Cloud Migrations: Money Saving Tips
Cloud migrations don’t have to be costly. If your company is planning on transitioning to a hybrid, private, or public cloud server, pay attention to the three tips listed below to save time and avoid problems that hassles that could take days or even weeks to sort out.
Plan it Out
Why is your business migrating to the cloud? Is it because everyone else is doing it, or you hope to save money that can be reinvested back in your business? Are you expecting the cloud to provide quantifiable customer service improvements, improve your ROI, increase employee efficiency, and/or streamline the sharing of information across various business branches?
The first step in planning a move to the cloud is to know what you want such a move to accomplish. Once you know what you expect from the cloud, you can work with an IT consultant to select cloud platforms that meet your specific needs. You’ll also need to decide which files and/or applications will be moved to a cloud server.
Other points to consider during your planning session include:
- When should cloud migration start? When is the deadline for completion?
- Will the migration interrupt regular business activities? If so, is there a plan in place to help employees do their jobs during the disruption?
- Should the company move to a public, private or hybrid cloud set-up?
- Who is in charge of supervising the move to ensure that there are no mistakes or glitches? While your IT department or an IT managed service may do the actual work, you need someone in your company to take charge of the move and ensure all the data has been properly organized and stored.
Take One Step at a Time
While transitioning to a cloud-based set-up is certainly a good idea, it’s not necessarily a good idea to try to do it all at once. It will take time to move files and applications to the cloud, set up strong cybersecurity for your new cloud service, and teach employees how to use the cloud storage in a secure, efficient manner.
When planning a move to the cloud, prioritize the movement of files and/or applications instead of trying to do it all simultaneously. A staggered transition can save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run.
Put a Premium on Cybersecurity
Public cloud security breaches are rare and most happen because a business misconfigures its cloud service. Even so, that doesn’t mean you should automatically assume your new cloud set-up will be safer from breaches than your current in-house storage system. You’ll need to take measures to keep your files safe by:
- Limiting employee access to data. Each staff member should only have access to the data needed to do his or her job.
- Selecting strong usernames and passwords for all cloud service access levels
- Enabling two-factor authentication for every single person who is accessing the new cloud server
- Setting up endpoint security so that remote employees and third-party contractors can access your cloud storage as needed without creating opportunities for a breach
- Ensure your cloud storage set-up has end-to-end encryption. Without proper encryption, files can be breached as they are copied or moved to and from the site.
Cloud Migrations, Support and Maintenance by OnServe
Recent statistics show that about half of all organizations will have to delay their migration to the cloud by two years or more due to a lack of cloud IaaS skills. Even large companies that can afford to pay for a full-time, experienced IT technician often have a hard time finding one. However, the good news is that a shortage of IaaS skills doesn’t have to set you back when you partner with an IT managed service. IT services have licensed IT experts on hand to handle any challenge you may face, making it possible for you to use technology to its fullest potential without undue delay.
OnServe is a leading IT consultancy and managed service company that serves small, mid-size, and established businesses throughout Kingston, Brockville, and the Eastern Ontario area. Our team all the services you need to successfully plan and execute your cloud transition. What’s more, we offer 24/7 cloud management and support services to keep your cloud set-up secure and running at optimal speed and performance. Our services are focused on proactively looking for ways to improve your operations so downtime becomes a rare occurrence. Even so, you can count on timely virtual and in-person assistance as and when the need arises.
OnServe also offers other IT services that can improve your operations, help you save time and money, increase your ROI, and enable you to use data to its fullest potential. We provide VoIP service to help you communicate with business partners, suppliers, and customers with ease; we offer cybersecurity services to keep your in-house and virtual systems safe from hackers; we take on specialized IT projects to help you upgrade your IT systems without undue delay, and much more. Our team specializes in serving accounting companies, healthcare organizations, municipalities, construction companies, financial institutions, and manufacturing companies, offering top-tier, cutting-edge IT tailored to meet your specific needs.
Are you looking for premium cloud migrations and other services to help you reach your business goals faster and more efficiently than would have otherwise been possible? If so, get in touch with us at your convenience to either learn more about our services or schedule an appointment with our team of IT experts.