Cloud is not a new buzzword. However, the digitalization and work from home or hybrid workplace trends accelerated migration to Cloud solutions. Statistics say 94% of enterprises already use a Cloud service, and Cloud expenditures account for 30% of IT budgets.
Support for mobility and flexibility while removing overhead costs of on-premise infrastructure and considerable IT support is why companies look at the Cloud.
The outsourced infrastructure allows centralized data security, scalability, and quick deployment. In other words, your company will have less hardware and can use as much infrastructure, application, or solutions as you need.
Cost-saving and more efficiency are the main drivers for migration, but there are a few other things to consider when moving to the Cloud.
What are the main Cloud types?
You can use the service providers IaaS (Infrastructure as a service), SaaS (Software as a service), or PaaS (Platform as a Service).
Each comes with unique benefits, levels of control, and flexibility. IaaS is like an empty shell where users have high flexibility and cloud management control. If you use Cloud Platforms, you will use fewer resources and have a ready-made solution, but it offers less flexibility.
SaaS is delivering focused software over Cloud. It offers efficient resources and rapid deployment but lacks advanced control and flexibility.
Cloud Security
Cloud implies turning your infrastructure or essential software to a Cloud Service Provider. Technically, a third party can have control of your intellectual property, data, organizational workflow, and documents.
Before choosing a Cloud provider, read through their service agreement and security policies. In addition, you will want to know the data centre's location, security measures against unauthorized access, and how they fared in a recent security audit. Finally, ensure you use a verified Cloud service provider that implements best security practices like AWS Cloud.
Cloud services must have the latest security measures in place, but you also must know your role, which is different for all Cloud solutions. For example, SaaS demands lower security investment. With Infrastructure as a Service, the organization has more security responsibility. Simultaneously, data centres will ensure maximum safety on their side.
Backup, Disaster Recovery, and Business Continuity
A backup strategy is essential when moving your IT systems to Cloud. What happens if you face a disaster, and what are the Service Provider policies on disaster recovery?
Cloud should make business more accessible, and business continuity is the starting ground for an operating company. Users must have access to data and applications. Most Cloud providers have redundancy and quality backup and disaster recovery solutions like AWS Disaster Recovery, Microsoft Azure, or Carbonite Cloud Backup.
Cloud Governance Strategy
A cloud governance strategy is essential for ensuring that your cloud environment is secure, compliant, and well-managed. It should include processes for managing access, monitoring usage, and enforcing policies.
It is also essential to Identify the key stakeholders in your cloud governance efforts. This can include business leaders, IT staff, and other relevant parties. Engage these stakeholders early in the process to ensure their needs and concerns are considered.
As the cloud landscape constantly evolves, it is important to revisit your governance strategy regularly to ensure that it is still practical and relevant.
Scalability
Pay as much as you use. This starting point is what made Cloud solutions so popular. You don't have to worry about infrastructure and can pay for your services. That implies scalability, where your company can broaden the Cloud package. However, there are limits to a scalable solution even in huge Cloud Service Providers.
That is why a Cloud migration strategy is so important. Even when you opt for a scalable Cloud solution, you should know about your ceiling for storage, bandwidth, number of users, and other factors.
Training
Even when some of the requirements for classic IT infrastructure still apply to Cloud, you may want to consider exploring new training and courses for your team. You can migrate technology but also adapt your workforce to the new environment and promote new levels of specialisation.
Vendor attachment
With the Cloud market evolving and maturing fast, different vendors try to differentiate themselves by introducing new and more targeted services. Some are general-focused and follow well-established practices for engineering teams, while others aim to address specific problems. For the latest, your infrastructure could benefit from some advanced features, but at the cost of reducing flexibility.
Some of these features also help you to differentiate in the market; hence a solid migration strategy should assess which parts you want to migrate to managed services and which components you want to migrate while maintaining some control.
