Lesson 2 Topic B - Establish Cloud Vendor Relations

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Time to Market)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What does “time to market” mean in cloud computing?

A: The time between when a service or product is imagined and when it becomes available to the consumer.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Time to Market)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: Why is time to market important in cloud environments?

A: Cloud services reduce time to market by offering on-demand, scalable, self-service solutions.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Skill Availability)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: Why is skill availability important when choosing a cloud vendor?

A: The vendor must have staff with the technical expertise required for your cloud deployment or migration.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Support)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What document defines vendor responsibilities and support expectations?

A: The Service Level Agreement (SLA).

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Support)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What aspects of service are typically covered by cloud support?

A: Design, deployment, management, and retirement of cloud services.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Managed Services)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What are managed services in the context of cloud providers?

A: Outsourced solutions offered by a CSP to handle cloud design, migration, deployment, and management.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFI)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is the purpose of a Request for Information (RFI)?

A: To gather general details about a vendor’s capabilities, services, and offerings in the early stages of evaluation.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFI)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: When is an RFI typically used?

A: When the organization has a goal but needs vendor input on how to achieve it.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFP)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is the purpose of a Request for Proposal (RFP)?

A: To invite vendors to propose solutions to a defined problem, including budget and timeline considerations.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFP)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: When is an RFP typically used?

A: When the organization has a challenge but no specific solution yet.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFQ)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is the purpose of a Request for Quote (RFQ)?

A: To collect itemized pricing information from vendors for a known solution or set of requirements.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (RFQ)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: When is an RFQ typically used?

A: When the organization has a defined plan and wants to compare vendor pricing for implementation.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (SOW)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is the purpose of a Statement of Work (SOW)?

A: To define the full scope, schedule, deliverables, success criteria, and payment terms for a project.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (SOW)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What type of vendor relationship typically uses a Statement of Work (SOW)?

A: Relationships with CSPs, managed service providers (MSPs), or independent contractors.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (SLA)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is a Service Level Agreement (SLA)?

A: A document that defines expected service performance levels and penalties if those levels are not met.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (SLA)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is typically used to measure SLA performance?

A: Monthly uptime percentage.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (SLA)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: Who can SLAs apply to besides external vendors?

A: Internal departments, such as IT teams in private cloud deployments.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Open-Source)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What defines open-source cloud software?

A: Software whose source code is publicly available and can be modified by the user.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Open-Source)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is one major advantage of open-source cloud services in terms of flexibility?

A: They allow code customization and greater portability between providers.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Open-Source)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is a potential drawback of using open-source cloud services?

A: They may lack strong vendor support, training, and documentation.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Proprietary)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What defines proprietary cloud software?

A: Software that is owned and controlled by the cloud provider, with closed source code.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Proprietary)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is vendor lock-in?

A: A situation where a business becomes dependent on a proprietary cloud provider’s platform and tools.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Proprietary)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What is an advantage of proprietary cloud services in terms of reliability?

A: They often include better-tested APIs and professional support.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Open-Source)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What are the advantages of using open-source cloud services?

A: Flexibility, portability/interoperability, and lower license and support costs.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Open-Source)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What are the disadvantages of using open-source cloud services?

A: Limited documentation, lack of quality support, and limited training options.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Proprietary)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What are the advantages of using proprietary cloud services?

A: Easy access to support and training, and strong integration with vendor products.

🟦 Objective 2.3 – Vendor Relationship Aspects (Proprietary)
📘 Lesson 2, Topic B

Q: What are the disadvantages of using proprietary cloud services?

A: Vendor lock-in, limited security testing, and slower development or updates.