Dallas-based company XOcur has unveiled a software-as-a-service-based (SaaS-based) platform that optimizes cloud decision-making.

The new release, XOcur CloudSphere, allows users “to find the best cloud solutions for their particular business and application requirements among the millions of combinations of cloud options.”

XOcur said CloudSphere is designed for hybrid, private and public clouds and can help businesses make informed decisions about cloud services providers (CSPs).

“Companies are increasingly recognizing the competitive advantage that cloud technologies can bring to their business,” XOcur President Jason Monden said in a prepared statement. “XOcur places the power of the cloud in the hands of the business user and is an important tool as we approach the era of cloud 2.0.”

CloudSphere’s scoring system ranks public CSP offerings based on price and performance.

The system also accounts for relevant variables, such as:

“CloudSphere helps cloud consumers make informed decisions in a proactive manner, providing the ability to plan, design, budget and run ‘what–if’ scenarios before committing to a cloud deployment,” Monden told Talkin’ Cloud. “Once deployed, CloudSphere will continue to watch your cloud usage, in addition to changing market dynamics such as ongoing price wars and new service offerings, giving the consumer peace of mind that they will always be alerted of the best cloud solution for their application(s).”

The CloudSphere platform is available via usage-based subscription plans that are priced as low as $80 per month.

How to find the right CSP for your business

While CloudSphere is designed to help companies evaluate CSPs, there are other ways to find the right CSP for your business as well.

Entrepreneur.com‘s Kim Lachance Shandrow points out there are several questions to ask a CSP, including:

Differentiating between hybrid, private and public clouds also is important.

Tony DiBenedetto, CEO of national technology services firm Tribridge, added having a clear understanding of what a CSP offers and how it can help your business is crucial.

“The number of providers, software publishers and deployment options out there can be overwhelming. But having a basic understanding of the different types of cloud models available will enable you to ask the right questions and make the right choice for your business,” he told Inc. magazine.

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