So, you’re interested in Cloud services however you aren’t sure what you are looking for or how to go about procuring those Cloud Computing solutions? Well, for you, the company who needs a detailed breakdown of services rendered, your potential provider will supply you with a Cloud Computing RFP (Request for Proposal).
In this quick article, we are going to cover what you should look for in a Cloud Hosting RFP and if you even need to see one.
What is a Cloud Computing RFP?
A Cloud solutions RFP is a request for proposal. Like any RFP, a Cloud request for proposal is a “solicitation made, often through a bidding process, by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity, service or valuable asset, to potential supplier to submit business proposals.” The Wikipedia definition aside, a Cloud hosting RFP is the document a Cloud Computing firm sends you when they are bidding for your business.
The Cloud Hosting request for proposal will be broken down into a few sections. Those sections will include
- About the provider in question
- Services provided by the company in question
- Cloud services custom tailored by the provider to meet your needs
- Price for Cloud solutions custom tailored by the provider to meet your needs
- Cloud management services custom tailored by the provider to meet your needs
- Contact information
The vast majority of Cloud RFP’s are pretty straight forward. Companies who bid for your contract will have an understanding of your need, what your budget is and what you expect to see. While we would love to tell you that most Cloud Computing solution RFP’s consist of jump off the page information, they are not. Most request for proposals, regardless of industry, consist of pretty bland straight forward content.
The more interesting question here isn’t what you should be looking for in a Cloud services request for proposal. No. The more interesting question here is do you even need to see a Cloud solutions RFP? Is a Cloud RFP something you need before investing in web hosting services?
Cloud Computing Vendor Selection
Before you decide to open your Cloud need up to bids and RFP’s, you need to determine if you even need to see a Cloud RFP. By this we mean, is your web server need big enough to constitute requesting proposals from Cloud vendors or is your need straight forward enough that a detailed visit to a vendors website could answer your questions?
It should be said, most Cloud Computing questions can be answered by visiting vendor websites. As all vendors operate in the digital space, all vendors maintain comprehensive e-commerce platforms with live sales chat and online support. These Cloud e-commerce platforms will have a detailed list of current service offerings and live sales chat operators will be able to supply you with information on how you can grow with said provider.
A word to the wise: unless you are in need a Cloud solutions which call for a monthly contract of $5,000 or above, there is no need to see a Cloud Computing RFP. As most questions can be answered via the aforementioned e-commerce platforms, your Cloud vendor section can be reached by online research and live sales chat.
So, do you really need to see a Cloud Computing RFP to choose a vendor? No. Is a Cloud RFP wise for accounts spending $5,000 or above per month? Yes. Point being: unless you are a big company maintaining a decent – high spend per month on Cloud solutions, forgo the Cloud Computing RFP and opt for online research.