5 Things You Don’t Want to Hear from Your Sage Hosting Provider
If you’re considering having your Sage product moved to the cloud, you may have realized that not all hosting offerings are created equal. Here are some signs to watch for to help you spot a hosting solution that may not be in your best interest as a Sage user:
1 - “Now what was that accounting software you used called again?"
Have you ever tried to translate the system requirements of your Sage product? If your hosting provider isn’t experienced in hosting your Sage product and related third-party applications, you will likely end up in the middle somewhere between your hosting partner and your software vendors (Sage, plus all your third-party vendors) to make sure your server is optimized for the environment.
A hosting company that has experience hosting your Sage product and related solutions will already be familiar with all the nuances of your environment and can anticipate needs for optimal configuration, with little or no intervention on your end. They will also typically have a mutual partnership with your Sage reseller, so you have a team of experts working together to give you a seamless experience.
2 - “Here’s a box for you, you’re on your own from here!"
Many hosting companies offer you rack space and equipment only and do not take ownership of your server environment, including any Microsoft licenses, updates, etc.
If you enjoy investing money in IT resources (whether internal staff or an outsourced IT company) to keep your server up-to-date, dealing with all your own server licensing issues, and having one more party involved in the mix, then this environment may be for you. But most companies who want to have their Sage system hosted in the cloud are doing so so that they won’t have to deal with headaches associated with maintaining their own server.
3 - “Public cloud is a great solution for you.”
A private cloud is an ideal scenario for Sage hosting. With a private cloud environment, you receive a dedicated server. You will not be sharing server space with other hosting users. This is a far more secure scenario.
Also, often public cloud environments do not allow for privately “owned” data.
A good hosting company will have written documentation that ensures that you own your data, and it will not at any time be “held hostage” should you choose to discontinue the use of their service.
- 4 - “Yes, we ‘also’ offer hosting.”
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! A hosting company whose sole focus is on delivering the best hosting options and support will be better equipped to handle your needs than a company that has recently jumped on the bandwagon to try to get into the hosting game.
We see these companies abandon their hosting practices regularly after realizing how much focus and time goes into operating a hosting business. Sadly, their customers are the ones who suffer when they decide to pivot away from hosting as they will either need to move to a new provider or stick it out with a provider who isn’t committed to maintaining a quality hosting environment.
- 5 - “It’s not the server, it’s your software.”
You’re getting an error in your application, so you call Sage support. They tell you that it’s not the software, it’s something in your server environment. Naturally, your next call is to your hosting company. They say, “Nothing wrong with the server, must be your software”.
And there you are, stuck in the middle.
A hosting provider who is experienced with your Sage solution will be better equipped to troubleshoot on both ends to determine where the problem lies and quickly find a resolution.
Summit Hosting has specialized in Sage hosting for over 10 years. We aren’t reinventing the wheel when we create optimal hosting environments for our customers. Contact us to learn more about cloud hosting by Summit Hosting.