Cloud adoption is a popular trend in the business world. This makes a lot of sense. According to Deloitte, 78% of Australian workers reported an increase in their productivity after migrating to the cloud. The trouble is that many businesses wind up facing the same cloud migration challenges time and time again.
The good (and perhaps frustrating) news is that most of these challenges are completely preventable. Mitigating cloud migration challenges simply takes a little extra strategy, planning, and critical thinking.
We don’t want you to fall into the old same traps. So, we put together this article highlighting 4 far too common cloud migration challenges and what you can do to avoid them.
As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” A cloud migration project is exactly that, a project, not a simple one-click and done shift-over. Put all your ducks in a row before you get started. This includes roadmapping, responsibility delegation, plan Bs, and all the other things that would normally go into any other project plan.
Yes, this does take time and effort. It’s true that not every business will have the in-house resources to dedicate to such a project. This is where cloud consultants and managed services can help. Consultants can advise you as you plan out your roadmap and managed service providers can take complete control of the project if needed.
To be perfectly blunt, not everyone is ready for cloud migration. You shouldn’t hop on the bandwagon simply because everyone else is doing it. Truly take the time to think about why you want to move to the cloud. What benefit is there? Will it really improve your current operations?
The other half to this is realising that you have more than one option when it comes to cloud solutions. So, answering your cloud computing whys will help you decide which solution is best for you, not just whether or not you’re ready.
The 3 basic cloud platforms are public, private, and hybrid. Here’s a quick overview of how each one works and why you might choose it.
| What | Why | |
| Public Cloud | Hosted by a third-party over the internet and shared with other businesses. | Ideal for fluctuating demands because you can easily increase capacity without much expenditure. |
| Private Cloud | Hosted either over the internet or a private network and only available to select users. | Best for businesses with strict data security and compliance requirements. |
| Hybrid Cloud | A combination of public and private hosting and/or a combination of cloud-based and on-site storage. | Great for businesses that need both the scalability of the public cloud and the security of the private cloud. |
Like cloud solutions, there’s more than one way to execute the cloud migration process. The most common method is known as the “lift-and-shift” approach, which involves simply copying your on-site data to a cloud server.
However, this isn’t the right approach for everyone. Just because it’s the most common, doesn’t mean it’s the best. Of course, there are situations where it is the right pick, but you shouldn’t assume it’s for you without proper thought.
Consider the current state of your data. Your answer may tell you that “lift-and-shift” is the wrong approach.
| What Else Should You Know About The Cloud? |
Asking these questions also presents a prime opportunity to reassess your technology usage. As your business evolves, your practices should ideally evolve in tandem. A cloud migration may reveal areas where your technology practices haven’t kept up with your business growth. Knowing they’re there is your first step to changing them.
A popular selling point for cloud services is how it's more secure than an on-site server. While this is true, it doesn’t mean it’s time to throw cybersecurity protocols out the window. Even though public cloud can be more secure, out of the box it has many of the same risks as an on-site server.
What you need is additional cloud-based security policies. Many standard best practices will still apply, but there are a few new considerations unique to cloud security. Here are a couple of examples:
Potential security risks can vary between cloud solutions and providers. Make sure you take a look at yours and prepare to deal with them before you move over.
This article only listed 4 of many possible challenges of cloud migration projects. There certainly is the possibility that you may face a completely different challenge while moving to the cloud. So you’re probably wondering, how can I be ready for anything?
The answer to this question is cloud consulting. Unless you’re already a cloud expert, there’s a lot to learn about cloud environments. There’s also a lot to consider when it comes to your current data storage. Outsourcing the experts to do this for you saves your time on training and decreases the chance of errors.
The team at Sensible provides the perfect balance of technical expertise and business acumen. There’s a good chance we’ve helped someone else deal with a challenge much like yours. Better yet, we can help you prevent challenges before they even happen by helping you tailor your process to your goals.
Contact us today to learn more.
