Why should you consider moving to the Cloud?
There are numerous reasons why businesses are moving to cloud computing in ever-increasing numbers. According to a Deloitte survey from March 2021, the top three drivers given were:
- Improved Security & Data Protection
- Data Modernization
- Cost & the Performance of IT Operations
Aside of these key drivers, there are many more benefits why to move to the Cloud:
- Generally lower operational costs
- Greater security possibilities
- More flexibility
- Greater data mobility
- Increased access to analytics
- Greater collaboration
- Improvements in business quality control
- Rapid Disaster recovery.
- Automatic Software updates.
Making the move
Some smaller companies, without much infrastructure, may already be using various cloud solutions without really thinking about it. For these companies, completing the transition will only require some extra premium extras to make the transition complete.
Small to Medium Companies that already have some legacy solutions will be more complex to move and will require special assistance to smooth the transition from On-Prem to cloud computing (FunctionEight is well placed to assist you with this).
Statistics show that by 2020 Singapore, China, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, and Japan were at the forefront of cloud adoption in the Asia Pacific Region, with an average of 25% spend on cloud services. (Source BGC).
Your game plan
There are several approaches that you can take to transition from on-prem to Cloud-based operation.
First of all, you must have a recognition that you are moving from on-prem which involves capital investment in infrastructure, to a cloud-based system which typically is a subscription model.
Second, it is essential to plan the cloud migration carefully and working with experienced IT providers like FunctionEight will ensure your plan is viable and carried out smoothly.
How does on-premises-to-cloud migration work?
Cloud migration can be defined as the movement of data from one place to another. Data is increasingly the most valuable asset your business may possess, as modern business processes generate increasing amounts of data. The process will typically be structured like this:
- Analysis
Analyze the data that is going to be migrated. Consider the differences between the format of the data now, and what the format will be in the new system. Are there compatibility issues? - Backup Your Data
It is essential to backup all data before any migration begins so that there is less likelihood of data loss should unexpected issues arise. - Initial Testing
Use a copy of your production environment and test your migration code. - Extraction of Data
Use a data loader or ETL application to extract the data. - Transformation
When doing the analysis earlier you may have identified that changing the format of the data may be required for the new host application. Now is the time to transform that data if it is required. - Loading
Using the tool selected earlier, load the data into the new system. - Verification & Testing
Do all the checks to ensure that the data transfer worked as planned. Doublecheck that all data has in fact been moved and that you can access it on the new system. - Retirement
It’s always best not to retire the old system until a couple of months have passed, just leave it there unused in case there are any problems down the line.
How can we support you with your Cloud migration?
If you feel that you have the in-house expertise to carry out a Cloud migration yourself, but are looking for some higher-level guidance, please feel free to get in touch with us for a consultation as we would happily share our experience.
If you feel that you need a partner to help manage your Cloud migration completely, then selecting an experienced IT company like FunctionEight as your provider could be a good idea, saving you a lot of stress and at the same time reduce risks of things going wrong (for example data lost) in the process.
