Are you looking for a reliable Virtual Desktop hosting provider? If so, asking the right questions before signing on the dotted line is key. By asking just a few simple questions, you’ll quickly learn whether a provider is right for you and your business and avoid committing yourself to an unsuitable service agreement.
We’ve put together a handy list of questions to help you select the best possible Virtual Desktop hosting provider. Of course, it’s important to remember that every business is different, so be sure to also take your company’s needs into account when evaluating cloud service providers.
1. How much experience do you have?
Your time and data is valuable, so it’s important to find out how experienced a potential Virtual Hosted Desktop provider is so that you can assess any potential risks to your business.
When was the company formed? What kind of clients do they have? Can they put you in touch with any of their existing customers? Knowing how much experience an IT provider has, especially with businesses with similar needs to yours, will give you a good indication of how well they will manage your account.
2. Do I have to pay set up and migration costs?
Do they offer a free cloud migration service? Some IT companies hide extra set up and migration fees, so be sure to check whether you are expected to pay extra for migration assistance. Frequent extra charges, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on your company’s bottom line, so if you’re not 100% sure of all the costs involved – ask.
3. How long will it take to migrate to the cloud?
Unexpected downtime can be devastating for businesses, no matter the size. Who is going to handle your account and manage the migration? What does the process involve? Make sure you ask the provider to answer these questions and explain to you, step by step, the practical steps you will need to take as a business owner to ensure your business is not affected negatively by the migration.
An experienced Cloud service provider will be able to guide you through the process and explain how, or if, the migration will affect your business. If a provider seems reluctant to discuss the details with you, this could be a sign that they are relatively inexperienced and do not place enough importance on offering a smooth, hassle-free experience.
4. What support do you offer?
You should feel confident that if something goes wrong, the issue will be addressed quickly and professionally. After all, downtime costs UK businesses billions of pounds each year.
Do the service providers you are considering offer any email or telephone support? In the event of any problems with your service, knowing that there will be someone available to help you is vital. It’s also important to know whether you will be able to speak with fully accredited, qualified team members too – not simply asked to leave your number and wait for a call.
Remember: Always find out whether you will be expected to pay an additional fee for support services.
5. Are you available 24/7, 365 day a year?
Unfortunately for business owners, IT problems don’t disappear for Christmas or holidays. Make sure your service provider doesn’t either. Ask who will be your first point of contact in an emergency (during and outside of traditional working hours) and find out whether you will be expected to call an outside agency if you experience problems during bank holidays.
6. How flexible and scalable are your services?
The needs of your business are likely to change over time, so it’s very important to find out whether a service provider can offer you a flexible package that can be scaled up or down to meet your needs.
How long will it take to add additional users or adjust resources? What are the costs involved if your needs suddenly change? The beauty of the Cloud is that it’s flexible and offers businesses the freedom to access data from anywhere in the world. The best Hosted Desktop providers can adjust your service package quickly and easily to allow you to get the most from the Cloud.
7. What software can you host?
Not every Hosted Desktop provider will be able to support and host all your business’s services and applications. You should always ask for a full list of the software an IT provider can support before you commit to a provider. It may be necessary to employ additional IT support to ensure you’re left with a complete solution.
An experienced Cloud service provider will be able to talk you through all of the options available to you before you sign a service agreement.
8. How secure is my data?
The security of your data is non-negotiable. You should always ask what security certifications a provider has, as these qualifications will help you determine whether or not they follow best practice and industry guidelines.
Look out for the ISO270001 certification. It’s a voluntary qualification, so any company that has gone to the time and effort to secure this certificate is likely to be up to date with security compliance and is sure to take the security of your data seriously.
9. Will my data be backed up?
In the event of a critical fail, will your data be safe and secure? How many days worth of data are backed up as standard? Naturally, making sure data is safe is a priority for business owners making the move to the Cloud. Experienced providers will often make sure your virtual server environment is snapshotted across several data centres. This will ensure your business is safe, secure and ready to operate no matter what happens.
10. What is your disaster recovery process?
All providers should be able to explain their disaster recovery process. As a minimum, they should be able to outline what will happen in the event of a major outage, a server becoming corrupted, and explain how they would deal with resolving any data changes or disruption experienced by end users.
Trust your gut
Now that you have read our article listing the top 10 questions to ask when you choose a Virtual Desktop hosting provider, we hope that you feel more confident about being able to find a company that can meet your requirements perfectly.
Of course, if you have any questions at all about Hosted Desktops, the team at Green Cloud Hosting are always happy to help. As one of the UK’s leading providers of tailored Hosted Desktop, Hosted Exchange and Online Backup services, we deliver exceptional value and high quality services.
Work with Green Cloud Hosting
At Green Cloud Hosting, we offer rapid, reliable, secure Hosted Desktop packages to businesses of all sizes at affordable prices. Our flexible, affordable packages can be tailored to suit your needs perfectly and come with a dedicated account manager and 24/7 UK-based telephone support as standard.
For more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Give our team a call today on 0161 979 0691 or email info@greencloudhosting.co.uk. We look forward to helping your business discover the incredible benefits of Cloud technology.
