What to Consider Before Moving to the Cloud
At this point, even the most obstinate have to admit that the cloud offers unparalleled levels of performance, stability, convenience, and security. Working during the COVID-19 pandemic has made this very clear. Keeping key files in local storage quickly loses its luster when you can't access that local storage due to travel and workplace restrictions.
If you find yourself in that position, you're likely in the phase between accepting what you need to do (move your files and processes to the cloud) and actually doing it. And although there's a sense of urgency in the task ahead, it's entirely reasonable to think things through before proceeding. It's a huge change, after all, and you want it to be as smooth as possible.
To help you navigate this process, we'll look at some key things you should consider before moving to the cloud. Once you've analyzed everything and figured out the details, you'll be ready to move forward. Let's get started.
What platforms and tools do you want to use?
Talking about the cloud might give the impression that it's a singular system that encompasses everything, but obviously that's not the case. Moving to the cloud simply involves shifting storage and processing from servers and services accessible via the internet, which means there are as many viable routes you can take. However, if you want to get the best results, you'll need to choose very carefully.
If you can budget for it, consulting a cloud solutions provider will be immensely helpful as they can advise you regarding the most popular options in the market and suggest a cost-effective alignment that perfectly suits your needs. It's always preferable to turn to experts, especially for a project like this.
If you can't budget for that, you'll need to do thorough research to see what hosting solutions and applications can offer what you need. This shouldn't be too burdensome a task as the internet is full of free guides, but remember to consult reliable sources and find articles that are up to date.
When can you adapt to the necessary downtime?
Moving to the cloud isn't something you can breeze through during lunch break. Even when you have everything queued up, it will take time to ensure everything goes smoothly: you'll need to check, double-check, and triple-check to confirm success. If you're outsourcing the move, you're likely to be given a certain amount of downtime to accept, and it could be much more than you'd like.
Before you start, you need to determine when you can adapt to that downtime. If you have a busy period of business, it won't be exactly ideal for your systems to shut down while you're trying to get things done—So, what time would be suitable? You can schedule some training days to occupy your resources while the move is completed. That's a solid option, though there are others. The important thing is that you make a decision.
How much essential data do you have to transfer?
The average move from one house doesn't bring everything along, because there are always possessions that really aren't worth it. The same goes for moving to the cloud. You'll have files you won't need, with data you could have deleted years ago too. Because of this, you can optimize your move by sorting through your data.
Once you know what you need to keep, you can count things with reasonable accuracy and use it to form a more solid idea of how much space you'll really need. Involve everyone in the estimation process (digital transformation is a team effort). Most cloud platforms have various performance and storage tiers, so taking this into account at an early stage will make estimating your costs easier.
What can you do with your old hardware?
Lastly, something that companies often overlook is the hardware they're moving away from, leading them to simply throw it away. This is wasteful. It may be viable to sell it, firstly, but even that isn't strictly necessary. It's likely reusable. Local servers can be used for low-priority project drafts, for example, or as backups for cloud systems.
The latter option ties into the hybrid approach of using local and cloud storage together. If that's something that interests you, research before committing. You have enough options to find a path that truly suits you. Don't make the mistake of rushing.
