Choosing to move your company data to the cloud may seem like a stressful business venture. The reason for this could be the many important factors that must be taken into account when adopting a cloud-hosted service such as DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service). In order to achieve a smooth transition from your traditional IT setup to one that is managed fully by a third-party vendor, you need to develop a complete cloud migration strategy, which works specifically for your company. This usually includes a step-by-step plan of action that your cloud provider can work out for you and help you implement. Another important aspect of cloud strategies is that they need to be fully communicated between your departments internally so that different responsible people within can participate in the decision-making processes.

The importance of having a cloud strategy

Before you decide to undertake the adoption of cloud services and findings, you need to think of developing the right strategy to migrate your data to the servers of a managed service provider. Having a plan that is carefully weighed up by a person who is entitled to be the ‘ cloud architect ‘ in your organization is one of the options you have. The benefit of doing this internally is that you can find a person or a team within your company (usually IT staff) who knows your operations inside-out and they can do the transition painlessly. Another option is finding a cloud provider that is offering professional cloud migration services along with the cloud solution itself. Some cloud vendors such as we-IT offer these within the price of their service subscription.

The main factors worth considering for your cloud strategy

Deployment method

When choosing to move your data to the servers of a managed service provider, you should really be considering what your cloud deployment needs to be. There are several different options for businesses depending on the size of their operations and the capital amount that one is allowed to spend on a type of cloud solution. One of the most popular choices is using a public cloud service which is more accessible and affordable than other options on the marketplace. Choosing to utilize a private solution or a hybrid cloud solution may incur higher costs for companies that choose to go down that road.

What data goes to the cloud?

One of the most important factors that you need to consider when moving to the cloud is the data that you want to transition and the part that you decide to keep storing in-house. You can also move your entire company data and all of your software applications to the cloud, but you should really consider which are the ones that are worth running internally. Making an inventory of your applications gives you a good chance to find out what are the important applications in your company and how you can prioritize this shift to the cloud most effectively.

Data security

Cloud migration does not come without any risks. Your data security must be your highest priority when choosing to make the move, which is why finding a trusted cloud provider, is of utmost importance. Your cloud vendor should have strict data protection policies in place as well as good practices that ensure your data security and compliance are considered during migration. Before signing up to a contract with your new provider, you need to make sure that the experience and the credibility of the cloud company speak for proficiency and strict adherence to the company policies.

Your goals

Communicating your goals to your service provider is equally important to making your cloud migration plan and sticking with it. Speaking your objectives clearly and finding the best alternatives for your company will help you find the right strategy that works best for your business. The best way to set the right goals is to find out what each of your department’s needs is during and after the transition process. This change includes everyone in the company who is in charge of teams and will be affected differently by moving your company applications to the servers of a managed service provider.

Leaving the cloud

Like any other IT service offered by a vendor externally, there is a cost that comes with the solution you will be utilizing. This is one of the main reasons sometimes when companies decide to leave the cloud, even if it’s still a rare occurrence. This is why you need to be prepared to have a conversion strategy in case you decide to move away from the cloud over time. Your data ownership and backup must be your highest priorities when you are designing your exit plan at the point of migration.

When moving to the cloud, there are quite a few factors that are worth considering. Having a comprehensive cloud migration strategy is a crucial first step in this journey which often seems more challenging than it really is.