Most organizations are heading to the cloud if they aren’t already there. The main problem, of course, is that it’s very easy to find a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider who will sell you just about any cloud business application – from small-to-medium sized business (SMB) to large enterprise programs. The hard part is finding a qualified, experienced partner who can help you integrate your cloud initiatives with on-premise networks and legacy systems.
Traditional integration tools are unsuited for integrating and managing data traffic between on-premise systems and the cloud. That’s why it’s important to establish good relations with a reliable, experienced cloud integration partner, whether you’re a reseller or an end-user. The hard part is finding a qualified, experienced partner who can help you integrate your cloud initiatives with on-premise networks and legacy systems.
Here are three things you need to consider in a partner:
1. A solid relationship
As we just mentioned, going to the cloud is easy, it’s seamless ground-to-cloud integration that’s hard. A good cloud integration partner is looking for a long-term relationship because they know you need a solid integration strategy; flawless implementation; and ongoing, reliable support. The ideal cloud integration partner has both the expertise and experience to help you with the initial implementation as well as with future cloud integration projects.
2. A collaborative approach
The perfect cloud integration partner takes a collaborative approach to all projects and is willing to work with your IT team to build or modify solutions as needed to effectively address any cloud/premise integration challenges that arise. Don’t have the necessary internal IT resources? A good partner can act as an outsourced development team to ensure you get the integration solutions you need quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
3. Responsive service
Effectively connecting a wide range of apps, systems, and devices so that data moves easily between them is challenging. That’s why you need a cloud integration partner that can provide responsive, reliable service that enables faster adoption of new SaaS and cloud programs. Once integrated, it’s important to have timely support from your partner to ensure that your entire ground-to-cloud system continues to operate smoothly and efficiently.
Ground-to-cloud integration is a complex process that requires sophisticated data mediation subsystems enabling data to flow seamlessly between different infrastructures, applications, and devices. The ideal cloud integration partner can offer you a built-from-the-ground-up, comprehensive, flexible platform that not only implements but automates integration to reduce risk and minimize maintenance time and cost in the constantly evolving hybrid cloud/premise environment.
