Are You Prepared To Make the Move?
Many of our clients express that they want to move to the cloud, but aren’t sure exactly what the cloud is. When it comes to setting up your cloud migration for success, there’s no such thing as being overly prepared. Moving to the cloud can be a daunting proposition for anyone without the right tools, resources, or vendors on hand—that’s where Hi-Tek comes in. We specialize in mitigating the risks that so often plague a company’s migration strategy, setting them back further and causing unnecessary downtime.
Cloud services aren’t just about data security or implementing new software (although those are significant factors). At Hi-Tek, we take the time to make sure that you’re as prepared as you possibly can be. We leave no stone unturned, and we want to help make sure that you’re in the best position possible for migrating to a cloud computing solution. In this blog, we’ll talk about what steps you should be taking before you jumpstart your transition.
What Steps Do You Need To Take?
1. Determine What’s the Right Environment For Your Company
This might seem like an obvious one, but we can’t overstate this step enough. While a cloud solution (whether it’s public, private, or a hybrid cloud solution) offers myriad benefits, you need to take a big picture look at whether or not this is the right step for you. Outline which benefits align the closest with what you’re looking for (data storage, for example), and which drawbacks might pose a larger problem than you’re expecting (potential downtime).
Are the benefits greater than the drawbacks are negative? Look honestly at your team members, and consider whether or not they’re equipped to handle a move to a cloud infrastructure. There may be a learning curve for users and it’s important to plan ahead for the necessary training and support.
For small and medium sized businesses, migrating to the cloud can be a big expense. It is important to consider capital expenses as well as operational expenses during this step. One important note is that many hybrid and public clouds are scalable, so you can plan ahead for business changes, such as growth.
Additionally, make sure that you understand what’s included in a cloud service, whether that’s security measures or privacy policies. These are often the biggest factors for our clients who have to meet compliance standards.
2. Plan Your Journey
This is when things start to get a little more granular for your company. Find out what information you need to nail down. For example, let’s say you’re concerned about the security of your data—how quickly (and securely) will that information be placed in cloud storage? Make sure that you have dates ironed out well beforehand. The last thing you want is to suffer significant downtime just because you forgot to account for a specific part of the migration process. Make sure you know 1) where you’re migrating to 2) when you’re migrating and 3) why you’re making this move in the first place. They might seem like obvious points to make, but you need a concrete answer for all three before you even consider moving forward.
3. Implement
Your strategy is squared away, and approved by a third-party vendor (if you’re using one); now, it’s time to make the transition. Make sure your IT support system can account for your data, applications, and relevant business files. As soon as the migration is over, you’ll want to be able to pick up right where you left off. They can help secure optimal storage space, mitigate the risks associated with cloud migration, and optimize your hardware and software solution for immediate productivity.
Whatever areas you’re concerned about, Hi-Tek is here to help. We specialize in giving companies the resources and expertise they need to make their cloud migration process as smooth and efficient as possible.
