You likely have many questions about moving your organisation over to the cloud. It can be an enormously expensive process, especially if you’re being forced to migrate to keep your systems supported.
Below, we’ll discuss what cloud migration is, the strategies available to you, issues with forced migrations, and how transitioning to third-party support can help your organisation overcome these challenges.
Cloud migration is the process of moving digital assets, such as data and applications, from one environment to another. It involves either transitioning your systems from on-premise infrastructure to a cloud provider’s servers, or between different cloud environments.
The process involves updating your IT infrastructure to work seamlessly in cloud-native environments. This might include rehosting, replatforming, or rearchitecting applications to ensure they use cloud capabilities effectively. Security and compliance are also crucial parts of the migration, requiring measures like encryption and real-time monitoring.
There are many strategies to take into consideration when planning a migration to the cloud-but which one is right for you?
There are seven strategies when it comes to migrating to the cloud, known as the “7 Rs”. When looking to migrate, you need to consider which strategy best suits you.
Moving to the cloud can have its advantages. However, if you’re being forced to move when you’re not ready (or don’t need to!) then you may need to deal with the following issues.
Migrating data to the cloud comes with several security risks. Unauthorised access may occur due to weak authentication methods, like simple passwords or outdated security protocols. Data breaches and leaks are also a concern, often arising from vulnerabilities during data transfer.
To prevent legal issues and protect their reputation, organisations must ensure their cloud provider has strong security measures in place and complies with data storage and handling regulations.
Vendor lock-in happens when organisations rely on a single cloud provider, making it costly and difficult to switch. This is often due to proprietary technologies, contractual obligations, or data migration challenges, which limit flexibility.
This can leave you vulnerable to price hikes, service issues, or provider failure. To avoid this, organisations should focus on open standards, portability, and carefully review vendor agreements.
Cloud migration costs can be substantial and vary based on several factors.
Infrastructure costs include setting up virtual computers and storage space in the cloud. Data transfer costs depend on data volume and provider pricing. Application refactoring costs arise when apps need redesigning for cloud compatibility. Labour costs for IT staff or consultants add to the expense, along with potential downtime costs. Ongoing service fees and maintenance also impact the total cost of ownership.
Careful planning is crucial to manage these expenses effectively. Migration costs can range from $5,000 for simple projects to over $500,000 for complex migrations requiring extensive refactoring.
Application compatibility issues are a major challenge during cloud migration, especially for legacy systems and custom applications. These issues often arise from incompatibility between on-premises applications and the cloud, requiring significant modifications or rewrites.
Dependencies on specific hardware or outdated frameworks can also hinder transitions and limit the use of cloud-native features. To address these challenges, thorough assessments and strategies like refactoring are essential to ensure applications perform optimally in the cloud.
The cloud migration process can be lengthy due to its complexity and the multiple factors involved. Projects can range from a few weeks for small-scale migrations to several months or even over a year for large-scale or complex systems.
Key phases such as discovery, planning, architecture design, and testing require significant time and effort to ensure a smooth transition. Challenges like legacy system compatibility, data volume, and network bandwidth limitations can further extend timelines.
Additionally, downtime during migration and the need for thorough testing to validate functionality adds to the duration. Careful planning and phased approaches are essential to manage these timeframes effectively.
If you’re being forced to move to the cloud, third-party support could be the solution you’re looking for.
Support Revolution supports your on-premise systems for as long as you need, without the fear of one day being pushed into the cloud when you’re not ready. You can get peace of mind knowing you can move when the timing is right for you.
On top of this, you will also have access to added support improvements, such as:
Book a free 30-minute meeting with our team.
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