Bandwidth Requirements

Issue No. 2: Bandwidth requirements

Companies need to consider file size and how much bandwidth specific files consume when they traverse between the enterprise and the cloud, as well as how often those files are accessed. Large, frequently-accessed files could become a cost issue since one of the largest expense items from a cloud service provider is network bandwidth.

Issue No. 3: File age

Files that lay dormant for extended periods-such as those that haven't been modified for 60 to 90 days-are probably good candidates for the cloud. Approximately 80 percent of files are not modified past 90 days of their creation date. Aging files may comprise good candidates for cloud storage, but keep in mind that file volumes may be high without proper housekeeping to eliminate duplicates or files with no business value.

It makes sense to keep newly created files local on the desktop or server since many are probably works in progress. Set policies in your storage management software to automatically move files that haven't been accessed within 90 days to the cloud, while keeping recent files local.

Issue No. 4: Chargebacks

For companies looking to implement chargebacks of storage costs to specific groups within the organization, the cloud has this capability built in. Cloud providers can track and bill file storage with fine granularity, allowing companies to accurately bill back to a particular department or even individual user. This criterion enables businesses to determine which groups and file types in the organization are the most cost-effective candidates for cloud storage.