Moving your systems to the Cloud has so many benefits. Whether you’ve got a handful of staff using your systems, or you’ve got thousands in your staff, Cloud computing is a great option.
Being able to work from anywhere is vital these days, and can be a lot easier with the right Cloud solutions, rather than relying on a server environment. Planning a move to the Cloud? You need to make sure it’s done right, or you could find your business wastes a lot of time and money. Here are 7 Cloud migration mistakes to avoid and things to think about for a smooth transition.
How to Avoid Common Cloud Migration Mistakes
Before we get into our list, we recommend you do some research into Cloud experts, if you don’t have the resources in house. We talk about what to look for in a Cloud service provider in a previous article.
1. Security
When you implement any new systems, security has to come first. When data is uploaded to the Cloud, it isn’t stored on your hardware. Instead, it will be stored in a data centre belonging to your chosen Cloud provider. If you’ve chosen a reputable company, such as Microsoft, their data centres will have the highest levels of security around. But if your data isn’t configured properly, none of that will matter. Ultimately, you are responsible for the security of your data in the cloud.
2. Don’t assume all Clouds are the same
On the surface, Cloud environments seem very similar. You pay a subscription to store your data, which you can access from anywhere and save space on your own hardware. if you’re migrating from one Cloud platform to another, this assumption can be easy to make. Cloud environments are all set up in different ways, each with different functions and capabilities. Therefore, you should never blindly migrate data from one cloud to another without becoming familiar with your new Cloud environment.
3. Don’t move all at once
You shouldn’t rush a Cloud migration. It can be tempting to try and get it all done at once, to be a ‘Cloud only’ business as soon as possible. But successful migrations happen gradually, moving certain elements to the Cloud first. If you’re planning a move to Microsoft 365, it may be sensible to migrate your emails to Exchange Online first, before gradually rolling out other services. Set targets, and plan what will be done at certain times, so the migration doesn’t get out of hand, and all the data you want is carried over properly.
4. Don’t move for the sake of it
We love the convenience of Cloud computing. But it isn’t always going to be the right fit for every business. If you’ve only recently had a new server set up, within the last few months, it’s probably not worthwhile to fully migrate away from it. You may find it’s more sensible to adopt a hybrid Cloud approach, where some things remain on premise. Save on costs by only moving what you need to the Cloud, and keep the rest on premise for now. Then you can decide in the future if more can move to the Cloud.
5. Be sure to test properly
Moving applications to the Cloud may not work as you’d expect them to immediately. Depending on file types, and the Cloud you’re using, you may need to do some reconfiguring so they will work. Some of your apps may require more computing power than they did previously, or that your cloud provider can offer. And because you’re going to be moving to new systems, you need to make sure that you are comfortable with administration and security features.
6. Don’t copy and paste existing systems
When moving to the cloud, companies will often just copy all their existing data and paste it into the cloud, with a plan to tidy up the data at some point in the future. This very rarely happens. If your business has been around for many years, and produced a lot of data, it would be sensible to go through and assess where they need all of it or not. If you can start your cloud environment with a relatively clean slate, it should be easier to manage the systems.
7. Be sure to plan properly
Migrating to the cloud is a big investment for your business, so you want to make sure everything goes smoothly. To make it a smooth transition, you need to exactly what is going to happen, and when. You need to be sure that everything is going to work, or know what will need to be tweaked for the Cloud. If everyone is working from one central plan, the whole migration is more likely to be a smooth one.
Avoid Cloud Migration Mistakes
Moving to the cloud can greatly benefit the business, but isn’t a one size fits all solution. If you’re considering a move, get in touch with ACUTEC today to see how we can help.
