A metric walk-through
Here are some tips on how to conduct an evaluation.
Security – If multi-tenant, assess platform security, along with physical and employee security for all configurations. Look at authentication and access methods as well as security and staff monitoring. Confirm adherence to data privacy and financial information security standards.
Cost – Look for hidden expenses like migration and downtime charges. Conduct comparisons between cloud and legacy solutions. A cloud solution can cut the cost of phones and email by anywhere from 50 to 90 percent. But, be aware that not all cloud-based solutions offer the same reliability, security or QoS.
Synergistic benefits – Include in your evaluation the advantages that arise from having a single service perform multiple functions. For instance, a file synchronization service can provide both backup and file sharing, simplifying setups and improving responsiveness.
User Satisfaction – Be sure to include measures of end user satisfaction. After installation, you can gather information about user views through questionnaires as well as with indirect means such as helpdesk statistics. Before installation, you will have to depend upon the vendor for this information.
And that brings up a final metric: Trust. Having trust in your provider is critical to long-term success. Do your research to find out how the provider’s other clients feel about the service received. As with any professional relationship, make the vendor’s history and reputation an important part of your assessment.