I get quite a few clients who assume that going “cloud” means the same thing. Your data and services is looked after by someone else. Whilst that is true, not all cloud providers are the same. Let me explain the differences.

There are the major players, Microsoft with Office365, Google gsuite, Dropbox etc. Then there is your smaller IT dudes who have some servers in a data center somewhere in Australia (hopefully in Australia) which seems to offer similar services at a similar price. So whats the difference?

When working with the smaller IT companies, it often ties you into using them for your services and support. I have transitioned quite a few clients from local providers who offer inferior services, and who often like to tie up their services with their support packages. So what happens when you choose you want another support provider? Normally a costly and troublesome migration.

The smaller providers are often a few steps behind the major players. You typically wont find them offering the extra collaboration tools such as Microsoft teams, or essential security services such as Multi Factor Authentication. They are also generally more expensive when you compare apples for apples with the major players.

So why work with the major players? Heres a few important reasons

• You will always have the latest technology including the additional security and productivity features
• You will be able to use any IT provider for support, and most providers these days can even sell you the subscription
• Your system will be generally more reliable and more available as the companies providing the services have considerable investments in resources and hardware to support the cloud services

TIP – make sure your IT provider isn’t charging you more than the Microsoft RRP prices for subscriptions, because a lot of them do!

If your currently working with a local cloud services provider, you may be paying too much for inferior services that lack the essential security and collaboration features that modern businesses require to be productive and secure. If you feel this is you, get in touch for a free appraisal.