Many more companies are discovering the benefits of using cloud services to help run their business. Like many things in life, however, you don’t want to be overpaying for a service, so keeping costs low and within budget are always at the forefront of a decision. Firstly, understanding what is involved with cloud computing can help provide context for the various costs involved. Here is a short guide on what contributes to the costs of cloud services.
Understand Your Needs
Depending on whether you are currently using cloud services or are venturing into this for the first time, knowing exactly why you need them and what you will use them for is vital. If you are unsure where to start and how to make the most of it, cloud consulting services are available to help define this. The costs involved can vary depending on what your business wants to achieve, so most will require a consultation to understand fully what your needs are. This is where it is important to know exactly your use for cloud computing, such as how much you are looking to store and the levels of security and ongoing support you require. This will help consultants provide an accurate quote for all aspects of your migration to the cloud.
The Types of Fees
There are generally both fixed fees and ongoing costs involved with hiring a professional service. This can vary depending on the experience of the consultant, but many will charge for how long a project takes and the materials used to deliver it using an hourly rate model. The rate charged will usually increase the more experienced the people involved, so expect to pay more for those in higher job roles such as an architecture expert or senior level consultant. You’ll have the ongoing monthly fee for storage etc., but there’s also many unexpected costs or one-off expenses that need to be considered too.
Staying in Budget
It’s important to know how much you are willing to spend on cloud services and how much flexibility you have within your budget. As the switch to the cloud is not an immediate process where you pay your money and it’s simply turned on, it can sometimes mean concurrent costs will be required with your existing solution, whether that is another cloud service or in house resource. You’ll also want to consider that not only will consulting services be needed at the start and on an ongoing basis, but the costs of cloud resources will vary too. This will depend on your expected usage as well as how you choose to optimise the data held. The various intricacies of cloud usage can be complex, but it is important to understand all the potential costs you could be expected to pay.
The easiest direction to go is to speak to the experts to understand how much this will cost for your business. You can estimate based on average hourly figures and looking at different service packages, but speaking to those within the industry is always a good first step. Then you’ll be best placed for choosing the right cloud option for your business and avoid fewer surprises.