Migrating Your Business to the Cloud: Key Questions to Consider
In today's digital landscape, transitioning into the cloud is no longer a matter of hype but a commonplace reality. According to VMware, the cloud is expected to reach maturity within the next two to five years, making it crucial for businesses to be prepared.
Migrating to the cloud can range from simple to complex, depending on an organization's needs and infrastructure. Regardless of the complexity, the cloud offers numerous benefits. For instance, it can potentially save money, although the specific cost benefits depend on the organization's specific circumstances and cloud implementation.
Transitioning into the cloud is about delivering business services that help organizations stay competitive. Before embarking on this journey, it's important to consider questions about the readiness of the existing infrastructure, the requirements for a successful move, the definition of success, and the preparedness of teams for changes.
Being prepared for the cloud is crucial for a seamless transition and full embrace of the technology. One way to prepare is by understanding organizational requirements, such as security, compatibility, scalability, and compute power, when deciding on a cloud type.
Hybrid clouds are growing in popularity, allowing for smooth movement of applications and workloads between internal and public clouds. vSOM (vSphere with Operations Management) can act as a stepping stone, offering less heavy-duty and easier-to-implement licensing agreements before full-scale deployments are considered.
IT leaders have a choice between standing still or adapting and taking control. Transitioning into the cloud needn't jeopardize security; in fact, it can encourage IT leaders to take a more proactive role in managing end-user behaviors and ensuring policies. Integrated security and compliance solutions are used to secure and comply with data centers at every level: host, virtual server, network, applications, and data.
However, it's important to note that the cloud is not an end point but a continuum. The type of cloud needed depends on factors like the size of the organization, the sophistication of the IT department, the budget available, and the need for cloud services.
Despite the cloud's importance, practicalities are often not well understood. Considering and addressing these questions can help businesses demystify cloud confusion, make business processes more efficient, keep ahead of competitors, and ultimately enhance bottom line figures.
In EMEA, IT departments spend an average of 14 hours per week dealing with issues related to legacy IT. Migrating to the cloud allows organizations to be better prepared for the future and the explosive growth in resource requirements.
VMware, a source of the information provided in this article, highlights Rory Choudhuri as a Cloud Infrastructure Expert in EMEA. As businesses navigate the cloud landscape, having experts like Choudhuri can provide valuable insights and guidance.
In conclusion, the cloud offers numerous benefits for businesses, but it's important to approach the transition with a clear understanding of the organizational requirements and a plan for a seamless migration. The industry is evolving at an explosive pace, and businesses that adapt and take control will be best positioned for success.
