The world is gradually moving in the direction of the cloud. This process is not even happening slowly, and the cloud industry is rapidly expanding. Gartner forecasts a 17 percent growth of the global public cloud services market, to reach revenues of $266.4 billion in 2020. This technology that we have gradually taken for granted represents a major shift in business processes and strategies.
Here are some of the things to be considered in making that migration:
Public, private or hybrid?
This is a big question, as cloud computing models are typically divided into these categories.
Public cloud services are operated and owned by a third-party service provider and they are usually lower in price. The services are delivered over the internet, they are reliable and do not require maintenance.
Private cloud solutions are dedicated to a particular organisation and they are not shared. They offer more efficiency, scalability and flexibility.
Hybrid cloud is a use of both of the two models, such as applying private cloud to more sensitive data and processes, and using the public cloud for higher volume and lower security needs. This approach may offer more control, flexibility and cost effectiveness.
Bespoke or ready made?
When choosing cloud-based software solutions, enterprises frequently need to choose between bespoke or off-the-shelf software. In a similar way that public and private cloud models can be more general or specific to meet the needs of the individual business, cloud software solutions can also be universal or custom designed.
Bespoke, custom or tailor-made software is built around the particular needs of a business. This is usually more expensive and will take longer to develop, but it is more agile and easier to maintain.
Off-the-shelf software is developed for a wider market of users. It is available immediately and at a lower cost, and it has more options in community support. However it may not address all of your business needs, and it will also have some features and functionality that will be left unused.
What to migrate?
Without a doubt, migrating to cloud is an undertaking that calls for a great deal of clear and coherent planning. This may involve planning for both the applications that are to be migrated, and the order in which they will be migrated.
Interoperability with other cloud-based applications could be required, as well as development changes that will allow apps to operate in a cloud environment.
Data may need to be migrated for some apps. This data should be organised and cleaned, which can help to improve the performance of an app.
Is it secure?
All organisations should implement clear and well-defined security policies regarding the security of cloud applications. This is to ensure that security is kept to a required level. For certain areas this can be more relaxed, where responsibility can be ceded to the cloud service provider.
Physical or virtual appliances can also be integrated that improve the cloud infrastructure or help in meeting compliance.
Whether it is native or third-party security providers, solutions should always be in place to protect data after it is migrated. It is also a good idea to use encryption, such as MFA.
How to test?
Once applications and data have been migrated to cloud, the migration needs to be validated and the applications tested.
This means developing a test plan that includes: access, permissions, integrations, performance testing and application capabilities testing. Testing is an essential part of any migration plan, and must not be overlooked.
While some resistance to cloud technologies remains, the movement towards a cloud-based future is inevitable. Provided that every cloud migration is carried out with careful planning and expert advice, success will surely prevail.
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