Microsoft has launched a cloud services due diligence checklist which it said is targeted at creating a more standardized procedure for organizations considering a move to the cloud.
The checklist provides a framework that aligns clause-by-clause with a new international standard for cloud service agreements, ISO/IEC 19086, said Microsoft.
Cloud service providers can also take advantage of the simplified document to create a cloud service agreement, said Microsoft. The company said it has been actively involved with the panel of experts that developed the ISO/IEC 19086 standard, and in anticipation of its release distilled the 37 pages of the standard into the two-page Cloud Services Due Diligence Checklist.
SO/IEC 19086-1 is the first of a new four-part international standard that establishes a framework and terminology for cloud service level agreements (SLAs). It offers a unified set of considerations for organizations considering cloud adoption, and common terminology so they can more easily compare cloud services and providers to ultimately form the basis of a service level agreement.
The checklist is not Microsoft-specific as it applies to all organizations and cloud service providers.
Checklist requirements touch on every aspect of an organization, they serve to convene all key internal decision-makers, in addition to legal, risk management, procurement, and compliance professionals. This will increase the efficiency of the decision-making process and ground decisions in sound reasoning, thereby reducing the likelihood of unforeseen roadblocks to adoption, said Microsoft.