Cloud Migration refers to the process of deploying some or all of your data, services, applications or other essential business assets into the cloud, that is run by a cloud service provider. When it comes to cloud migration strategy, two main things come into your mind:

• Planning
• Execution

Before even you consider migrating your data to the cloud, it’s vital to be aware of the implications of migration. Once you are aware of it, it’s time to execute your migration. When carrying out the migration, you will face some challenges such as minimal disruption to your normal business operation. Since the migration will render your data inaccessible, you need to be prepared for the risk involved that can impact your business operations.

Successful cloud computing migration strategy means that your data is protected, secured and optimized. Since, it’s a critical infrastructure, real-time monitoring of changes is required. Migrating strategy for cloud also requires meeting regulatory compliance such as GDPR. Make sure you make a proper assessment regarding security of your data to make ensure it’s going to work in a cloud-based environment.

The Benefits of Cloud Migration Strategy: 

• Data Protection: Data lost due to power failure, virus, or natural disaster is heavy and can adversely affect your business operation and productivity. Moving your data to the cloud will spare you from the headache from recovering everything because the cloud can store the backup copies of your data in a secure location.
• Data Security: Saving and storing your sensitive data on laptop are not good practices to follow. If someone gains your access then you can lose some of your important data. When you store your data in cloud you can access it anywhere and anytime and can reduce the risk of exposing your data.
• Scalability: Another reason why it’s a good idea to implement cloud migration is its scalability. You can scale up or scale down its storage based on your business needs.
• Complete Document Control: Cloud stores your document via centralized data center. You don’t have to go through tedious process just to share your document with the team. Anyone who has access to the document can edit or view the file depending on the type of access you have permitted.
  

Key Points to Remember Before You Migrat

Migrating your data to the cloud is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, it takes only a few minutes to move everything to the cloud. There are many variables that you would have to take into account to determine how long will it take to complete the migration process.

Evaluate your Company’s readiness to embrace cloud migration strategy

You can’t just wake up one day and migrate all your data onto the cloud. It requires proper strategy and planning that will address downtime and other challenges associated with migration. The purpose of migration is to minimize the challenges and not the way around.  This is where cloud readiness assessment comes in.

Performing the assessment is your first step towards your journey of cloud adoption. The assessment will help you to gauge the current situation of your business and its ability to achieve goals.

Migration also involves communication with everyone who is involved in that process. You need to discuss how migration is going to affect your clients, customers and employees. Migration is easier said than done when you don’t have a strategy in place. After performing cloud readiness assessment, you should start defining your data migration strategy to cloud.

Public, Private or Hybrid Cloud?

Migration strategy to cloud will not be complete until you choose one of the cloud models- public, private and hybrid. While choosing cloud models, make your business and its objections a basis for making a decision.

• Public Cloud: Public cloud makes your resources available to everyone. It is maintained by third party that let you use the external software and hardware over the internet, which saves you maintaining from own. The company that provides the cloud owns the infrastructure. You also share the computing structure with other organizations. Although the data, infrastructure, and applications are only accessed by authorized individuals. Some of the known advantages of public cloud are scalability, reliability, low cost of ownership.
• Private Cloud: Private cloud, on other hand gives exclusive access to your business. It has a high security environment which helps in resolving security issues. It’s the type of cloud suitable for government and financial sectors. However, you’ll be responsible for maintaining, updating and managing the cloud. The cost of purchasing and maintaining all the IT infrastructure of a private cloud is bit expensive than public cloud. This is why private cloud strategy is ideal for organizations that require strict data privacy and security levels.
• Hybrid Cloud: Hybrid gives you the best of both worlds. It combines the affordability of public cloud and the multiple layers of security of private cloud. For business who choose to migrate sensitive applications while non sensitive application can operate through a public cloud environment, hybrid cloud migration strategy provides this option.

Are you going to choose public, private or hybrid cloud? You might want to start assessing your environment and start identifying factors that could affect your migration. If your company is still embracing IT infrastructure, its’ time to implement cloud migration strategy to improve data security, increase productivity and promote business growth. To know more how to implement such strategies you can contact TechNEXA Technologies and can migrate all your data and applications onto the cloud.