Cloud services are being touted as the most important technology in decades. For proof, look no further than the public cloud’s largest businesses. As of July 2016, Microsoft’s cloud applications were selling better than their flagship Windows Operating System. Amazon had more income from web services than sales of goods internationally.
It’s easy to see why cloud services would be in such high demand for businesses. Migrating an organization to the cloud not only has substantial cost benefits, but it gives companies flexibility to scale. That’s why it is so surprising that a mere 19% of businesses have begun moving their applications.
Security on the cloud
So why have the majority not bought into this seemingly undisputable tech transition? The number one reason: security. Those currently operating with an on-site database are unsure of how to approach security in this new environment. Security within the framework of a traditional datacenter can be complicated enough, which may be why the dynamic cloud environment can be so daunting.
In reality, mainstream security measures struggle in the face of the cloud landscape. The elastic infrastructure of a cloud organization is optimal for fighting off rapidly-evolving threats. In the end, those who fear the complications of migration risk falling behind as their competitors adopt newer and more efficient technologies.
In order to create a secure environment on the cloud, however, one must have a full comprehension of the organization’s cloud infrastructure. A cloud platform is constantly changing, especially as a company grows. While this makes it versatile, it alters the way security must be administered and managed.
Click to learn how to sucessfully migrate to the cloud.
It’s not as simple as it sounds
The second-most cited issue with cloud migration: complexity. It’s important to understand that IT structures vary. There is no on-size-fits-all solution; no one answer to security and no one way to migrate information. One organization may move a few applications while another may decide to ship their hardware in to a remote database center. Though a company must come up with its own strategy for maximum efficiency, all cloud migrations should have three majors steps:
Assessment
Before migrating anything to the cloud, an audit, inventory and analysis of organizational and technological infrastructure can provide a more complete picture of the overall impact of migration. Expectations and possibilities are aligned in this stage.
Strategy
Planning and organizing the migration process minimizes transitional impact on the organization as a whole. Again, because every business is different, designing a strategy is especially important to reduce downtime and maintain efficiency.
Management
During and immediately after migration, problems may arise; it’s a natural occurrence in complex cloud deployments. Monitoring the platform minimizes delays and inefficiencies.
Check out our cloud infographic
Though these three steps seem straightforward, there are hundreds of variables that may exist within each one, depending upon the organization. As cloud systems continue to evolve, the complexity of migrations continue to grow. That is why so many businesses are turning to MSPs (managed service providers). MSPs have the experience necessary to not only quickly identify ideal migration strategies, but deploy and maintain them as well.
For a more detailed account of what migrating an organization to the cloud entails, download Decisions, Decisions. Key Insights into Cloud Migration. The infographic will provide you with statistics that you may find useful in identifying your company's needs on the cloud, and the checklist will outline everything else. This can be a complicated process; know exactly what you're getting into with Decisions, Decisions.
