5 Questions for your cloud "pre-nup"

Shadow IT is coming out of the shadows as more businesses are choosing cloud-based applications. It is now a multi-cloud world for most organizations. Simultaneously, most businesses have yet to consolidate with one cloud provider or define an official cloud strategy. According to RightScale, private cloud adoption has gone from 64% to 77% while hybrid adoption has gone from 58% to 71%.  Security is no longer a top challenge for the cloud - finding and building cloud expertise is. Without standardized certifications, choosing the right cloud provider can feel like a game of Russian roulette.

With all this growth and shift, it's becoming increasingly important to read the fine print before selecting a cloud company to go "all-in" with". What happens if your cloud vendor doesn't deliver as expected? What happens if there is a security breach or outage? Who owns the risk? Consider any solid service-level-agreement (SLA) as not only a warranty from the vendor, but also a pre-nuptial agreement that both parties buy into.

After migrating several hundred customers to new cloud platforms, my personal experience is that there are two reasons that organizations typically leave a cloud platform: A) missed expectations or B) lack of follow-through. In other words, either two well-meaning parties didn't properly set expectations of who-does-what or the cloud platform failed with regards to some service.

To ensure your organization isn't caught unaware, here are some top items that should exist in your "pre-nup".

1. Financial: Consider the financial backing of a warranty

There are really two parts to this, and both are equally important.  Part 1: in the event of a disagreement, breach of warranty, or separation, will the cloud platform financially back the agreement.  You might ...