Cloud migration: why your organization should consider the move

If security and IT departments learned anything from the pandemic and its aftermath, it was the importance of cloud computing for continuous production and remote connectivity. During that time, the key to keeping operations up and running was an organization’s ability to access business applications from anywhere. 

Business continuity is just one of many reasons why organizations decide to migrate to the cloud. Just like the adoption and deployment of any technology, cloud migration requires a strategy that incorporates how and why to do it and what happens when you’ve made the move.

What does it mean to move to the cloud? 

Cloud migration is a process of moving digital business operations and assets into a shared network of remote servers accessible over the internet. These assets include data, applications, and IT business functions. 

The most common migration involves moving assets from on-premise servers or a private cloud to a public cloud. But migrations can also involve moving from one cloud platform to another or from a public cloud to an onsite data center. 

Among the most familiar public cloud service providers are Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform.

Why should organizations consider cloud migration?

The need for remote work may factor into an organization’s decision to move to cloud platforms, but there are other reasons why it should be considered. Migrating to the cloud may be helpful if your organization has an aging legacy system, which could be outdated, unable to integrate with newer business technologies or no longer supported for security updates. Migrating to the cloud to replace outdated software may be a more cost-effective option than overhauling the entire system.

What are the business benefits of moving to the cloud?

The number one benefit of moving to the cloud is scalability. Businesses grow and workloads change. Legacy systems may not be built to meet fluctuating operational needs. Cloud computing makes it easier to scale with the ebb and flow of the business, helping you reduce redundancies or add storage capabilities in real time. 

Other benefits include:

Accessibility. Moving to the cloud allows users to access applications and files from anywhere, which may reduce the cost of physical storage and infrastructure. 

Performance. The cloud offers more efficient application performance for both customers and users inside the organization. Downtime is decreased, new tools and applications are implemented much faster, and data loss prevention plans are included in service-level agreements. 

IT and security management. Cloud providers often offer IT and security resources that you may not have in-house, especially for highly specialized services. And because cloud providers handle IT management, they take care of system updates and software patches, and will make sure that your cloud infrastructure meets compliance requirements. 

Strategies for cloud migration

Cloud migration requires a strategy. Whenever adopting new technology into your infrastructure, you need to be able to answer questions, such as:

• What is the business value of migrating to a cloud platform?
• How will it improve business operations and outcomes?
• What assets will be migrated to the cloud? Data? Applications? 
• Where are these assets located now and how will they perform in the cloud? 
• How do we best adapt existing applications for the cloud? 
• How will we maintain the management of applications in the cloud?

Many organizations have already begun their cloud migration journey. It’s an ongoing process that should offer business continuity and address the problems created by aging legacy systems and a disparate workforce.