Cloud can be a make-or-break moment for a small business. Ensure proper cloud deployment and costs can be controlled by scaling and improving operations proportionally. Get it wrong, and cloud storage, data and business operations can be compromised. The costs can add up, especially when you use the public cloud for your start-up.
At first, cloud adoption may seem simple. At first glance, you no longer need expensive, cumbersome on-premises infrastructure, nor do you need to know how the technology works or even where the service is hosted. You only need a web browser and a credit card to purchase a cloud product to get started.
But as your startup grows, you face the complexity of integrating with other applications and geographies. This can result in surprisingly high operating costs on the public cloud, as well as data retention, security and regulatory challenges. You may also incur additional charges for removing data from the cloud or moving data between clouds, which can add up to significant costs.
How start-ups should implement cloud
What should start-ups consider as their data requirements grow with them? And how can they tackle these challenges? Here are a few tips:
Choose your cloud and make it work
Moving your business to the cloud allows you to store data when you need it, and purchase software to match your growth. Data can also be stored on multiple servers, which helps protect against data loss or cyber-attacks that affect all your data stored in one place.
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However, transferring data to the cloud will not eliminate the need to manage legacy technology platforms. Sharing data between inflexible public clouds can be complex and network bottlenecks can occur when transferring large amounts of data over the slow public Internet. While public clouds initially allow for affordable data storage, the costs associated with storing larger amounts of data in the public cloud can become more difficult to control over time.
That is why larger companies can opt for a hybrid cloud infrastructure, which are private clouds that connect to public clouds that can better control costs. But when companies deploy public cloud services and add private cloud capabilities to them, security requirements become more difficult to control.
Where the responsibility for security lies can be difficult to identify without a defined adoption strategy. Many companies struggle to create a defined model, and the shared responsibility model used by public cloud companies can be difficult to navigate.
Understanding your existing IT environment and the interdependencies between your application platforms are critical to making the right migration decisions. This requires a single view of trusted data, but it may not always be available because the applications running on the servers or the interdependencies between applications are often located in a series of systems or databases.
This complexity can be partially overcome by implementing network-as-a-service solutions to help a business scale. NaaS treats networks and computing resources as a unified whole, making a range of cloud systems and internet exchanges programmable under one, more connected roof.
Using a NaaS platform, businesses can create on-demand and direct connections to various cloud providers and manage all their connections through a single web portal or application programming interface that connects computer systems. NaaS’s consumption-based model means customers only pay for the connectivity they use, allowing users to increase bandwidth when needed, rather than keeping them tied to lengthy contracts and complex billing.
This flexibility is important for small businesses, as it provides the ability to scale their data capacity as needed and access an affordable network to meet their requirements, rather than being tied to cumbersome legacy infrastructures. This process can be automated through APIs integrated into your network that can respond to changing data requirements.
Provide cloud security
As your organization grows, your business needs access to more cloud providers and cloud regions, which can increase security risks. Businesses can respond by deploying strong authentication software and protocols at the time the business is launched. They should also be aware of the property lines. Many small organizations take responsibility for network security with the cloud service provider. The responsibility often lies with the cloud user.
Companies need to know where their data is stored and which national laws they must obey. To address security and regulatory compliance, cloud-native organizations must seek direct connections and private networks.
Compared to the public internet, a direct connection offers better protection against cyber attacks and also gives you more insight into your network traffic. This is important when moving data between clouds or when network traffic must remain within local data residence laws. By avoiding the public internet and using a dedicated connection to the cloud, startups can better protect their cybersecurity and compliance.
Pay attention to capacity needs
Early on, businesses will rely on a shared public internet connection. This can be a problem when transferring large amounts of data, for example a video data file.
If your business needs more capacity for hybrid cloud applications, use multiple connection points over direct cloud connections. NaaS could be a solution, as it gives start-ups access to a powerful network infrastructure typically reserved for larger enterprises.
Keep data backup
Many companies fail to test their ability to restore their backups. This is important for backups in the cloud because network latency can increase recovery time.
Companies should regularly test their ability to restore cloud backups and establish a holistic test plan that ensures staff understand how to perform data recovery. Implement monthly re-storage of your systems, files, and applications with checks to ensure data is valid and accessible. NaaS can also be used for automated data backup and recovery between clouds.
Prevent vendor lock-in
Once all your systems are moved to the cloud, make sure you don’t commit to the same vendor if their prices rise or when cheaper options can be found elsewhere. This is important given the falling costs of cloud services. Avoid vendor lock-in by implementing a multi-cloud solution and setting up the cloud architecture with maximum interoperability.
NaaS needs a network source of truth before networks can be activated. This truth allows the network to retrieve data. Make sure these resources are accessible through an API and managed with automation software to make this task easier and more accurate.
Use a multi-cloud strategy and APIs
The adoption of multi-cloud has enabled organizations to take a best-of-breed approach to cloud infrastructure. The hallmark of multi-cloud is the decentralization of IT. This means that the IT, infrastructure and network functions face the challenge of connecting different clouds.
APIs can provide connectivity between different assets, enabling efficient collaboration even as processes change. According to the Status of the 2021 API Integration Report of Cloud Elements, speed in meeting business demands (44%) and innovation (40%) are the top drivers for using APIs. Without APIs, partners cannot easily communicate with an organization’s data and business. Therefore, APIs have emerged as the most accessible way for businesses to extract value from their data and develop business models by combining with business connectivity to unlock data from isolated systems.
While there is no panacea for businesses in difficult times, NaaS can build multi-cloud environments, making it easier to connect between different cloud providers. NaaS gives start-ups access to high-performance networks. By avoiding the public internet and using a dedicated connection to the cloud, start-ups can alleviate security and compliance concerns.
Against economic headwinds, it is important to remove the complexity of cloud connectivity to give start-ups time to focus on growth, protect their data and implement the flexible business models needed in a dynamic digital economy.
Neil Templeton, SVP Marketing at Console Connect.
