Deploying to a public cloud requires specialist help

For many independent software vendors (ISVs) the need to move their applications to the cloud has been gathering pace for a number of years. The expectation that an application can be accessed by anyone, from anywhere, means that to compete with competitors a key requirement is to move to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model with applications available from the cloud.

Cloud-hosted applications offer benefits to vendors and users alike – new features and fixes can be pushed out to users as they are ready, and subscription-based revenue models can provide greater business stability.

In some cases, software vendors use in house resources or traditional IT support providers to plan and deploy their cloud rather than seeking specialist help.  Often this means that the solution isn’t ideally suited to the software and in some cases, that the software isn’t ideally suited to the solution.

Using a public cloud platform provides significant benefits including:

• Hassle free infrastructure management – Because you are sharing infrastructure there is no need to manage and maintain dedicated hardware as this is done by the service provider

• Scalability – As requirements grow then a public cloud allows services to be increased (or decreased) on demand by upgrading a subscription

• Reduced costs – with the Public cloud a business only pays for what they need

• Security and uptime – Public cloud solutions have security and redundancy built in meaning that applications delivered over them are always available

Challenges of moving to the public cloud

The key challenges that need to be considered when offering a cloud-based application often require specialist knowledge of the hosting platform to ensure compliance and compatibility.

Security

All users expect their data to be secure. Every week there is a new story in the media about data breaches, compromised information or hacks that have damaged businesses.  Security breaches can lead to lost business and may result in significant financial penalties.

ISVs who use a “do it yourself” solution or use a traditional support supplier often do not get the right level of support and guidance that comes from specialists who have previously set up public cloud hosting.  Key issues that are often not addressed include ensuring that identity management, authentication and proper access control mechanisms are in place.

Cost management

In theory, cloud computing should save businesses money. The ability to increase processing power and capabilities without large infrastructure expenditure means companies can keep costs down but without specialist knowledge, they often fail to plan and optimise use.

The key difference between cloud and legacy infrastructure is the ability to change specifications as required.  A specification that is designed for peak usage levels rather that one which scales over time means wasted resource and more importantly, wasted money.

Support companies who have experience of setting up and managing public cloud solutions will help customers plan and define their requirements before they deploy to the cloud as well as constantly monitoring and forecasting future needs.  This will help improve cost management and business forecasting and ensure that capacity is available only when it is needed.

Lack of resources

We have written several articles about how hard it is to find the right people for AWS (Why is an expert AWS Consultant hard to find?) and Azure (Why is an Azure Consultant a Rare Thing?). It is often the biggest challenge an ISV faces as they don't have a team member already familiar with the cloud platforms. 

At IG CloudOps we bolt into your existing team and give you the capabilities you need to migrate or to fix performance problems. Then on going services so that you can access that knowledge when you need it. 

Governance and Control

By deploying solutions to the public cloud ISVs do not always have full control over the provisioning, de-provisioning, and operations of infrastructure. This means that they can often struggle to provide the governance, compliance, risks and data quality management required by their own customers and users.

For example, selecting the wrong cloud provider can mean that customer data comes under the control of different country regulations. This may include changes to where personal data about the user is stored in the event of legislation changes.

Specialists can help businesses examine the risks and options associated with different solutions and select the right one to deploy to. 

Find out more about how we help ISV's with moving to and maintaining cloud environments.

If you would like to talk to an expert about the challenges of deploying to the public cloud and how IG CloudOps can help you mitigate the issues, you can use our contact us page.

You might also be interested in:

• How do I get AWS and Azure support that fits my needs? 
• How do I Gain a Clear View of Costs in AWS and Azure & Stop Getting Surprises?
• How to maintain a Managed Cloud Service Without Spending an Arm and a Leg