What is our primary use case?
We largely use the solution for hosting and for the database it offers.
What is most valuable?
Both the hosting and the database are the most valuable features on this product.
What needs improvement?
The analytics could be improved. I need to be able to give them to the client. It is there, but you have to go to Google Cloud to see it. I want it added as a service so I can add it to the client-side and make it easily sharable with my clients.
The management side for the database needs some work. Currently, you do everything from the app. It would be nice to have an interface where you can go in and maintain data and deal with records and do something online. Also the ability to migrate the database should be a bit easier. You can't just copy a database and make another duplicate. You have to do all that bit manually.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've only been using the solution for a total of three months at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, after three months, I can say it's very stable. I haven't had issues with bugs or glitches. It hasn't crashed at all.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a solution that's so easy to expand when you need to. It's the best I've ever seen. It's much better than Azure.
How are customer service and technical support?
Everything in the few months we've used the solution has been great so we haven't had a need to contact technical support. I can't speak to how they are because I have never directly had to deal with them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Azure as well. I've used that for a while and now I've moved to Google Cloud. Then, for a client, I'm also going to use AWS.
We switched from Azure because the setup is too complex, and, on the scalability side, you have to set it up yourself and I found it didn't actually work well. You have to constantly monitor your server and then add a new VM. There's a lot more effort required which is unnecessary if you have a solution that cuts the workload down. Google simplifies things on many levels, and it does the scaling for you.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't complex per se. It's simple once you understand it, but it takes some time to figure it out. Once you do, it's very simple afterwards. In our case, it took us two weeks to get everything fully operational.
We don't require any maintenance. We just need to make sure we keep our data clean.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. I didn't require any consultants or integrators to assist me.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing for Google Cloud seems to be quite cheap and they're actually quite reasonable in comparison to Azure, which, as it turns out, is quite expensive. Even though Azure has a data center in South Africa it's still quite costly. There's no scaling, so if you go with the VM, you pay 2500 Rand. When you add another VM, it's another 2500 Rand even though you don't use the whole thing. With Google, you can go up as incrementally as you need to, even if it's just 30 Rand.
With Google, there's no licensing. Everything is included, just been based on the usage.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer. We don't have any special connection to the company in any way.
Obviously, with Google, everything is the latest version. Google updates everything for you, so there isn't usually a time when we're on an "old version" of the solution.
We use the solution on a daily basis.
I would recommend Google Cloud. At the moment it's in third place, according to the standards. Right now it's ranked AWS, then Azure, then Google. Even though it's technically third, it's much better to use and it's a much better environment.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
AWS also looks like a good option. To get certified https://www.udemy.com/course/e...