PARTNERS ’ PERSPECTIVE
How African channel partners can qualify cloud providers
Andrew Cruise , Managing Director , Routed
With South African businesses reeling under power cuts , Andrew Cruise at Routed , advises African channel partners and enterprise decision makers on how to select their cloud service partners . should be a specialist with a dedicated , experienced , certified team . If it is not a provider ’ s sole focus , their ability to deliver a secure , well-performing product and to be available to support you will be diluted .
Cloud adoption is rapidly increasing in Africa , with no slow-down in sight . Worldwide Worx research indicates that 69 % of companies in eight African countries plan to increase their cloud spend in 2023 . This is due to a number of factors that started with the pandemic and the increase in remote work .
Now , load shedding is further fuelling this shift . Data centre colocation providers are obliged to offer a guarantee of continuous power to their tenants and can address power cuts more efficiently than a smaller enterprise ’ s data centre or server room .
As the urgency to move increases , it is clear that decision-makers need guidance in terms of what to look for when moving to the cloud . To ensure cloud success , it is critical to choose the right provider .
Here is what African channel and enterprise decision makers can consider :
Specialisation
If you are going to trust someone with your critical data , you should make sure they are experts in the field . Your cloud provider
Worldwide Worx research indicates that 69 % of companies in eight African countries plan to increase their cloud spend in 2023 .
Datacentre
Just as your cloud provider should be a
specialist , you should make sure they use a colocation facility that is also a true expert in its field . Decision-makers should check up on the appropriate certifications and a proven record of security , redundancy , and resilience across power , dual UPS , dual generators , CRAC , computer room air conditioning and fire risk mitigation .
An open access , vendor-neutral site at one of the main peering points for Internet connectivity is preferable , so that connectivity is not restricted or charged at a premium due to vendor lock-ins . For best performance and minimal latency , it should also be located in-country .
Guarantees
With load shedding reaching unprecedented levels , a cloud provider ’ s reliability is essential to ensure that your business operations are not disrupted by system failures or downtime . Look for a provider that offers a robust service level agreement , SLA , including uptime guarantees and penalties for failure to meet the SLA . A minimum n + 1 redundancy is a given , though n + 2 or 2n is preferable .
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