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The importance of cloud migration cannot be overlooked today. More and more businesses are moving to the cloud, as they realize the many benefits that come with this. Moving to the cloud can help you to run your business more efficiently, making it easier for employees to find the resources they need. The cloud can also provide more security, if you go about the migration process properly. However, this is where a lot of business owners end up going wrong. With that in mind, read on to discover some of the most common mistakes made when moving to the cloud so that you can avoid them.
Assuming that all cloud providers are the same – This is undoubtedly the biggest mistake that most business owners make when they transition to the cloud. They assume that once they have seen one cloud provider, they have seen them all. However, this could not be further from the truth. On the most basic level, you have different types of clouds in the sense that there are private, public, and hybrid clouds. However, your decision goes a lot further than this. You also have the option of going for a large service provider or something more local, such as a cloud backup service Onlime. This is a Danish cloud service provider, targeting this specific market, offering companies in Denmark the option of choosing a more local cloud storage solution instead of using a global service. This is something we are likely to see become more prevalent over the coming years, as the Internet gets more localised because of the sheer wealth of options that are available.
Failing to carry out due diligence – Doing your homework is not optional when moving to the cloud. A lot of businesses pay the price for this. Before you embrace a cloud provider or cloud technology, you need to conduct thorough research. Not only this, but you need to carefully study your own usage, needs, and IT infrastructure. After all, every business is different and it is all about finding the right solution for your requirements specifically. To help you on your quest to find the best solution and provider, it is a good idea to write down a list of all of your expectations so that you can discuss these with any company you are considering.
Not tuning your apps for the cloud – When companies migrate their most important applications to the cloud, they often fail to discover how these applications are going to perform now they are in a new environment. It is easy to assume that everything will remain the same in terms of performance levels. However, this is not always going to be the case.
Migrating all of your apps to the cloud – Another app error! It can be very tempting to simply move everything to the cloud once you make the decision that this is the route you are going to go down. Nevertheless, not all business applications should be migrated to the cloud. You need to determine whether this is the best approach. Of course, this will depend on your industry to a large extent. For example, if you run a healthcare organisation, you need to consider how a cloud-based application will impact security issues, governance, and the stringent compliance levels that are in place.
Simply throwing your old IT hardware away – There are a number of different reasons why this is a mistake. But first, let’s address the reason why you are chucking your hardware away. A lot of people will be reading this and thinking, so do I need to invest in new tech equipment if I move to the cloud? The simple answer to this question is no. However, if your systems and computers are very outdated, now represents the ideal time to give them the upgrade they deserve. After all, old systems are often a lot easier to breach, and once you move to the cloud security needs to become a priority, which is why it is a good time to invest in improved hardware. Of course, you then have the fact that some cloud services means that some of your IT hardware will no longer be required. So, now that is out of the way, why is throwing the hardware away a mistake? Well, firstly, you have the issue of the environment. Electronic waste is one of the most damaging types of waste. This is why it is vital to look for recycling opportunities. Moreover, the market for used computers is huge, and so you could be missing out on a chance to recoup some cash by not exploring this.
No in-house expertise – Last but not least, you do not need to hire a complete tech team once you move to the cloud, but it is important to have some level of experience within your team. You need an individual that is going to have the capacity to implement your company’s cloud strategy, and make sure it is managed and controlled to optimal level.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding some of the most common mistakes that companies make when moving to the cloud so that you can avoid them. Moving to the cloud can be like taking a step into the unknown for a lot of businesses, which is why mistakes are often made. It is, therefore, important to do your research beforehand so you can be certain that you have selected the right solution for you. There is no denying that a move to the cloud can be very positive for your business, but this is only going to be the case if you go about it in the correct manner.
