In today's edition of "Startup Tech Booster," we're talking about a crucial decision you’ll have to make, sooner or later, for your startup: choosing the right cloud provider.
Cloud computing has changed the way startups operate, offering scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. But there are many options and products to choose from, so how do you pick the one that best suits your needs?
Let's dive in.
The Big Three: AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure
The cloud computing market is dominated by three major players:
Amazon Web Services (AWS): Launched in 2006, the pioneer of cloud computing, AWS, offers a vast array of services and has a strong reputation for reliability and innovation.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) was launched in 2008, with Google App Engine as its first service. Known for its strengths in big data, analytics, and machine learning, GCP is a strong choice for startups with data-intensive applications.
Then, Microsoft Azure (initially named Windows Azure), was released in 2010. It has a tight integration with other Microsoft tools and is focus on hybrid cloud solutions. Azure is popular among startups that heavily use Microsoft tools and technologies.
Understanding Cloud Service Models
Before we dive into the factors to consider when choosing a provider, it's important to understand the different cloud service models.
There are 3 main models, that gives more or less control to the user (but also, more or less responsability about updates and security).
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This model provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. The provider manages the infrastructure (servers, storage, networking), while you manage the operating systems, middleware, and applications. This offers the most flexibility and control, but also requires the most IT resources to manage.
Examples: Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, Azure Virtual Machines
Platform as a Service (PaaS): here, the provider manages the infrastructure and the operating systems and middleware, while you focus on managing your applications. This allows for faster development and deployment, as you don't need to worry about the underlying infrastructure.
Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine, Azure App Service
Software as a Service (SaaS): This is the most comprehensive model, where the provider manages everything, including the applications. You simply use the software via a web browser. This is the easiest to use but offers the least control and customization.
Examples: Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Dropbox
Understanding these models will help you determine which one best aligns with your startup's needs and resources.
Factors to Consider
Pricing
All three providers offer competitive pricing, but the specifics can vary greatly depending on your usage.
AWS and Azure offer more granular pricing options, allowing you to pay for exactly what you use. You can use their calculators to have an idea of budget.
GCP, on the other hand, tends to offer simpler, package-based pricing.
Scalability
One of the key benefits of the cloud is the ability to scale resources up or down as needed.
There is 2 ways or scaling:
Horizontal, adding more servers to the existing ones
Vertical, improving one server’s capacities by adding RAM, CPU/GPU, or network capacity.
All three providers offer auto-scaling capabilities, but they differ in terms of how quickly and easily you can scale.
Services Offered
Each provider offers a wide range of services, and you can use anyone for the simplest ones, such as Virtual Machines, Databases, or Storage.
Besides this, they each have their specialties.
AWS has the most complete suite of services, covering nearly every aspect of cloud computing.
GCP has many great tools if you need big data, analytics, and machine learning, with tools like BigQuery (datawarehouse) and TensorFlow (End-to-end Deep Learning platform).
Azure stands out for its support for hybrid cloud setups and its integration with common Microsoft tools like Office 365 and Active Directory.
Ease of Use
The learning curve and ease of use can vary significantly between providers.
While GCP has developer-friendly tools and clear documentation, AWS can be more complex to navigate, due to its vast array of services.
If you’re using Microsoft products, then Azure's interface will be familiar to you.
Support and Documentation
When something goes wrong, you want to be able to get help quickly. All three providers offer complete documentation and community forums, but pay attention to the last update or forum post date.
AWS and Azure offer plans based on your needs and budget (direct support needs additional payment), while GCP includes support with all its packages.
I’ve helped startups choose their tech infrastructure and build their processes for more than 15 years. If you have any questions or doubts, I offer a free 30-minute consultation to help you make the right decisions.
Assessing Your Startup's Needs
Before choosing a provider, take a close look at your startup's specific requirements.
What kind of applications are you running?
Do you have any particular compliance needs (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR)?
What's your expected scale and growth?
What's your budget?
What skills does your team already have?
Answering these questions will help guide your decision.
Tips for Migrating to the Cloud
Start small: Don't try to move everything at once. Start with a few non-critical applications, then gradually increase your migrate your operations.
Train your team: Make sure your team has the necessary skills to operate in the cloud environment. Choosing a IAAS, PAAS, or SASS model will have a very different impact, skill requirement, and learning curve.
Monitor and optimize: Once you migrated services in the cloud, you need to monitor your usage and performance, and optimize as needed. Don’t forget to also monitor your budget and set budget alerts, as auto-scaling can make budget grow fast.
Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies
For some startups, a hybrid cloud setup (combining on-premises (i.e., on site) and cloud resources) or a multi-cloud approach (using multiple cloud providers) may be the best option.
Hybrid cloud is useful if you have certain applications that must remain on-premises for compliance, security, or performance reasons.
Multi-cloud can help avoid vendor lock-in and allow you to take advantage of the unique strengths of each provider.
Takeaways
Choosing the right cloud provider is a critical decision for your startup. If you grow, you will have to make the leap sooner or later.
Undertand the different service models, and assess your needs.
Then, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each provider, get a rough idea of the monthly / yearly cost (most services are much cheaper if you add a 1-year or 3-year engagnement), and you’ll be able to make an informed choice that will set your startup up for success.
The cloud is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and what works for one startup may not work for another. Don’t try to copy other’s architecture, start small and adjust as you go.
I’ve helped startups choose their tech infrastructure and build their processes for more than 15 years. If you have any questions or doubts, I offer a free 30-minute consultation to help you make the right decisions.
I need a guide to all this stuff. I went to a Google cloud presentation and, apart from being one of only two women in the room, I was quickly lost in a cyclone of terms and acronyms. I could get useful things done with all these tools but where to start and how quickly would my life and bank account be destroyed?
Honestly, Google's no-code Appsheets is stretching my resources!
On the upside, I scored a mug.
Britni
I'll check this and see if something can be done 😊