What to Consider Before Migrating to the Cloud
Cloud services are becoming more popular and many businesses have started to jump on this growing trend without the proper awareness. Even though cloud services can potentially help your business grow in different ways, there are some areas that you need to have precaution before migrating. In this blog we will explore three important subjects that all businesses need to know before migrating to the Cloud:
Assess your business needs:
The more you know, the better decision you will make. Develop a list will all the roadblocks your business has faced regarding technology. This could be lack of scalability, access from the field, or simply not having the agility to provide your employees the services they need to be successful. This is going to help you to find the right cloud service model for your specific business needs. A good place to start is asking your colleges or employees in which ways technology will help them be more productive? Many popular Cloud services like Office365, sync and share files solution, data storage, disaster recovery backups, and voice & video conference calling have become the standard for most business and employees are more productive on a daily basis when these tools work properly. Try to be as specific as possible and prioritize, this way when it is time to send information to your IT provider they can be more proactive and work with you to find the perfect Cloud solution.
Plan for the future:
Every business is different and has their own specific needs. Cloud providers understand this and know that it is important to plan for the future. An IT provider can help you create an IT roadmap that aligns with your business goals using a variety of tools to offer a combination of Cloud solutions that will maximize your business resources. Among these tools, cloud calculators are very useful. They combine the years of cloud services, plus the number of users and the amount of data that you will need to store in the cloud, providing a more accurate forecast on pricing. With these numbers, clients have a better understanding of future IT expenses so there won’t be any surprises down the road. Not only that, depending on your business’s needs the vendor will be able to provide a solution that combines both cloud and in-house resources in order to maximize your investments.
Security is key:
When moving to the cloud, it is important to take all precautions. You need to analyze the data your business is receiving regularly. For example, is your data delicate and private information that must follow certain regulations like HIPPA? Or does your data contain your business’s private financial statements that must be encrypted and only certain people can have access to it? Are there any public resources that people outside your company need to have access? These are some important questions that would help determine the type of cloud service you will need for your business. A reliable IT provider can help you assess whether private, public or hybrid cloud services are right for you.
To conclude, following the right guidelines to deploy the Cloud in your business will assure you a smooth ride to a more productive work environment. It is very important to take your time analyzing the service agreement and costs before you decide the right provider for you. Carefully read all the terms and conditions for liability, in case the cloud providers should compensate for the loss of service. You should take saving, pricing, and service level agreement into consideration before your firm decides to move to a cloud solution. The right IT partner can offer the proper guidance through this process. Also, keep in mind that technology is changing constantly and it is very important to continue to learn about the latest implementations and new services. To continue to learn more about how your business can benefit from the Cloud, subscribe to our blog.
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