How To Pick A Platform – Cloud Applications
Evaluating any platform for your business is a challenge. Will we benefit from this? Will we ALL benefit from this? For how long? What happens if I need to abandon it? What happens if THEY abandon ME? The list of uncertainties are endless. This could be as simple as picking a DNS host or as complex as shared storage. The ramifications and cost/benefit still must be considered. So where do you go?
The common move is to seek people like yourself who have washed ashore. After all, they can see the shoreline, you’re still paddling out. You gather experiences with the platform you seek, you gauge their general competency and needs, then develop your own theory. You’re planning on surfing their wave.
Your needs are unique. Your objective may be the same, but your preparation may be 100% better than your public poll. It may be worse. Whatever the variable, the experience you see will be as unique as you are.
Platforms are the new wave. They get their name from the framing they provide. No matter the function, they all come with a general framework that is designed to be used a certain way. Considering no two businesses are exactly the same, choosing one should be a guided experience. What to consider?
- Needs analysis — What problem are we solving? How will this help our customers? Are there unintended consequences to consider?
- Scale — Once decided, will this platform grow with us? Will it require it’s own management team? Are we create work so solve a simple problem? How does the renewal work? Is there support?
- Infrastructure Costs — Do we own the platform? Am I responsible for hardware maintenance? Does this platform include a backup systems? What happens when the hardware fails? Who is watching everything?
- One-time, Monthly, Annual? — Any technology platform that is purchased once, will likely need to be purchased again, eventually. What are the benefits to Monthly billing? Any break from Annual Billing? Capex or Opex? Tax implications? What if I double in size tomorrow?
- Integrations — I don’t want to create a fragmented system. What does this platform talk to? Can I integrate? How deeply? Can I develop my own? How frequently do you update your software? Security is important, who is watching those connections?
- Migration — platforms are like waves. Some are big and get small. Some are small and wipe out everything in their path. If I need to move my decision to a new one, what are my options? Are there fees to do so? What state will my data be in when we export/import? How long between here and there? What are the dependencies?
All of these questions aren’t required, but save an enormous amount of time. And they’re all very hard to get from sales and marketing campaigns. We like to think that anyone developing a platform has considered the customer impact, but it’s just not reality.
Before you enter the ocean of service platform providers, consult with a trusted technology provider. They can be the life guard to your choices, guide your search and advocate knowing your ambitions, size and budget.
Our staff of Solution Advocates are grateful to guide anyone through this decision and sourcing process. Please contact us today at 804–521–7660 or sales@codebluetechnology.com
This Blog is written by Michael Bergamo — Senior Technologist and Brand Advocate at CodeBlue Technology.