Cloud providers offer a wide variety of services which are instrumental in the continued success of a business. Often providing vital infrastructure where absent, a cloud service can change the entire paradigm of a company, normally for the better.

But even with all the offerings out there, plenty of factors need to come under consideration. In this article, we’ll briefly go over some of the biggest pluses – and negatives – to major cloud providers.

Pros

Scalable Service

Cloud offers scaling service models, meaning an enterprise can reduce or increase its infrastructure needs at will. This is great when utilizing staff augmentation, backup options, or any area which may need support. This additionally means the cost is reactive, meaning a company is charged based on what it uses versus a flat fee.

Managed Infrastructure

Cloud providers can essentially cover a majority – if not all – of needed infrastructure for a business. This is a huge benefit to SMB’s which may have limited capital and rely on third-parties to shore up the gaps in their model.

This managed infrastructure covers everything from communication, data monitoring, IT, and even cybersecurity.

Virtualized Services

One other major advantage with cloud providers is their ability to offer virtualization platforms. These are not only scalable, but can reduce cost across the board by implementing things like software, operating systems, and even data storage.

Cons

Downtime

Because your infrastructure increasingly relies on a cloud provider, it means their shortcomings fall on your enterprise as well. Things like downtime then are a real risk and are only resolvable by the third party. Downtime is costly and causes major service disruptions, so without proper backups in place, your business can suffer.

Less Control

While most top providers offer solid communication and provide information as requested, one downside is that some control is lost when imparting services to the third party. For many organizations, it’s one of the key factors preventing them from fully investing in cloud infrastructure.

Infrastructure Migration

One major challenge to utilizing any cloud service is migrating actual services to the said provider. Whether it’s legacy systems, unfamiliarity, or complexity, transferring these services can prove challenging. Depending on what software and/or operating systems are used with one company, this can create problems when deployed through the cloud provider.

Additionally, offloading so much infrastructure forces a company to rely on a cloud provider. This reliance can cause friction for management, as – for some of the reasons listed above – relying on a resource not fully in one’s control may lead to additional problems.

The nature of these networks and managed services is still evolving. And no doubt, the what they offer is invaluable to businesses which have shortcomings in their own IT infrastructure. However, even with advancements in technology, there are still many problems to remain aware of.

If you’re considering cloud infrastructure for your own business, be sure you know all the ways it can benefit your company. But also be aware of its shortcomings before you make a committed investment.