How can businesses migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud? What are the challenges and benefits of cloud migration?

What is Cloud migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving an organisation's digital asset i.e. IT infrastructure and applications either partially, or wholly to the cloud. Moreover, cloud migration is not just about moving your digital assets to the cloud but it is also about moving them from one cloud to another.

The cloud offers several benefits to all organisations, big or small, including cost savings, increased agility, improved scalability, enhanced security, and reduced IT complexity.

Although it has a ton of benefits, cloud computing brings a new level of innovation to your organisation's business practice and architecture, hence requires careful analysis, planning and execution to ensure the cloud solution's compatibility with your business requirements.

How to migrate to the cloud?

Cloud migration is often broken down into 5 steps, Preparation, planning, migration, operation, and optimisation.

• Preparation - Establish a set of objectives you want to achieve followed by an initial assessment of your IT infrastructure to identify your readiness and any potential pitfalls that might need to be addressed.
• Planning - Curate a detailed migration plan detailing the roadmap of which resource and workload will be migrated in what order. This is also the best opportunity to decide which cloud architecture you want to use.
• Migration- This is the step where the actual migration takes place. There are a variety of techniques for migration, for example, lift-and-shift, refactoring, lift and reshape, drop and shop, revisit, etc. The Technique used depends on your organisation's specific requirements and goals. Remember, migrations should be carefully monitored to ensure everything proceeds as you planned and any issues are promptly addressed.
• Operation - Once you have successfully migrated to the cloud, it's time to start managing the newly migrated workloads in the cloud environment, including monitoring performance, managing resources, and maintaining security and compliance.
• Optimisation - Look for ways to improve the performance and efficiency of your cloud environment. This can involve refining cloud operations, identifying opportunities for cost savings, or implementing cloud-native features to enhance performance.

It can be overwhelming to see the different ways your infrastructure functions within a cloud environment, but It’s important to be familiar with how it works, its risks, benefits, and how cloud computing technology is evolving in general.

How can cloud migration benefit you?

Migrating to the cloud offers several benefits that you can leverage to enhance your operations and achieve various business objectives. We have listed down a few key benefits of migrating to the cloud below:

• Cost savings: It can help you save money on IT costs. You only pay for the resources you use, and you can scale your resources up or down as needed.
• Increased agility: You can quickly deploy new applications and services, and you can easily scale your infrastructure to meet changing demands.
• Improved scalability: You can easily scale your infrastructure up or down as needed, so you can easily handle spikes in demand.
• Enhanced security: Cloud computing can help you enhance your security. Cloud's have a strong track record of security, and offer several security features that you can use to protect your data.
• Reduced IT complexity: Migrating to cloud can reduce your IT complexity. You do not need to worry about managing your hardware and software, so you can focus on your core business.

What are the challenges?

Although migrating to the cloud can bring numerous benefits, but it also presents several challenges that you might need to address.

• Data security and privacy: Third-party providers have access to your data, so it is important to choose a provider that has a strong track record of security and privacy.
• Compliance with regulations: Most industries are subject to regulations that govern how data can be stored and processed e.g. GDPR. Cloud migration can make it more difficult to comply with these regulations.
• Cost: Migrating to the cloud can be more expensive than on-premises IT infrastructure, depending on your specific needs.
• Technical expertise: Cloud migration requires technical expertise. If you do not have the in-house expertise, you may need to hire a third-party cloud migration service provider.
• Managing Change: Cloud migration can be a disruptive process. It is important to communicate with your employees and stakeholders about the benefits of cloud migration and to manage expectations.

Barriers

Organisations often encounter various barriers and challenges when migrating to the cloud. Here are a few to look into.

Everyone appreciates a little extra something.

Here are a few bonus tips to consider.

• Start small and scale up as needed. There is no need to migrate all of your IT infrastructure to the cloud at once. You can start by migrating a few critical applications or workloads and then gradually move more of your environment to the cloud over time.
• Get expert help. If you don't have the in-house expertise to manage a cloud migration, consider hiring a third-party service provider like Workflo Solutions ®. We can help you assess your current IT infrastructure, choose the right cloud platform, and develop and execute a migration plan.
• Monitor your cloud environment closely. Once you have migrated to the cloud, it is important to monitor your environment closely to ensure that your applications are running smoothly and that your data is secure.

Cloud migration can be a complex process, but it can be a valuable investment for businesses of all sizes. By carefully planning and executing your migration, you can reap the many benefits of cloud computing.

How can Workflo Help?

Workflo Solutions is the UK’s leading provider of Managed Print & IT services, electronic document management software, VOIP telephone and solutions to businesses of all sizes. With a team of experienced IT experts, Workflo Solutions can provide a comprehensive managed IT service to your business, including cloud migration.

With over 15 years at the helm of technology and our expertise in the latest technologies and security protocols, we understand the complexities and challenges involved in cloud migration and offer a range of solutions to seamlessly transition your applications, data, and infrastructure to the cloud. With our deep expertise in cloud architecture, security, and management, we ensure a smooth and efficient migration process. Partnering with workflo Solutions, you to leverage the benefits of the cloud, optimise performance, enhance scalability, and drive innovation, while minimising the associated risks and disruptions.