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5 Tips for a Successful Move to the Cloud

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Transitioning to a cloud-hosted infrastructure can present a wealth of advantages to companies. As a result, most CIOs expect cloud penetration to rise 40-50% within the next five years.  

However, this transition should be approached cautiously, as cloud computing is more than a technology play; it affects the way the business as a whole is run. Below are five tips for a smooth move to the cloud.  

1. Assess Your Current Business Needs  

According to Sandra Hamilton from EMC Consulting, the first step is to consider the business reasons for moving to the cloud.  

• What benefits are you hoping to achieve?

• What can the cloud help you deliver?

• How will you measure success?

These objectives will drive your overall strategy and help establish your case for a cloud-based environment. It will also help you determine what type of infrastructure (private, public or hybrid cloud) is best for your organization.  

2. Review Your IT Infrastructure  

Next, take a look at your current IT infrastructure to identify where improvements can be made, and how updates will affect the overall ecosystem and business processes. Some key items to consider include:  

• What devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, thin clients, etc.) are in use?

• What are your end points? How are they secured?

• How and where do end users access printers?

• How do you handle data storage? How are files backed up?

• How is the network designed? What systems do you regularly use and rely on, and how are they accessed?

• What security concerns might you face?

• What regulatory and compliance issues must you adhere to?

During this phase, InfoWorld’s J. Peter Bruzzese recommends taking a close look at your data and security needs. While provider service level agreements and data encryption can protect some of your assets, he explains that “not all data may be suitable for the cloud,” and that you might want to hold on to sensitive information internally.  

After reviewing business drivers and your current technology infrastructure, you can then begin to create a roadmap that outlines planned updates. We’ll discuss these in more detail later.

3. Obtain Buy-In from Executives and Employees  

During the planning process, it’s important that candid conversations are had with all C-level executives, as well as with employees, to get their buy-in. Cloud computing can impact corporate culture, employee devices and the end-user experiences. Therefore, discussions should be held upfront on the benefits and potential challenges. This will prevent roadblocks later and ensure everyone is on the same page moving forward.  

4. Evaluate Providers and Solutions  

In moving to the cloud, you are exchanging technology control for lower costs, better scalability and reliability, and less ongoing maintenance. As a result, CIO’s David Taber recommends you consider the following when evaluating vendors and cloud services:  

• Ensure contracts and service level agreements provide the security and user access privileges you require.

• Understand that cloud services providers will manage in the best interest of their overall business; this may not always be what is most convenient for you. As changes are rolled out to cloud services, plan on preparation and testing from your internal team.

• If you’re thinking of using a free service, consider alternative options in case that provider goes out of business or puts their services behind a pay-wall.

When dealing with service providers, Bruzzese also adds that you should get everything in writing, and know how you can reclaim your data should you choose to move it back in-house or to another provider. He also recommends qualifying your provider by considering how long they have been in business, the security systems they have in place and how they handle your data.  

5. Ease into the Technology Transition  

As mentioned previously, transitioning to the cloud usually involves four major steps – server virtualization, application and/or desktop virtualization, private cloud and public cloud. Developing a roadmap for your move to the cloud, and following this process ensures that the proper infrastructure is in place before moving on to the next step.  

• Server Virtualization: According to Forrester, “consolidating enterprise IT transactional workloads and servers through virtualization is the usual precursor to building private, internal cloud systems.” This is because it creates a more cloud-friendly environment by decoupling data and applications from hardware on which they are typically housed.

• Application and/or Desktop Virtualization: End-user agility can then be increased even more through application and/or desktop virtualization.

• Private Cloud Infrastructure: In a private cloud, your company maintains control and ownership of all software and assets, which are maintained on the company’s physical premises or within a colocation facility. This gives you many of the benefits of cloud computing, while still maintaining control.

• Public Cloud Infrastructure: Wholesale migration of corporate infrastructure to the public cloud is typically not practical yet in high-level, or highly regulated, enterprise organizations. However, many aspects of businesses (such as email) can be safely and securely transferred to the public cloud.

By taking a strategic approach to cloud computing, you can ensure the best possible solution for your organization’s unique culture, processes, needs and objectives.  

Learn more about MCPc’s approach to cloud computing.  

Your Thoughts?  

• Have you transitioned to the cloud? What tips would you recommend?

• What are your key concerns about moving to the cloud?

• What steps have you put in place to prepare for a cloud-based infrastructure?

Andy Jones is Senior Vice President of Sales. He has more than 15 years of IT industry experience, and is an expert on cloud, virtualization and managed services solutions. Connect with Andy on LinkedIn.

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