Key Considerations for Moving your IT Infrastructure to the Cloud

An increasing number of businesses are moving their IT infrastructure into the cloud. This essentially means storing and accessing data and programs via the Internet. There are many benefits associated with making this switch. Not only will you benefit from a more efficient and flexible method of storing, but also you can expect a good return on investment (ROI). Nonetheless, moving your IT infrastructure into the cloud is not something that should be rushed into. There are some key considerations you need to bear in mind before doing so. Read on to discover all you need to know about these…

Which cloud is right for you?

There is only one place to begin, and this is with determining what type of cloud you should go for. The options you have are a public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid cloud. The latter is a combination of the former too. Hybrid clouds are becoming increasingly popular as they offer the flexibility of ensuring you get the correct kind of cloud to suit your applications and architecture. This is in comparison to merely forcing everything into the public cloud. Nonetheless, a public cloud can be good for non-competitive differentiation applications. It is all about finding the right solution for you.

Getting security right

Security is a main area of concern for anyone who is considering moving their infrastructure to the cloud. If security is of critical importance, it is advisable to opt for dedicated hosting or private cloud. These are the preferred options to a public cloud as they are driven by stringent compliance and security. It is also pivotal to be aware of the fact that security is a partnership between the user and the vendor. Consequently, it is important to ensure that you are certain of what aspects are your responsibilities and which security aspects are the responsibilities of the vendor.

Moving your apps

The third consideration you need to bear in mind is what apps you are going to move. You need to have a well thought out approach to this. When it comes to moving applications into the public cloud, you should be looking for those that are not a point of differentiation between the competitors and the organization, which are variable in their use with significant dips and spikes on periodic bases, and have substantial interaction with external services or applications. You also need to consider the performance requirements of the application as well.

Time and cost

Last but not the least, time and cost are two important considerations when it comes to making any business transition, and moving to cloud computing is no different. You need to think about the bandwidth cost of moving substantial amounts of data to the cloud. You also must assess the workload and time taken to transfer data in the migration period. The business procedure must be considered when it comes to an application, i.e. training, downtime, and business continuity. You should also think about any potential external expenditure, such as sunk costs.