Questions To Ask When Finding Cloud Services

Once your company has made the decision to take advantage of cloud services to organize your organization and boost productivity, you want to make every effort to work with the best company. There are many companies that offer services within the cloud, so asking a few questions can help you to make a better decision as to who to go with.

How much space in the cloud do I get?
The space associated with the cloud is of the utmost importance because you don't want to run out. Some companies will provide you with unlimited cloud storage while others will provide you with a few gigabytes - and then charge for every additional gigabyte that you need.

When you choose a company to get cloud services from, you want to allow growth. Unlimited accounts for this. If you do decide to go with a plan where you are limited in storage, you want to make sure you have room to grow so that you don't run into issues down the road.

Are there back-end features that allow for data to go into databases?
Back-end features can allow for your data transmitted into the cloud to be formatted in such a way that it feeds directly into the database of your choice. This can be particularly convenient because you won't have to spend additional time manipulating data. If you have field agents, the data that they transmit to the cloud can go through some of the back-end features and then directly into a database so that others can run the reports they need - and no additional data entry is required.

Will I get an app to use the cloud on my computer?
Having an app to be able to access the cloud services are critical. You may need an app for the computers within the office as well as all of the devices that people use. If you have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy, you may need an app that works for iOS and Android devices - and potentially Windows and Blackberry as well. To avoid having too many versions of an app created, you may want to specify devices that can be used within your BYOD policy.

Can apps be customized based on what I need?
There may be instances when you need something customized within your app. This may be an inspection form, a way of running reports, and much more. If you need customization, you need to be sure the company offering cloud services is capable of providing it for you.

What are the costs associated with the services?
Finally, you have to find out how much it is going to cost you. Cloud services may seem like an expense that you don't want to deal with, but you have to remember how much it can save you in terms of productivity and labor. Still, you shouldn't spend more than what is necessary. Contact a few companies and find out what the services are going to cost you based on the actual services and cloud space that you require.