This blog was originally published by WatServ here
5 Key Reasons to Consider a Cloud Migration
What are the key business events or triggers that make executives consider a migration to services in the cloud? There are many different drivers and when researching what they are, the result almost always leads to the overall goal of modernizing the business and work environment. To go a little deeper, the Azure team at Microsoft has published an extremely useful and insightful guide.
Let’s look at some of the most common reasons that you might be considering a cloud migration for your business:
- Data center expiration: If you are being asked to relocate your data center because the property owner wants to use their building for something else, or you need to modernize or upgrade the data center. This is a big problem – you need to move everything. You have no choice other than relocating the data center, so maybe it’s time to consider locating all that equipment in the cloud? It could also lead to some dramatic savings because a cloud migration means that you don’t need capital investment in hardware, property, and maintenance of your own data center.
- Business Continuity: One of the recurring challenges during the Covid pandemic was how to build a more resilient business. How do you cope if lockdown rules prevent employees visiting the office or data center? Can your company switch overnight to operate completely virtually or are you relying on a server in an office that you are not allowed to access?
- Cybersecurity: Security is a threat for every business, in the cloud or with a more traditional office-based network. But Azure has tools like Sentinel that introduce intelligent security analysis that operates 24/7. Microsoft is spending over a billion dollars annually on improving cybersecurity – that’s reassuring if you are using their systems.
- Cashflow: Moving your Capex into Opex. As mentioned when talking about the data center expiration, you can just start paying for the systems you need when you need them. No need for a data center building with equipment and highly specialized teams of people to keep all that kit running. Microsoft has calculated that over a three-year period, a cloud migration can see a 478% ROI.
- Scaling resources: When business surges, maybe because of seasonality, are you ready to switch on extra capacity overnight? If you have a fixed and internal data center, then that’s not easy. With the cloud you can just request whatever you need… extra capacity for applications, extra storage. Just ask and it’s there.
Every business has different drivers and requirements, but these five examples are certainly the most common reasons why many executives start asking why they haven’t yet migrated services into the cloud.
Cloud adoption is a global trend and a business model that continues to disrupt industries around the world. Cloud offers convenience, cost savings, and near-permanent uptime compared to on-site infrastructure.
Thanks to the advantages of cloud migration, analysts expect public cloud infrastructure and services spending to rise to $500 billion by 2023.
Cost savings, increased efficiency, better environmental footprint, and employee safety are just some of the primary benefits of cloud adoption. Also consider your company’s data will have an added layer of protection.
WatServ works with companies of all sizes from many different industries. We use this experience to guide you on the journey – from helping to define which drivers are changing your business to the ongoing management of a cloud platform.
Are you struggling to achieve cloud adoption? Does your organization need support getting to the cloud? If this is your situation, the WatServ team can help regardless of what stage you are at. Contact us today to schedule a short call with one of our cloud experts so we can determine how we can assist.
