Minimizing Risk in a Cloud Migration
When a digital transformation strategy calls for cloud migration, the expected benefits can be transformational. From agility and scalability to cost savings and improved productivity, enterprises easily see the advantages of investing in cloud solutions.
Moving to the cloud does carry some risk. While enterprises are becoming more comfortable with the cyber security implications of data and systems hosted in the cloud, there is also the risk of downtime or of not meeting compliance regulations in the migrated solution. In order to mitigate some of the common risks and surprises of cloud migration, enterprises need to have some key steps in place for the transition:
Moving Sensitive Information: In industries such as finance and health care, a cloud migration carries significant risk in terms of where the data is housed, how it is protected in transit, and whether the cloud provider meets requirements for compliance. Enterprises need to have checkpoints in place for determining whether the migration is meeting its compliance requirements.
Preventing Vendor Lock-In: Another consideration that enterprises must consider for a cloud migration is the possibility of being tied to one provider. Many cloud solutions are not compatible with those of competitors, and the enterprise can find themselves too dependent on a single provider. This makes them vulnerable to price increases and substandard service level agreements. Some businesses find they don’t have enough control over their systems for configuration or troubleshooting.
Managing Expectations: A cloud migration may be prioritized because there are lofty goals related to cost savings or agility, but there are often unexpected roadblocks or costs. For instance, an enterprise may shift a workload to a cloud solution, only to find they need to make an upgrade to their infrastructure to support the bandwidth and performance demands of cloud technology.
In the process of choosing a cloud data storage solution, enterprises often underestimate the costs of cold data retrieval or the need for added security when data is placed in the cloud.
Choosing the Right Migration Projects: When it comes to cloud migration, enterprises that choose small, achievable projects often fare best in their long-term digital transformation strategies. Cloud migrations have a way of stalling out due to unexpected obstacles, infrastructure upgrade needs, or budgetary limitations. When IT teams instead choose a cloud migration that is more manageable, it spurs momentum for pushing to the next migration.
Setting Goals: Some of the benefits that enterprises hope to achieve may come in the form of fuzzy concepts, such as improved productivity and agility. It’s important that teams create measurable goals that help them determine whether a cloud migration was a successful project, with smaller phases built in for monitoring progress.
If your enterprise is considering a cloud migration, contact us at One Connect. We can guide you through the planning phase to ensure a smooth transition, as well as help you select the best cloud solutions to support your digital transformation strategy.