Five Factors for Choosing the Right Cloud for Microsoft Dynamics

On the heels of Microsoft Convergence 2015, jam packed with sessions, meetings, and conversations with the Microsoft partner and user community, there is one message that rings resoundingly clear: Dynamics ERP and CRM are ready for the cloud.  Yet, this message raises a key question - which cloud? Microsoft Azure, private cloud, and hybrid cloud all have hype surrounding them, but understanding which path is best for your Dynamics solution and its associated workloads can be a bit murky.  The number one question from everyone with whom I spoke was, "Which cloud is right for my Dynamics solution?"

Like the typical consultant, my answer to this question was: "It depends." One must look at several key criteria to determine which workloads will be deployed in the public cloud (Microsoft Azure) and which will be deployed in a private cloud.  And then there are additional factors related to the integration of various systems with Dynamics, from business intelligence and eCommerce to portals and a number of other applications. Choosing a platform that can connect your public, private, and on-premise environments to provide a fully-integrated hybrid environment is also an important factor to consider.  I'd like to share our top five decision-making criteria when we evaluate the appropriate cloud platform for our own customers using Microsoft Dynamics.

1. Compliance Requirements

A primary consideration when evaluating a cloud workload, whether it is Microsoft Dynamics or any other application, is determining what type of compliance requirements a customer may have with the particular system. If you are in a regulated industry, then you understand that maintaining compliance is more than simply checking a box stating your cloud provider is certified in a particular area.  In order to meet stringent compliance requirements, a private cloud ...