Cloud migration is a complex task, but it's necessary. Without the proper planning and strategy, your business could be left behind by competitors who have already moved to cloud computing. We've broken down some of the most critical steps of any cloud migration project in 2023, so you can navigate them confidently and successfully.
What Does Cloud Migration Mean for Your Business?
Cloud migration is the process of moving resources and applications to the cloud. Cloud migration can help businesses gain access to new services and capabilities, reduce costs, and become more agile and flexible.
The various benefits of cloud migration include the following:
- Improved security and compliance with regulations
- Reduced operational costs
- Improved agility
- flexibility and scalability
- Improved business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities
- Ability to develop new capabilities
Do You Really Need to Migrate in the First Place?
You should move data and workloads to the cloud for many reasons. You may be looking for more cost-effective storage, or you may or looking for better ways to manage applications.
Whatever the case, it is essential that you know what you’re getting into before making any decisions about migrating.
If considering a cloud migration is the right choice for your business, do some research first and consider whether the cost outweighs any potential benefits—and vice versa!
Most Common Cloud Migration Challenges
There are many challenges to cloud migration. Here are the most common cloud migration challenges and how to overcome them confidently.
Workload Migration
How do you move workloads from one environment to another? There are many different types of workloads, which means there are multiple ways to migrate them into the cloud.
And depending on your use case, some of those options may not be feasible for your specific situation. Your best bet is to work with a partner who can help you determine which solution is best suited to your requirements and goals.
Security and Compliance
How do you ensure your cloud-based data is secure and compliant with industry regulations? This is a common concern for businesses looking to move their workloads into the cloud. And while it can be pretty daunting at first, there are several ways to address this challenge.
One option is to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) that specializes in helping organizations migrate data securely and stay compliant with industry regulations.
Cost Savings
How do you ensure that migrating your workloads to the cloud will save you money? This can be a difficult question to answer, as it depends on many different factors (including the size of your organization and how much data needs to be migrated).
However, there are some ways to determine whether migration is financially viable before diving in.
Is There a Right Way to Migrate?
As a business, you may wonder whether there’s a right way to migrate your data.
This depends on several factors, including:
- The type of migration you’re doing (e.g., cloud-native to cloud-native or on-premises to the cloud)
- The technology you’re migrating (e.g., applications and databases)
- The size of your business and its workload
Is There a Wrong Way to Migrate?
The answer is no; there’s no wrong way to migrate. But you should always be aware of the pitfalls of undertaking such an important and ambitious project.
Underestimation The Scope Required in Migrating
One of the biggest problems seen over the years by cloud migration specialists is that many companies need to realize how much time and resources it takes to get their data ready for moving into the cloud.
They need to pay more attention to how much work they'll need to put in before they can even start migrating, which results in things falling behind schedule or, worse: failing altogether.
Lack of Enough Resources
It's also common for companies not to have enough money set aside for migration costs—but this doesn't mean you should give up! There are many ways to finance cloud migration with minimal cost or effort on your part.
Lack of Planning
Finally, one thing that has caused countless delays over the past decade is the need for more planning on behalf of IT teams worldwide. From small businesses to enterprise organizations with tens of thousands of employees worldwide.
It's vital during this process that everyone involved knows exactly what needs to be done next so that nothing gets overlooked during those busy days ahead. This is especially if there is little budget left after the initial investment.
What Should You Consider Before Migrating?
Deciding whether to migrate your applications is a big decision. Here are some things to consider before making a move:
- What is the goal for your migration? Do you want to reduce costs, increase mobility and agility, or both?
- What applications are you migrating? How important are they? Is it worth the risk of downtime if something goes wrong during the migration process?
- What risks are involved in migrating these applications into a cloud platform?
- How much time do you have available before starting your migration project? Will this affect the cost or schedule management efforts at all?
Conclusion
Cloud migration for smooth sailing in 2023 can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you plan ahead and understand the benefits of migrating, you can reduce the risk and ensure a successful transition. Whether you need help deciding whether or not to migrate and how best, we are here for you! Please get in touch with us with any questions or concerns about your next move into the cloud.