As kids (okay, and as adults\u00a0too), we\u2019d\u00a0gaze\u00a0at the shapes of clouds in the sky and\u00a0talk about\u00a0what they looked\u00a0like to us.\u00a0Today,\u00a0in a technology context, the shape of your cloud\u00a0takes on a whole new, and much more important, meaning\u00a0when\u00a0you\u2019re talking cloud migration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Whether you\u2019re leaving your on-prem systems behind, or looking to jump from your current cloud set-up, you need to take a hard look at your prospective new cloud homes. Make sure you compare the qualities and benefits in each cloud provider, so you get the combination that\u2019s right for your business goals \u2013 not all clouds are created equal. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Here are\u00a0seven\u00a0things to think about when you\u2019re gazing at\u00a0the tech clouds\u00a0and contemplating migration:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1)\u00a0Cost.<\/strong>\u00a0As compared to on-premise,\u00a0cloud saves\u00a0you\u00a0big money on hardware,\u00a0maintenance\u00a0and related\u00a0infrastructure (like climate-controlled rooms).\u00a0It also frees up IT staff to do more\u00a0important work.\u00a0Yet, among\u00a0the big cloud service providers,\u00a0things\u00a0like\u00a0optimized computing\u00a0pricing;\u00a0per second pricing;\u00a0and available commitment\u00a0discounts\u00a0vary, as do data storage and movement costs.\u00a0While these charges\u00a0may\u00a0seem similar on paper,\u00a0you could\u00a0save tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars\u00a0based on\u00a0choosing the right cloud platform\u00a0for\u00a0how your business\u00a0runs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 2) Scalability<\/strong>. Clouds are certainly scalable. But make sure you only pay for what you need; and know whether you have to purchase access or pay a scheduled fee to scale up or down. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 3) Availability and redundancy<\/strong>. What\u2019s the cloud vendor\u2019s uptime guarantee? A 99.95 percent guarantee still means about \u00bd a workday down in total over a year. But \u2013 do uptime guarantees come with any additional costs associated with redundancy? Does it cost you more to get to 99.99 percent? <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 4) Security and Access<\/strong>. What\u2019s the provider\u2019s approach to security? Have there been any breaches? What enhanced measures are in place? On the flip side, can you access your data at any place (e.g., remotely), method (e.g., mobile) and time? <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 5) Compliance. <\/strong>Similar to security, does your provider meet all needed provisions for government regulations, like privacy regulations or PII protections? Especially consider the compliance regulations or certifications most important to your industry and company. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 6) Compatibility<\/strong>. Again, not all clouds are created equal. There could be compatibility issues with operating systems, apps, image formats \u2013 issues you need to know about before you choose your provider, not in the middle of a migration. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 7)\u00a0Lock-in.<\/strong>\u00a0You may have felt locked-in with your aging on-prem systems or the cloud set-up you\u2019re looking to leave.\u00a0Don\u2019t let it happen again.\u00a0Does the provider have\u00a0high\u00a0fees for data transition or transfer?\u00a0Is there a claw back of those\u00a0original\u00a0commitment discounts?\u00a0Know your\u00a0exit strategy so the next\u00a0move\u00a0isn\u2019t a surprise mix of\u00a0costs\u00a0and difficulties.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n