What it Takes to Successfully Migrate to the Cloud

Now that the cloud has become an affordable and versatile part of the business environment, more organizations than ever are moving to take advantage of it as much as possible. However, for the folks who are new to cloud computing, you might want to hold your horses and take a look at how you can prepare to move your business to the cloud. Doing so can alleviate some of the challenges that come from overhauling your IT infrastructure.

It’s no surprise that the cloud is a highly sought-after technology for businesses. According to a 2014 survey, nearly 70 percent of enterprises take advantage of some type of cloud technology, be it a cloud-based application, cloud storage, or an entirely cloud-based IT infrastructure. Before jumping too deep into the cloud, consider the following precautions.

Why Are You Moving to the Cloud?
Before committing to a cloud solution, you should assess your current IT assets and consider why you’re moving to the cloud. Do you want greater mobility for your data? Do you want to improve your organization's accessibility to mission-critical data? Regardless of your reasoning for moving to the cloud, it likely falls under one of these criteria.

The cloud has the capabilities of performing all of these feats, and then some. By storing information in the cloud, your business’s employees can access information whenever and however they want on approved devices. The cloud can also be used to store and access critical applications that are necessary for everyday operations, improving accessibility and, in turn, productivity.

Depending on what you want out of your cloud solution, you can invest in a private cloud platform which maximizes control, a public cloud system which promotes user efficiency, or a hybrid solution that combines the benefits of both public and private clouds. Your cloud model will likely be determined based around how much control you want over your data, as well as any security regulations your business needs to have in place.

What Are the Challenges?
Moving to an entirely cloud-based infrastructure has significant requirements. For one, you need to have the technology to guarantee access to your infrastructure at all times. This means keeping your systems online and functional at all costs. If you lose access to your infrastructure, you’ll experience expensive downtime that can crush your IT budget. This is why it’s so important to ensure that your business’s Internet connection is capable of handling the increased traffic that comes from using cloud-based technology.

Furthermore, some businesses that want to move to the cloud might still be taking advantage of legacy applications that may not be compatible with more recent operating systems. This makes moving to the cloud tricky, even for seasoned in-house technology departments. Any drastic change to your business’s IT infrastructure should only be made after a careful analysis of the costs, benefits, and challenges.

This is where Horne & Benik comes in. Our skilled and knowledgeable technology professionals have what it takes to identify potential challenges and problems associated with moving your entire IT infrastructure to the cloud. To discuss what the best way to approach cloud computing is for your business, contact us at (603) 499-4400.