Moving from a largely manual company system to a cloud-based system is no easy feat. It usually requires a good sales pitch to convince all parties involved at the company. The staff must also prepare themselves for a migration that may last weeks. Afterwards, it will take months until the system can start functioning smoothly and for everyone to get used to it. If implanted properly, a cloud-based model can make your overall systems function much more efficiently. Many companies have experienced that moving to cloud wipes away certain operational headaches almost overnight. Keeping such benefits in mind, here is how your company can move onto cloud without encountering roadblocks:
Find a Business-Ready Service
The first step in the process is to find a cloud service provider that is enterprise and business ready. It’s possible to move on to a public cloud, but that may pose a security risk for your company. A cloud system must be hosted in a stellar manner to not risk losing data or a security breach. Your company may want to consider hiring the expertise of cloud brokering services to find a good provider. These brokers can handle the negotiations between your company and the cloud provider to get the best price and service to the satisfaction of both parties. This is a cost-effective option if your company is small or medium sized and cannot afford an ace legal team yet.
Evaluate All Costs
Do the calculations for moving to a cloud platform carefully. There may be many hidden costs that the company accountants may miss at first. For sure, using a cloud reduces the need for hardware, physical storage, and IT helps staff. However, a cloud is not a miracle money saver. There will be certain costs associated, some of which can be expensive considering the context. For example, certain legacy applications, like the Oracle database, cost a lot of money to run on a cloud. On the other hand, mobile applications where demand varies between the months, is much cheaper to run on cloud. Your company will have to evaluate what’s worthy and strike a balance before setting a budget for the cloud migration.
Understand that Cloud is Not Great for All Applications
Understandably, the appeal of cloud-based models for many companies is the relative low costs associated with running and maintaining various applications. However, as hinted above, not all applications are cheaper on cloud. Some applications, like legacy ones and software containing sensitive data, may cost more on cloud. Programs that deal with information like credit card data will require significant security infrastructure on a cloud. When you move to a cloud-based system, these issues should be carefully thought of. If your company is still heavily dependent on legacy application, try only moving to cloud in part.
Expect a Restructuring of Security and Governance
Traditionally, it was company’s employees who were responsible for safeguarding data and monitoring operations. When you move company data to a public or private cloud, many of these responsibilities also fall on the shoulders of the cloud service provider. Maintaining good security will become a joint effort. There will be new governance structures to consider with people from the cloud technology service provider on board. Expect these changes in advance and make necessary arrangements beforehand.
As mentioned before, a cloud migration is not an easy task. Expect challenges and prepare using the tips given above.