Business and IT leaders globally are replacing their on-premises legacy technology with more adaptable, scalable, and affordable computing power in the cloud. From minimizing IT expenses to speeding up innovation, there are significant reasons to perform a cloud migration. However, transitioning from legacy equipment to the cloud is challenging without a well-thought-out plan and cloud expertise.
Even if it takes some planning, a cloud migration may be an important strategic move for SMBs this year. Here’s why:
- Minimize IT Expenses: One of the most common reasons why companies undertake cloud migration is to lower IT infrastructure costs. In the cloud, computing resources can be right-sized according to company requirements and reduce spending. Instead of estimating space and storage needs in advance, companies can adjust as they go, as well as phase out unnecessary hardware or wired on-site assets.
- Maximize Business Agility: Agility in the workplace is essential in today’s worldwide economy. Having access to flexible, on-demand IT assets s vital for remaining competitive amidst rapidly evolving industry dynamics. Utilizing the cloud, over 99% of what is required is available on demand. Companies don’t have to wait several months for hardware installations. Instead, they can source essential capabilities directly from cloud service providers and implement their plans much more quickly.
- Enhance Security: Cybersecurity remains a major issue in 2023. By migrating to the cloud, organizations can exploit cutting-edge IT infrastructure according to best practices and protect their data from vicious cyberattacks. It is important to point out that it is not the cloud itself that provides security. Instead, the cloud gives organizations the power to implement security governance and compliance safeguards they require for their operations.
- Eliminate End-of-Life issues: For many companies, the cloud migration strategy impacts end-of-life timelines for crucial hardware and software. IT thought leaders today aren’t interested in stringent licensing agreements and long-term, rigid contracts anymore. The cloud circumvents this issue. Businesses don’t have to keep track of application life cycles or contract terms, as they can source essential cloud capabilities on an as-needed basis and adopt updates as they come out. Companies can have access to cutting-edge technologies without long-term contracts or wait times.
- Facilitate Digital Transformation: Many companies are experiencing a digital transformation, which creates additional value out of existing assets. Because of recent innovations in cloud computing, management can digitize core functionality more effectively (including CRM, SAP, and data analytics). Those who move away from legacy technologies can boost the productivity of their employees and exploit new sources of revenue.
- Speed Up Growth: Technology is more critical than ever in regard to business growth, whether it be through traditional expansion or mergers and acquisitions. Enterprises in the cloud can fold new acquisitions into existing platforms more proficiently. They can also respond to increased demand by scaling rapidly with outsourced data management services.
- Leverage New Technologies: Finally, a cloud migration provides ample opportunity for leveraging the latest technologies, such as machine learning and AI.
Before embarking on a cloud migration, you need a strategy. These migrations can waste significant time and resources if not carried out properly, which is why you shouldn’t start without proper advice and expertise. Alliance IT can help your organization to create a roadmap for the applications and workloads you want to migrate, as well as address any planning roadblocks and clarify your business case as you learn more about the potential of managed services assistance.
We will work with your company throughout the migration, ensuring that the outline is followed and you can strategically move away from the legacy IT infrastructure. We can also assist with the modernization of any software, platforms, or applications to optimize them for the cloud. If you are ready to consider a cloud migration project, call Alliance IT today.