with web-based interfaces that allow you to manage everything from your local machine without having to install any software or connect any peripherals to your computer.
With these web-based management tools, there is no need for any complicated procedures for deployment or installation of applications or upgrades on the cloud infrastructure.
The entire process can be done through a few clicks on the web interface. - Increase in Business Efficiency
As cloud services are hosted on dedicated servers that are built by specialized teams, you will not have any problems with hardware support or maintenance issues.
These servers also ensure that there is minimal downtime and that the applications run smoothly all the time.
You can get better performance from your data-intensive applications because the server resources are much more efficient than those used for traditional computer systems. - Cost Reduction
There are many advantages that you can get when you use cloud services, but one of the most important benefits is that they allow you to reduce costs and make your business more profitable.
When you compare a cloud service provider with a traditional computer system, the cloud service provider will always be cheaper and more efficient because it will require less money and less time to set up a server.
The setup cost is usually minimal, so there will be no investment required in hardware or software.
Once it is up and running, it can be expanded easily with minimal effort because it will only require minor upgrades in terms of storage space, bandwidth or CPU power as needed.
How to Choose a Cloud Service Provider in Singapore
To choose the best cloud service provider in Singapore, you need to consider the following:
- Value-for-money
One of the most important considerations when choosing a cloud service provider is the value-for-money.
There are many factors that affect the value of a service, including the quality of services and equipment used, availability and level of customer support, and so on.
- Support and Maintenance
It is very important that you check out the specific support offered by a cloud service provider because you will be using their cloud services for a long time.
The quality of support and how quick they respond will determine how much effort you will have to put in to maintain your cloud services and how many issues you might face with it. Therefore, if the support is not up to your expectations, it is better to choose another CSP.
You should also look at whether there are different types of cloud service providers available or whether there are only a few choices available for your needs.
This can affect how much it will cost for your business needs as well as what features or services you get with your package.
Another important element is to find out about their software update policies. This is critical to get the latest features but also for security reasons to avoid your data being hacked. If your data is hacked, how long would it take to recover it? Lastly, it’s important to find out how often you can expect servers to be down over the course of a year (if any).
- Cloud Server Safety and Security
It is critical to find out the security measures and what standards are in place. What specific firewalls and antivirus are being used? How will the provider protect your business from hackers and theft? Are there any legal data management policies in place? - BCDR (Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery)
What is the service provider’s policies and methods in place in case of a natural disaster (such as flood and fire) and cyber-attacks? For example, if all your data is stored in a specific place and there is a fire, then you need to know if there is a plan in place to recover the data. - Performance and Scalability
Does the provider offer enough bandwidth for your business needs for today and in the next 3-5 years. What sorts of technology have they invested in? For example, are they using fiber optic cables instead of copper cables? What sorts of CPUs are being used? The scalability of what your business needs is an important aspect to consider to either increase or decrease IT resources as needed.
Conclusion
Nowadays, it is possible to choose from a variety of cloud service providers in Singapore that have their own individual offerings for various business needs.
There are various types of CSPs available for various types of businesses such as online shopping, e-commerce, e-banking and others.
It is not easy to decide which cloud service provider is the best for your business needs. You need to check out what each cloud service provider offers based on the points discussed in this article and compare them carefully before deciding which one is suitable for your business needs.
Our team of IT professionals in Singapore are not only highly skilled but also genuine, professional, and flexible with access to 24/7 customer service support. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business in Singapore and other countries.
