The Best Cloud Platform for Cloud-First SMEs in 2023

How do you choose the best cloud provider for your SME in 2023? Do you go with one of the “big three” like Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), or Microsoft Azure? Or do you pick one of the smaller specialist providers? For SMEs that envision a cloud-native infrastructure, it can feel pretty confusing, especially when each seems to provide everything. And how do you make the decision without the guidance from cloud expertise?

Cloud first

The three biggest cloud providers are Azure, AWS, and GCP, each arising from the infrastructure developed to support their original business. AWS, with one-third of the global cloud market share, was initially developed to support its wildly popular Amazon online store. Azure, at around 22% global share, owes at least some of its popularity to the ubiquitous Microsoft suite of office products and server software offering, which have all added cloud features in recent years. At almost 10% global share, GCP is an offshoot of the hyper scalable systems developed to support the Google search engine, and its web-first applications like the wildly-popular Gmail email service, Youtube platform and the first real-time document collaboration tool, Google Docs, and Google Drive.

A cloud-first strategy can not only accelerate modernization but also allows innovation. Small and middle business are now looking for cloud technologies as its first priority. Enterprises are also rapidly moving to a cloud-first strategy.
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For SMEs that want the cloud front and center, Google’s position as a web-first innovator makes it a logical choice. Below we outline some of the benefits in terms of price, data analytics, how easy they are to use, sustainability, and containers.

1. Granular pricing

Although many cloud options allow for upward and downward scaling, Google Cloud makes the process easier. AWS, for example, requires an upfront purchase as a requirement for better discount. For Google Cloud, the consumption is often priced per-second, and availability of Sustained Use Discount helps to automatically apply cost saving without any commitment on subscription. To make the switch even easier and to lessen the usage costs, Cloudmile offers Google Cloud credits and discounts for partner services which helps to enhance the overall pricing strategy .

2. Ready-to-use AI/ML models

Google’s roots in web search and its heavy involvement in the development of open source technologies such as Kubernetes, Angular, Tensorflow, and Chromium are an offshoot of its focus to power its massive search complex. The Google Cloud platform enables you to leverage these technologies by simply plugging in and using the built-in data analytics tools and ready-to-use AI/ML technologies that enable advanced integration without advanced technical knowledge.

3. Low learning curve

One of the biggest struggles for SMEs is not having the specialist talent for consultancy and implementing a full-scale cloud rollout. Oftentimes, it’s the responsibility of internal IT staff doing double duty to get the company on the cloud. This might be the defining moment for Google Cloud.  With a range of useful built-in tools ready to use, often without any coding required, SMEs can immediately start to take advantage of enterprise-level applications to further their business goals. 

4. Secure and encrypted

Cybersecurity is a core competency for Google. In fact, Google’s search engine already intercepts thousands of harmful executables, URLs, and viruses every minute of every day. Google cybersecurity engineers’ deep understanding of the real-time threat environment allows them to protect your data from cloud leakage and misconfiguration because GCP is encrypted by default. Google also develops its own hardware for all of its internal infrastructure, ensuring security from end-to-end, and keeping the environment safe.

5. Scale with Kubernetes

Originally developed and designed by engineers at Google, the Kubernetes (known as K8s) platform automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containers at scale. Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is Google's managed K8s platform, which supports an automated fully-managed autopilot mode and a standard mode for fine tuning and low-level controls. GKE implements the full K8s API and supports autoscaling to automatically scale cluster capacity based on demand. GKE also offers many containerized solutions with prebuilt deployment templates, and a migration tool to migrate from VMs to GKE. Managing container security and compliance over multiple clusters can be tricky. Google Anthos, a hybrid/multi-cloud management platform helps in providing a layer of automated policy, single pane of glass monitoring and security for Kubernetes clusters across different clusters such as GKE, on-premise, VMs, other clouds, and Edge.

Migrate to the cloud quickly and strategically with CloudMile

As a leading cloud provider in Asia with offices across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, CloudMile’s team of Google Cloud certified professionals have the domain know-how and skill sets to help you get your business to the cloud. And to further optimize the overall TCO, CloudMile also offers Google Cloud Platform credit, post-migration stability support, and annual optimization of your cloud infrastructure.

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