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definitions, performance metrics measured and guaranteed by CSPs,
and enforcement mechanisms for meeting service levels will provide
value to organizations and incentives for CSPs to meet the agreed-
upon terms.
CSP, Organization, and Integrator Roles and Responsibilities
Many organizations procure cloud services through integrators. In these
cases, integrators can provide a level of expertise within CSP environ-
ments that organizations may not have, thus making an organization's
transition to cloud services easier. Integrators may also provide a full
range of services from technical support to help-desk support that CSPs
might not provide. When deciding to use an integrator, the organization
may procure services directly from a CSP and separately with an integra-
tor, or it may procure cloud services through an integrator as the prime
contractor and the CSP as subcontractor. Whichever method the orga-
nization decides to use, the addition of an integrator to a cloud comput-
ing implementation creates contractual relationships with at least three
unique parties, and the roles and responsibilities for all parties need to be
clearly defined.
Contracting with Integrators
Integrators can be contracted independently of CSPs or can act as an
intermediary with CSPs. This flexibility allows organizations to choose
the most effective method for contracting with integrators to help imple-
ment their cloud computing solutions. As a best practice, organizations
need to consider the technical abilities and overall service offerings of
integrators and how these elements impact the overall pricing of an inte-
grator's proposed services. Additionally, if an organization contracts with
an integrator acting as an intermediary, the organization must consider
how this affects the organization's continued use of a CSP environment
when the contract with an integrator ends.
Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities
Whether an organization contracts with an integrator independently or
uses one as an intermediary, roles and responsibilities need to be clearly
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