Todd Matters is chief architect and co-founder of RackWare  

RackWare 首席架构师兼联合创始人

由DCD中国授权DKV编译并发表于DeepKnowledge微信公众号。

在选择多个云服务时，最好综合调查两到三家符合你需求的供应商.

很多年来，亚马逊（Web Services）、微软Azure和谷歌云一直占据着云计算领域的领导地位，它们都在争夺同一块蛋糕中最大的一块。截至4月份，AWS仍处于领先地位，拥有43%的市场份额，而Azure和谷歌的市场份额分别为22%和7%。由于这些公司拥有大名鼎鼎的客户名单和几乎无限的创新资源，当企业考虑云解决方案时，这些供应商属于优选范围是很正常的；但是较小的供应商也在云市场中扮演了重要的角色。事实上，根据你的组织的优先级排序，作为企业多云环境选择的一部分，一个较小的供应商在满足功能需要的情况下，能提供更好的灵活性。你可能不知道它们的名字——它们目前只占公有云市场的16%——但是小企业已经准备好迎接未来的云计算的大变革，你的企业可不想错过如此良机。以下是IT决策者如何排除三大云计算公司的干扰，决定其采购云计算方面需要考虑的方面：

优选项：有竞争力的价格

事实上，使用三大云解决方案之一的每家公司都会对其解决方案的易用性留下深刻印象，但很快就会被不断上升的成本吓到。虽然初始费用似乎是合理的，但服务架构总是很复杂，这些锱铢必较的费用可能会导致大量的成本超支。但是，规模较小的云提供商通常对服务和配置有创新的定价，而且没有必要设计一个庞大的清单来满足每个一个客户。因为它们是小众提供商，所以较小的云在成本方面更加透明化。他们提供的服务通常包括重要的默认服务，而不是强迫用户订购、提供、支付和配置这些服务——大型提供商通常店大欺客。

优选项：优质的服务

如果您的公司认为知名度越高服务越好，那么现在是时候停止这种想法了。在云竞争市场的这个阶段，即使是规模较小的云公司也面临着相当资源竞争的整合。如果他们能坚持到现在，他们已经证明了自己作为一个可靠的提供商的实力——并且是你的云环境的有力竞争者。在选择多个云时，明智的做法是综合调查两个或三个最适合您需要的提供商。这有助于避免从安全性和互联性的角度把所有鸡蛋放在一个篮子里，同时仍可以避开数据孤岛并简化流程的建立。虽然三巨头可能会吹捧他们的服务，但他们可能不是最适合你的公司。例如，像Oracle这样的二线供应商就以其出色的数据库服务和服务弹性立足。因此，如果您的公司使用了很多构建在Oracle中应用程序，那么最明智的做法是优先考虑专门提供基于Oracle的应用程序或销售Oracle支持程序的小型云供应商，此类服务不是三巨头能提供。

优先级:参与支持

这类云服务应该是二线云服务提供商的一个明显优势——他们的客户比较少，能够更好地满足(并超过)您的期望值。如果您的云解决方案在与三大供应商合作时出现纠纷，您将发现自己要编写技术支持文档，并通过一个非面对面的流程与客户服务进行沟通。但是，你与一个较小的供应商的关系越密切，就意味着你能从一个真正关心你的需求的供应商那里得到及时、重点的针对性的服务。

你将享受与二线供应商的私人支持关系，这意味着你可能是第一批听到新产品、产品发布和试点案例的人，因为它们不会是随机提供的。作为云提供服务商产品的重要组成部分，云提供商甚至可能根据您的特定需求开发新的解决方案，因为他们了解您的痛点，并希望能主动地解决它们。

由于快速发展的技术和对市场份额的争夺，现在云提供商的前景一片光明。但是，随着二线供应商在云计算的小众领域中确立自己的专家地位，最好的供应商将上升到市场头部；而你将作为一个认可他们价值的客户与他们并肩作战。

英文原文：

When selecting multiple clouds, it’s wise to investigate a blend of two or three providers that best fit your needs

For years, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud have hogged the headlines when it comes to cloud computing as they battle for the biggest piece of the same pie. As of April, AWS remained in the lead, with a 43 percent market share compared with 22 percent and seven percent for Azure and Google, respectively.  With big-name customers and virtually unlimited resources for innovation, it’s no surprise these vendors get the first look when enterprises begin to consider cloud solutions. But smaller vendors play an important role in the cloud market. In fact, depending on your organization’s priorities, a smaller cloud vendor may provide the ideal combination of flexibility and support you need as part of your multi-cloud environment. You may not know them by name - and they currently make up just 16 percent of the public cloud market - but smaller companies are primed to unleash the next big cloud innovation. Your enterprise won’t want to miss out when they do. Here’s how IT decision makers can push through the noise of the Big Three cloud players and consider the offerings that matter most to their organizations when it comes to the cloud.

Your priority: competitive pricing

 Virtually every company that begins using one of the Big Three cloud solutions is impressed by their solution’s ease of use - but then quickly horrified by the mounting costs. While initial fees seem reasonable, the service structure is always complicated, and those nickels and dimes can add up to significant cost overruns.  Meanwhile, smaller cloud providers often have innovative pricing for services and configurations, and aren't necessarily burdened by supporting a giant à la carte menu designed to meet the needs of every possible client. Because they are niche providers, smaller clouds can be more transparent about costs. Their offerings often include important services as a default, instead of forcing users to order, provision, pay and configure them - as is the case when working with a larger provider.

Your priority: better services

 If your company assumes that more name recognition means more reliable services, it’s time to put that notion to rest. At this stage of the game, even smaller cloud companies have faced their fair share of consolidation. If they’ve survived this far, they’ve proven their mettle as a reliable provider - and a strong contender for your multi-cloud environment. When selecting multiple clouds, it’s wise to investigate a blend of two or three providers that best fit your needs. This helps avoid putting all your eggs in one basket from a security and connectivity standpoint, while still sidestepping data silos and easing the establishment of processes. While the Big Three may tout their services, they may not be the best fit for your company. For example, second-tier providers like Oracle boast excellent database services with built-in resilience. So, if your company uses a lot of applications built in Oracle, it makes the most sense to consider smaller cloud vendors that specialize in Oracle-based apps or tout an Oracle support program. That’s not something the Big Three can offer you.

Your priority: engaged support

This category should be an obvious benefit of second-tier cloud providers - with fewer customers on their plates, they’re better able to meet (and exceed) your expectations. If something goes wrong with your cloud solution while working with a Big Three vendor, you’ll find yourself writing tech support tickets and interfacing with customer service through a faceless portal. But the closer, more intimate relationship you’ll develop with a smaller vendor means prompt, focused service from a vendor that truly cares about your success.

The personal support relationship you’ll enjoy with a second-tier vendor means you’ll likely be among the first to hear about new offerings, product launches and pilot cases. And they won’t just be random offerings. As a valued part of their business, cloud providers may even develop new solutions with your specific needs in mind because they understand your pain points and want to proactively solve them. 

There’s a lot up in the air when it comes to cloud providers right now, thanks to rapidly evolving technology and a rush for market share. But as second-tier providers establish themselves as experts in a niche area of cloud computing, the best will rise to the top - and you’ll be right there with them as a valued client who believes in their work.

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