There are many reasons to migrate onto the cloud and do away with outdated legacy infrastructure and applications. But that migration isn’t something that can happen overnight. Before you really commit, there are a few things you need to understand.
At this point, it’s no secret that migrating to the cloud can be a huge boon for any organization. The benefits of cloud computing – agility, flexibility, cost savings, and more – have more or less been drilled into our skulls. Small wonder that, particularly with the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), businesses across industries and verticals are scrambling to migrate away from legacy infrastructure.
Since you’re here, I’m going to assume you are among them.
That’s great. Old systems cause more trouble than they’re worth. Security risks, cumbersome workflows, unreliable hardware — the list goes on and on.
But before you dive into your migration, there are a few things you need to consider. While it’s true that cloud computing can greatly increase efficiency and significantly reduce costs, a sloppy, poorly-managed migration initiative can have the opposite effect. Just look at what happened to UK-based bank TSB.
As reported by The RegisterOpens a new window , an attempt by the bank to migrate to the cloud resulted in widespread bedlam for the bank’s customers. It caused a series of massive outages and allowed customers to access the banking details of other users. All told, the botched migration – though it was completed – cost the organization £330 millionOpens a new window , resulting in a net loss for 2018.
Here’s how you can avoid making a similar mistake.
First, You Need To Understand Your Existing Architecture
The most important rule of cloud migration is that you cannot achieve it if you don’t have a complete picture of your organization. You need to audit everything before you proceed. Software and its related dependencies, existing hardware, existing workflows, usability and functionality requirements, and so on.
You also need widespread organizational buy-in. It’s imperative that you connect with leadership throughout your organization to ensure that every department is properly-served by your migration and that none of them are left out of the process. Without this buy-in, the migration will be dead in the water at worst, and largely ineffective at best.
Cloud Migration Isn’t A Single Phase Initiative
A lot of businesses approach the cloud as a one-and-done project. They believe that, as was often the case with legacy infrastructure, once the migration is completed that’s it. Aside from basic life-cycle management, that’s all you need to do.
Thing is, the cloud doesn’t follow the rules of traditional IT infrastructure. For one, it is deceptively complex. Migrating from multiple applications and systems cannot be treated as a single initiative, and instead must be tackled as a gradual, multi-stage process.
It’s also far more fluid than traditional infrastructure. Change management associated with the cloud is both rapid and ongoing. In other words, migrating to the cloud from legacy infrastructure is more than a matter of changing software and hardware – it also requires that you update your business processes.
The Cloud Isn’t A Catch-All Solution To All Your Problems
Last but certainly not least, plenty of businesses look at the cloud as a holy grail. They operate on the flawed assumption that migrating away from older infrastructure onto something bright, shiny, and new will fix things. It won’t.
Don’t migrate to the cloud just for the sake of doing so. You need to approach your migration initiative with a specific set of goals in mind. Such a significant evolution needs to be done deliberately – if you approach the cloud without a clear objective, your efforts will not be focused on where they’ll make the most impact.
You’ll be wasting time, effort, and money.
Conclusion
There are plenty of reasons why you might migrate to the cloud. If you handle your migration properly, I have no doubt that your business will be all the better for it. Just make sure you keep my advice in mind. Because otherwise, you may end up regretting ever thinking about cloud computing.