MailGuard Editor 09 October 2014 20:51:00 AEDT 7 MIN READ

Breaking Up With Your Cloud Provider- What To Do When The Honeymoon Is Over

Romeo and Juliet. Anthony and Cleopatra. Bonnie and Clyde. Some of the world's most famous and enduring love stories didn't have happy endings. The same can be said for some cloud relationships.

cloud computer heart (final) stock free

Imagine, a company decides they have been alone for too long, and it's now time to take the plunge and move to the cloud. They flirted with a few different providers, swapped numbers, and before they knew it they were wined and dined with flashy sales pitches. They got to know each other intimately and their cloud provider acted like the perfect gentleman - attentive, caring, understanding and supportive. After a brief dating period, they decided to make their commitment to each other official. It was a special occasion as both parties settled well into commercial bliss. However, cracks soon began to show. Communication began to break down, their cloud provider wasn't returning calls anymore, and before the company knew it, the honeymoon was well and truly over.

heart fly away (final) stock free

It's not you, it's me.
Isn't this the line we all hate hearing before getting dumped? You may have chosen your smaller independent provider because they claim to offer the lowest price which you adore, and that caring, supportive service you deserve. Yet in 2013, research firm Gartner predicted that one in four cloud vendors will have disappeared by 2015. Many vendors walked out on their clients due to procurement or insolvency, leaving their services and the availability of their previously stored data hanging in the balance. In 2013, customers who stored their data on MegaCloud (#Megaupload) faced utter heartbreak as all their files including pictures, backups, personal and business property were permanently deleted.

valentine (final) stock free

I think we should see other people.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin may have started the trend of 'Conscious Uncoupling' yet for businesses who spent many years trusting their cloud providers only to find out that they have decided to leave the relationship without a word of warning, have found nothing but disappointment. Cloud email filtering service provider Postini broke the hearts of their clients in 2007 when they were acquired by Google, who then had to make a complete move to a full Google Apps platform in 2012. While this new friendship was comfortable for some clients, for others the change left their business unfulfilled and they wished to 'Consciously Uncouple' from the relationship.

valentine 2  (final) stock free

So what can you do if you are just not that into your current provider?
Whether you are jilted or simply jaded by the process, one bad service provider experience shouldn't turn you off the cloud. The cloud offers limitless possibilities for business, and while love might be a battlefield, changing providers doesn't have to be. Plenty of cloud providers may try and court you, so it's important to set your standards high. That doesn't mean looking for one that appears attractive from the outside or is incredibly popular, you should look for one that has real substance inside. Think of a finding a new provider that will first and foremost be your best mate, just like MailGuard. So why would you forgo a romantic relationship with your provider for one based on a mutual friendship?

 

friend (final) stock free
A cloud provider who acts as a best friend to your company will always support you no matter what (day or night). MailGuard provides unlimited technical support 24/7, at no additional cost, with a 98% first call resolution rate.

 

 

 

defend (final) stock free
Great mates will always defend you. MailGuard removes 99.997% of spam and 100% of known malware and viruses. Our dedicated team of security specialists and systems are working 24/7 to stop email threats before they enter your network.

 

 

 

hero (final) stock free
Your buddy should be strong and reliable. MailGuard is stable and robust, with over 13 years’ experience handling cloud security for hundreds of business users across 27 countries.

 

 

 

 
besties (final) stock free
As your bestie, your provider should always value you and make life as easy as possible. MailGuard is governed by strict SLAs and boast a 100% historical service uptime and a 100% email delivery guarantee. You will experience smart, agile security, and you only pay for the services you use.

 

 

 
safe secrets (final) stock free
Your business secrets are always kept safe and secure, pinky promise. MailGuard provides a suite of services within the cloud to ensure your business runs as smoothly as possible, managing all your security services from MailGuard's sleek, unified management console.

 

 

 

computer switch (final) stock free

The rumours are true. Making the switch to MailGuard is incredibly easy, and once you do, you will see for yourself the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

If this article tickled your fancy, be sure to take a look at The Real Cost of Moving to the Cloud.