Thu, 17 Mar 2016 | By Sue Weekes

FROM APRIL's RECRUITER MAGAZINE

Decide what suits you best before committing long term 

DEFINED: True cloud offers what is called ‘multi-tenancy’, in which costs are shared with all of the other users around the world, making access to the latest technology and upgrades highly cost-effective. Hosted cloud is not multi-tenancy and can be more fixed, explains Oliver Kiddell, spokesperson for cloud desktop services provider iFollowOffice, owned by technology consultancy Viastak. “Hosted cloud won’t necessarily offer the scaleability, automatic upgrades nor cost-effectiveness of the true cloud,” he says. “Recruiters’ requirements can change quickly and the true cloud is more adaptable in terms of capacity and bandwidth.” Hosted cloud may suit your needs but be clear on what the provider is offering you. 

For recruitment start-ups, the cloud is often an obvious route for their IT set-up. Typically there are no upfront costs, it requires a reduced IT infrastructure, software is automatically upgraded and the number of users can scale up or down to meet business needs. For established agencies that want to migrate their IT set-up to the cloud, it is a bigger decision though. Joseph Blass, chief executive of cloud services provider WorkPlaceLive, says the case is a compelling one but with the cloud services market having matured exponentially in the past few years, this also means there are far more providers than ever. “Some are good, some not so good and others are just the wrong fit for the business,” he says. Here are the key areas to explore when making the decision to move to the cloud.  

(1) Private, public, hybrid?

There are three types of cloud: public, private and hybrid. A public cloud is one that is located off-premise and operated by a provider, while a private cloud sits in your building or a datacentre and you own the hardware on which it runs. “Which means you own the overhead and depreciation of that as an asset,” explains Kiddell. 

A hybrid cloud is a private cloud that sits within a public cloud. The private cloud option is more expensive but can be more tailored to business needs and some believe it is more secure. The public cloud, however, can deliver bigger cost-savings. Kiddell explains that hybrid cloud can give the best of both worlds: “The benefit of public infrastructure and the security associated with a private environment.”

(2) Importance of service 

Make sure the provider has sector experience and can give you site references. Blass says as well as ensuring the company can deliver on any claims, assess whether the service can support your business in achieving its potential. Cost should not be the sole driver of the decision, he warns. “The key is to understand what you are getting for your money.” 

Guy Deterding, managing director of IT services company Kamanchi, agrees and says it is worth paying a little extra for “good service, resilience and reliability”, while Kiddell reminds recruiters that the cloud is “not a one-off buy” and once you’ve transferred to the cloud you will be working in tandem with that provider.

(3) Security and back-up

Data security remains a concern for some people but good cloud services providers know they stand or fall by their high standards of security and back-up. Deterding says it is common to sometimes feel a “loss of control”. 

Quiz providers on areas such as the different security layers they have in place, encryption, testing, resilience and back-up. Also carry out due diligence on the organisation itself. Don’t shy away from asking about worst case scenarios, says Deterding. “If your partner goes bust, what happens to your data and any third-party contracts?” he says. “And if things go wrong, think about the exit process and how easy it is to undo and get your data back.”

(4) Performance

Not all cloud platforms handle recruitment applications such as CRM [candidate relationship management] software as well as they might claim. Recruiters need to ensure there will be no drop in performance. “You must ensure your solution works well in the environment you are looking to move to,” says Blass. “Ensure the cloud provider has experience in working with recruitment businesses and recruitment software providers. Even if you are using a recruitment platform they haven’t previously worked with, they will have the knowledge and expertise required to work in partnership with you and the software provider to ensure success.” 

(5) Cloud culture change

It is easy to become preoccupied with the technical considerations surrounding a move to the cloud but it can also mean culture change for the business. Blass says any change in IT can be seen as an issue or even “daunting” by some employees. 

“The way to reduce this is to sell the benefits of having access to their system at any hour and from any location,” he says. “Results-orientated individuals will enjoy the agility this provides.” Moving to the cloud should result in a more liberating environment for employees who can work on the move or remotely while business owners have the reassurance of an IT infrastructure that can scale up or down with the needs of the business.

• Want to comment on this story? The Comment box is at the bottom of the page. Sorry for the glitch but just scroll right down and share your opinions!

COLIN COTTELL