Data in the Cloud?

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are waking up to the idea that migrating their servers to the cloud is a surefire way of future-proofing their IT stack. For most organizations, cloud adoption is underway in some form, most commonly email solutions, but there is significant cloud opportunity left untapped. Server workloads, communication, workflow management, and collaboration solutions are low-hanging fruit that many organizations are not fully utilizing.

They also understand all of the security, cost, collaboration, and scalability benefits that cloud migration brings. But once they’ve made the decision to go ahead and ‘make it so’ – and then when everything’s where it should be – what next? 

Let’s take a look at the different ways businesses can actually migrate, what they need to have in place, and what they’ll be able to do once they’re up and running.

Getting Cloud-Ready

The first thing that a company’s IT team should do when looking to migrate to the cloud is review their overall business objectives. A plan of action is required. This means understanding not just what cloud migration offers; but why it’s necessary for the business. 

This can be as simple as identifying an overall need for greater data storage capacity and speed. Alternatively, it can be as complex as having to build an international network of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and enabling remote access to the real-time data each device generates. That’s one of the best things about cloud IT – it offers near-infinite scalability.

Similarly, knowing what to expect from a migration is just as critical – as it will impact users in the short and long-term. A well-managed migration service provider can ensure there’s minimal downtime and disruption as data and services are uploaded to the cloud. 

They’ll also ensure all of the correct security measures are in place; taking into account ongoing workflows and any enterprise applications your business uses.

In fact, they may even recommend a hybrid solution – a setup comprised of on-premise and cloud servers. This can prove ideal for businesses that need to retain a physical server.

Lastly, communication is important throughout the migration process. Any cloud migration effort has an impact on employees – and sometimes even customers. Whoever your stakeholders are; a clear, simple, and effective dialog is an essential component in any successful migration. Involving the internal communications department from the outset is a good idea – for larger companies – but smaller enterprises shouldn’t overlook the need for staff buy-in to any new initiative. Just as important as the technical portion of the migration is the communication and training experience of stakeholders. Ultimately, they’re the ones using the new cloud-based tools.

Post-Cloud Possibilities

Once your cloud IT stack is up and running, making sure everyone in your business has access to the tools they need should be a priority. Luckily, this is a much simpler process to coordinate with cloud technology – especially if you’re working with a managed services partner who can easily ‘assign and decline’ user permissions via access control.

Cloud server access is increasingly important for businesses that want to offer BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and remote working. But offering initiatives like these mean doubling down on security. Unlike on-premise servers, cloud servers and applications require a significantly different security approach. This can present something of a mindset shift for both businesses and employees. 

It’s important to ensure employees are fully aware of password management tools and two-factor authentication – and to stress that the security perimeter works differently in a cloud setup.

Knowing what your business can and can’t do post-migration relates back to the original strategy (the ‘why’) as well as the communication efforts you put in place. However, training staff in this new environment can also help make sure that everyone truly understands the full capabilities of cloud IT.

Choosing An Experienced Cloud Migration Partner

As a managed IT solutions provider, Red Rhino is committed to helping businesses of all kinds migrate their servers and data to the cloud. We can also help you set a strategy in place for your business; working closely with you to fully understand your needs and how best to achieve them – both now and in the future.

Ultimately, all businesses need to work smarter, faster, and harder to keep pace with the competition. Migrating your data and applications to the cloud enables you to do all of that – with the assurances that it remains secure and accessible by the right people, and can be leveraged at scale when it’s needed most.

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