The global pandemic has quickly inspired organizations to relook at their public cloud strategies and expedite their migration journeys. Cloud has emerged as an effective method to optimize processes, improve productivity and reduce costs in crisis times. More than anything, the cloud is at the forefront of facilitating an organizational shift, which the pandemic initiated almost overnight.
Firms globally are toiling to quickly enable cloud models—to ensure business continuity, de-risk business operations and convert challenges into opportunities. But do you have a long-term cloud strategy to address the lasting disruption caused by the pandemic effectively? Are you making an unplanned, hasty migration to the public cloud just to be able to survive another day? Short-term urgent strategies apart, this is the right time for organizations to start building the groundwork for a multi-year long-term strategic plan for the cloud. Because the post-pandemic realities are certainly going to be vastly different from what we so far considered the ‘precedent.’
While embarking on a public cloud migration project, IT decision-makers must ensure that their organizations end up at a better place than where they started. Here are some key considerations:
4 things Companies should consider before migrating to the public cloud during pandemic
1. Plan for the post-pandemic realities
The promise of the cloud to the pandemic-hit businesses is alluring. You have realized that halting your cloud migration journey is not an option at this stage. For example, enabling effective remote working systems has been a top priority for many industries. Some were equipped to make this shift, while others didn’t see this coming. Evaluate where you stand. Also, understand that remote working, and many such shifts, are not short-lived and will continue to be a priority.
Specific industries—such as healthcare or ecommerce– had a spike in demand during the pandemic, while others witnessed a completely flattened demand—the airline industry, for example. Depending on the nature of your business, priorities change. It’s recommended to adopt an application-led migration strategy during times like this.
Use the right cloud migration tools, evaluators, and processes to determine the benefits of moving each application to the cloud. Consider the current gaps as hindrances for long-term business continuity—for example, a traditional help desk system.
2. Get the numbers right
When budgets are frozen, and cost-saving becomes the most significant collective responsibility, how does the IT department justify the investment in the cloud? Since cloud computing became mainstream, its cost-benefit has remained a complicated affair. Often touted as the one-shot solution for cost woes, the cloud is not always the cheapest option unless you understand each component well.
CIOs often point out that the cloud brings in a lot of hidden costs. The trick lies in right-sizing, the most effective way to control cloud cost, and understanding the actual cloud TCO depending on what and where you’re migrating. The aim is to plan for real-world usage and achieve optimal performance of your infrastructure/applications at the lowest possible price. Setting wrong expectations in terms of cost will undoubtedly lead to disappointment.
3. Plan for Security as your next big worry
You have stood up remote working systems overnight, ensuring the business runs as usual. Your initial focus was to guarantee the connectivity and availability of systems. Understandably, you had to beat the clock, and security might not be your priority.
The good news is if you’re migrating to a top-tier public cloud provider like AWS, you have a considerable security advantage. Nevertheless, cloud security is teamwork, and enterprises must incorporate security considerations into their migration strategy.
For example, with remote working being the new norm, employees no longer access cloud resources from behind the corporate firewall. This compels security practitioners to revisit their security strategies built for a corporate network-focused workforce model. A unified and adaptable security strategy is critical—covering cloud, on-premise, and end-point layers.
4. Be with the right partner
Cloud migration requirements vary widely depending on the scale and scope of your project. If you plan to depend entirely on your internal IT resources for migration, you should upskill the resources to manage the transition effectively. This requires training and time, so factor those in.
The pressure on IT to deliver on time is undoubtedly higher at times like this. Engaging the right cloud partner to smoothen this transition may be wiser. Choose a service provider with a proven track record in your industry and strong platform expertise. Ensure that your SLAs have clear timelines for each phase of the migration, and you will be adequately compensated if a deadline is missed.
Remember that a failed cloud migration attempt can cost you dearly in a disrupted marketplace. Being with the right partner can ensure critical aspects like timeliness, controlled cost, and optimal outcomes.
Further Reading
Best Practices To Revamp Your Cloud Migration Strategy
Top Cloud Mistakes that will Cost Dearly
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