Get to know your cloud storage bill: How to choose the best options

When it comes to using a public cloud, like Microsoft Azure which we at Storm IT Financial use, there are incredible advantages – for a price. But what are you re- ally paying for? While the flat rate you are quoted may be appealing, there are several details that can raise or lower your cloud storage bill. Could you be paying for something you don’t need, and how can you lower your expenses by factoring in certain specifics before you choose a provider? Get a closer look at your cloud storage bill:

Itemising your bill

Price per GB: Most cloud providers price based on the amount of gigabytes used. Ones like Azure reduce their rates per GB if you require a massive amount of stor- age and others keep it steady despite your level of data. In either case, this rate is affected by how redundant or active your data is – or, in other words, whether it just sits there or is often interacted with. The idea behind this is to reward businesses that use their cloud as the primary point of storage rather than branching out over several.

Storage actions: To put it simply, storage actions are all the changes, adjustments, and deletions of the data within your cloud storage. If you move something to a new file within, get rid of it entirely, or post it, these are all considered actions which your cloud provider will track, tally up, and then charge a price for hosting these actions. Some providers, such as Amazon, do charge for storage actions. This can catch businesses off guard when they go to a provider that doesn’t.

Transfer costs: When you work within the cloud, whether public or hybrid cloud, it’s free. However, some providers charge a fee for removing data for their storage. While most will allow companies to transfer data in at no cost, when it comes to migrating to a sepa- rate cloud, removing data for edits and then replacing it, or sharing data across multiple clouds, this can incur a high level of expense.

How to choose the best option: Consider employee fluency

Ultimately, it’s your employees that will be interacting with the cloud or your managed cloud vendor, such as Storm IT Financial. How easy their process is made will affect the rates you have to pay them, the amount of tech support required to help them manage the service and or navigate the new platform, and how efficiently the data is being used – which affects your profits. If your employees aren’t as fluent with the cloud, they may trial and error with managing the data and boost the price of your storage actions. This makes an option with lower prices on action fees – or one that is free – the best option. On the flipside, while it may be more cost-effective to choose a specific option, shelling out the budget for a platform with particular features could help your employees complete work more efficiently, boosting profits in the end.

How redundant or active is your storage?

For businesses that don’t work mainly online, data storage can be a way to safeguard data that’s not used often. This makes it redun- dant data. Having a cloud option that offers cost effective deals depending on how often the data is interacted with is a key to cutting out the extra expenses you may be subjected to without knowing.

If you intend on working within the cloud, then you can save money over other options by taking advantage of their added features. The cloud provider you choose and the actions you take with your storage all depend on those fine details not many businesses know about their real cloud bill. To save money and improve your data storage, keep this in mind. The Cloud enables flexible working environments by bringing down traditional barriers, like servers. Storm IT Financial is here to simplify your whole experience. Call us to find out how.

Storm IT Financial FinTech News & Trends picks: Week 20th Mar – 24th Mar 2017

Azure Site Recovery available in five new regions

Microsoft Azure announce the expansion of Azure Site Recovery to UK regions:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-backup-and-site-recovery-now-available-in-canada-central-canada-east-uk-south-uk-west-and-west-us2/

Ullink launches MiFID II trade reporting solution

Ullink, a provider of electronic trading and connectivity solutions, has launched a MiFID II compliant trade reporting solution:

http://www.hedgeweek.com/2017/03/23/249891/ullink-launches-mifid-ii-trade-reporting-solution

Move to the Cloud With Help of CPM Tool

Are you thinking of migrating to the cloud? Have you considered the help of a Corporate Performance Management (CPM) tool?:

https://solutionsreview.com/cloud-platforms/move-to-the-cloud-with-help-of-cpm-tool/

Europe’s most valuable tech company has announced a $35 million startup fund

Enterprise software firm SAP announced a $35 million (£28 million) fund to back promising early stage software companies:

http://uk.businessinsider.com/sap-has-announced-a-35-million-startup-fund-2017-3

Why a red tape bonfire won’t help fintech

Why a red tape bonfire won’t help fintech: The FCA’s Christopher Woolard talks about regulation testing:

http://www.cityam.com/261244/why-red-tape-bonfire-wont-help-fintech-fcas-christopher

Adobe and Microsoft expand cloud partnership and launch joint solutions

Adobe & Microsoft have announced the first set of joint solutions combining Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Power BI products:

https://www.cloudcomputing-news.net/news/2017/mar/22/adobe-and-microsoft-expand-cloud-partnership-and-launch-joint-solutions/

Transform your IT from cash-eater to profit-maker with managed IT as a service

How to transform IT in a record time with the ITaaS delivery model:

http://bit.ly/2obfrWx

LinkedIn Burnishes Sales Navigator for the Enterprise

LinkedIn launched an enterprise edition of its Sales Navigator product, with strengthened links to CRM:

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/LinkedIn-Burnishes-Sales-Navigator-for-the-Enterprise-84400.html

How tech is shaking up the world of banking

‘challenger banks’ use digital innovation to disrupt the market of large high-street outfits:

http://techcitynews.com/2017/03/23/tech-shaking-world-banking/

IoT in the banking industry: A logical evolution or a true revolution?

IoT devices are transforming the banking industry:

http://techcitynews.com/2017/02/15/iot-banking-industry-logical-evolution-true-revolution/

Small Businesses Provide Big Opportunities in Banking

The small business segment may provide the best option for growth:

http://bit.ly/2nPbQ0T