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Thinking Of Moving To The Cloud? (Questions/Answers)

It’s great that you’re thinking about signing up for cloud services. It’s not just for large businesses – Small and mid-sized businesses rely on cloud computing to improve their services and compete more effectively. Although Cloud Services are generally easy to sign up for and use, migrating your existing data to the Cloud can be complicated. That’s why you need a Cloud Migration Specialist to ensure using the Cloud is effective and worry-free.

Why Should We Move To The Cloud And Can We Do This Ourselves?

Cloud computing is considered one of the most reliable and secure technologies today. And it isn’t as hard to use or expensive as some believe. It’s simply computing where services like servers, data storage and applications are easily, and securely accessed via the Internet. If you aren’t sure about using cloud computing, consider the benefits it provides.

  • Saves Money: When moving your IT infrastructure to the Cloud, you’ll extend the life of your existing desktops, and reduce the cost of using high-end devices. You won’t have to invest in costly hardware, maintenance and software licenses. With rapid changes in technology, you’ll no longer need to replace resources and hardware when they become obsolete. You’ll benefit from paying a flat monthly fee for Cloud Services that’s predictable and easy to budget for.
  • Improves Security: With the Cloud, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your backups will take place continually and reliably. You’ll also benefit from fully managed monitoring, maintenance, and OS updates. Plus, you can opt to have your systems protected by managed firewall services. If you’re worried about storing your data in the Cloud, don’t. Security is actually increased because it must adhere to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements and ongoing security audits.  You also don’t need to worry about lost laptops or hacking threats. Your data will always be protected.
  • Increased Speed: With cloud computing, you can increase provisioning speed and cut deployment time for new products and services. Once you sign on to the Cloud, your entire system can be fully functional in just a few minutes. It not only saves computing time but potentially time to market for your own services.
  • Enhances Flexibility & Scalability: With pay-per-user cloud services you can quickly scale up or down as you need more or fewer services. If your business is a seasonal one, you may need to bring on more services during busy times. And when times are slow, you won’t be wasting money on hardware and software that sit unused. Your cloud services can be tailored to align with your unique business needs.
  • Supports Mobility:  You’ll have anytime-anywhere access to your business data that increases productivity and secure collaboration. Mobility on via Cloud enables SMBs to reap the benefits that were once only available to large corporations.

There are many more great reasons to move to the Cloud. However, as mentioned, migrating your data and applications to the Cloud isn’t easy. You should rely on a Cloud Migration Specialist for this.

Why Do We Need A Cloud Migration Specialist?

This is a very brief overview of the steps your migration specialist will take. Every migration is different and must be customized according to the organization’s operations and goals.

Your migration specialist will be moving your data, applications and other IT solutions from your onsite location to the Cloud. Or, if you have a cloud solution, migration might involve moving this to another cloud environment.

The Assessment – He will assess your current infrastructure to identify any unique requirements that should be accounted for during your migration. Interoperability between your systems and seamless Integration between the old and new system is the goal.

This is important to develop a strategic IT roadmap for the migration and determine if any re-architecting of your current IT design is required. The transition assessment ensures business continuity during and after the process and that your short-term and long-term needs are addressed.

The Process – With the right set of information your migration specialist can work with the cloud provider on the requirements to host your infrastructure on the Cloud and determine what internal teams will need to accomplish. He will guide and optimize the integration with the cloud ecosystem to ensure your workload migration is successful.

The Evaluation – The evaluation ensures he has used the right metrics for the successful deployment and implementation of the cloud service. It will identify, and limitations that will prevent 100% success, resolve them and assure the value delivered by the cloud solution is realized.

The Migration Specialist will consult with and involve you and your designated representatives before, during and after the migration. You will be part of the assessment, process and evaluation. Effective communication is a critical piece of any successful cloud migration project. After all, you know your business best and what you’re looking for from the Cloud. Your migration specialist will help you get there.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, visit our Blog. There are many more you’ll enjoy reading.

Did you know that Outsource IT Solutions Group has reached the level of Microsoft Gold (and Silver) Small and Midmarket Cloud Solution Partner Competency? This means we can get great prices for you on Microsoft products. It also means that, as new Microsoft products are released, you’ll be one of the first to know. We’ll inform you about any end-of-life dates or price changes. And, we can answer your difficult questions about any of Microsoft’s solutions and train your staff on how to use them.

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