The Benefits of Cloud Migration for Your Business

By the end of 2020, 83% of most companies’ workload will be stored on the Cloud.

Over eighty percent of enterprises already have a multi-Cloud strategy in place. The average employee accesses thirty-six Cloud-based apps every day.

So why the huge shift to Cloud computing?

What are the benefits? Is the move difficult? How can your business take advantage of Cloud-hosted services?

This article explores the topic of Cloud migration.

We look at the main advantages, different migration types, and how to start the process. So read on to discover why so many companies migrate their data to the Cloud.

What Is Cloud Migration?

Cloud computing sees your business computing services delivered over the Internet.

The term ‘Cloud’ relates to the online nature of these services. It replaces or works alongside legacy systems, like databases, file storage, and on-site servers.

Instead of hosting data on your premises, everything’s stored online.

Cloud services are hosted in large data centers around the world. The technology offers local regional access to keep things lightning-fast.

Cloud migration describes how an organization moves its information and apps to the Internet.

That includes transferring existing data, like sales ledgers or customer emails, and converting legacy programs into Cloud accessible apps.

Cloud Migration Delivery Models

There are three main delivery models of migration to Cloud services. Each offers a unique service.

SaaS

Software as a Service replaces traditionally installed programs as you can access apps from any Internet device.

One example of a SaaS is Google’s Gmail.

Migrating to a SaaS service, like Gmail, means changing some DNS settings. It is simple to do, costs little, and Google G-Suite offers a full range of features for business users.

PaaS

Platform as a Service offers a complete deployment and development environment on the Internet.

It allows you to host Cloud-based apps up to sophisticated enterprise resources. Businesses rent programs as required using a pay-as-you-go model and access them online.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service acts as the backbone of Cloud computing.

This virtualized service hosts all of your data and offers storage, backup, and security. It comes with reporting tools and is usually charged by the data you send/receive (bandwidth) and storage needs.

Why Should I Migrate to the Cloud?

So why all the fuss about migrating to the Cloud?

We have gathered together some of the best reasons why your company needs to consider Cloud computing. From reduced costs to faster access, you will soon see that this is not just hype.

Significant Cost Reduction

In a recent survey, 84% of IT executives said they planned to migrate data to the Cloud. One of the main reasons was cutting costs.

Cloud services charge by usage and their rates are so low, a business can make massive savings by switching.

Over 94% of executives stated Cloud computing would reduce setup costs and maintenance charges. Under half noted their overall IT costs would drop by thirty to fifty percent.

Interested to know how much you could save? Then estimate your bill by using a Cloud cost calculator.

Input the total amount of data you wish to store, the number of instances/servers, and bandwidth usage or ask a professional IT provider, like Sagacent, to assist.

Compare the result with your current bill and you will soon see the savings.

System Scalability

A major problem of on-site data storage is vertical scaling.

Vertical scaling means you add resources, like disk space or RAM, to your servers to keep up with demand. Eventually, they will hit a ceiling and where do you go from there?

Cloud solutions offer horizontal scaling, which adds extra servers onto a chain. They all work together to process spikes in traffic or increased usage.

You can push as many resources as you need because you will never run out of space. That is especially true for databases.

NoSQL systems overcome RDBMS shortcomings, like total concurrent users. You can also change data structures on-the-fly and they are cheaper than enterprise programs, like SQL Server.

Increased Security

Due to the nature of virtualization in Cloud computing, security becomes even more robust.

Data theft and hacking attempts cannot access Cloud virtual machines as easily. Data centers also deploy software patches as they become available. That is easy to do using a remote system.

Disaster Recovery and Backup

What if the worst happens and your business premises burn down? Would you lose all your data and access to applications?

Migrating everything to the Cloud safeguards against worst-case scenarios. Data is automatically backed-up through automated tools. You can share it amongst several data centers for additional peace of mind.

If your apps are hosted on the Cloud your workforce can work from home. That is especially true in the current world climate.

24/7 Monitoring

Built-in status monitoring software alerts you if your Cloud provider suffers downtime.

The process is automatic and remote tools allow you to switch to another data center while fixing the issue. You can log in to the dashboard whenever you wish to view past outages as well as current usage.

However, Cloud uptime is 99.99% so downtime will not become an issue.

Cloud Migration Consulting and Planning

Now you see the benefits of Cloud migration you are probably asking, “How do I plan my cloud migration?”

The first step is to create a Cloud migration strategy. This process involves identifying your priorities and objectives from the outset.

What is it you want to achieve by moving to the Cloud? Cutting costs? Scalability? Worldwide access to services?

Reach out to key stakeholders for their feedback, i.e. anyone who will be affected by migration to Cloud services. Think about the big picture and set milestones for your objectives.

You also need to list all of your applications that currently use your legacy systems. That includes hardware and servers; anything that views or edits data.

If all this sounds like a nightmare, then do not worry.

Sagacent Technologies offers Cloud consultancy for the modern office. Our IT audit helps prepare you to move to Cloud computing. We also examine security, backup, and regulatory compliance.

Managed Service Provider San Jose

Cloud migration services offer benefits, like reduced costs, status monitoring, and enhanced security. At Sagacent Technologies, we aim to help you with this process.

Take advantage of our free network assessment to see how the Cloud can help.

We are located in San Jose California and specialize in multiple areas of IT. Our Managed IT solutions help businesses from all industry types. Our Cloud/hosted services provide a secure and compliant platform for your essential data.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning, and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.