Well before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, cloud computing played an instrumental part in remote work procedures being carried out seamlessly. We are seeing more businesses turning to cloud-based infrastructure to remain operational and scalable within cost-effective boundaries. Businesses today largely depend on collaborative tools for group videoconferencing, eLearning and more, so the ability for the Cloud to sustain the traffic surge, prevent downtime and frustration among users makes it a highly-attractive platform to leverage.

Making the shift and moving your business to the cloud requires careful planning and expert assistance to ensure a smooth transition. With the continuous innovation in cloud technologies there are very few reasons why your business shouldn’t make the transition.

However, if you’re still undecided about the benefits, here are 8 more reasons why it is a great idea.
 

1. Long-term cost benefits: ROI on your cloud investment is the money saved by only paying for the features and services you need. Cloud technology is lower cost for higher return and allows you to expand your infrastructure easily as your business grows.

2. Secure solutions: Cloud providers supply 24/7 security for all your needs and it is typically greater security than the protection you provide yourself. One of the full-time responsibilities of your provider is to monitor security around the clock, with additional security measures available for clients to control at their discretion.

3. Flexible operation: If you only rely on your employees, they are a finite resource and expensive to source and train. If you rely on an external source to provide IT and networking solutions, you have more time and the resources to devote to the success of your business.

Simply pay for what you need, upgrade instantaneously to meet growing demand and always have access to the latest technology without the expensive upgrades. Meet your business requirements easily when you move to the cloud.

4. Access all devices: Increasingly, organizations are allowing access to their networks via personal devices or BYOD. Cloud solutions ensure that staff can access company data anytime, anywhere without compromising the security of the network. 

5. Analytics insights: Integrated cloud analytics are often included with data storage solutions. This makes it easier to track trends and use insights to become more efficient through creating strategic business goals. 

6. Collaboration: Especially if employees are working remotely, the ability for your workforce to be able to effectively collaborate is essential to ensure the smooth running of your business. Information is easier to review and share via the cloud with collaborative spaces becoming central to achieving maximum productivity. 

7. Controlling downtime: It’s impossible to plan for every potential failure but there is one contingency you can have in place to reduce the loss of revenue and productivity, an effective and tested disaster recovery plan. Traditional DR methods are extremely expensive and time-consuming. But with cloud computing, creating the necessary backup infrastructure to ensure a quick and efficient recovery is easier and more cost-effective than ever.

8. Always up to date: Say goodbye to chunks of time being devoted to updating software on all your company computers. Applications based in the cloud are automatically updated, saving you time and money.

Avoid These Pitfalls to Streamline Your Journey to the Cloud

So now you’re onboard and excited about introducing your business into the cloud for all the amazing benefits but before you do, lets have a look at the pitfalls that organizations have discovered – after they fell into them. 

Migration overload

Your migration methos to the cloud is crucial. Once you have chosen a provider, talk to them about your needs and priorities, and together you can plan the most efficient transition. If you rush into your plan without consulting experts, serious issues can arise and interrupt your business flow. Do not send vital information first. You need to learn how the system works, so initially send non-critical data and if any data gets mishandled or lost it won’t disrupt your business. The key is not rush

Stagger the Move

Trying to move everything at once is not ideal. Some workloads can be tricky to move so take your time, assess your applications to determine what to move and when. Cost can be more if an application is customized and that may be a factor you need to consider. Not everything has to be moved, just the aspects of your business that will benefit from using cloud-based services.
Underestimate the workload

Cloud migrations, depending on the size of your business, can involve a significant amount of work. Take this into account when creating an overall architectural design that will help you track across systems and determine how your processes will function. 
Not prioritizing security

Security is Key

Security needs to be kept in mind when migrating to the cloud. Even though your MSP will handle security from their end, you need to be mindful of how you are transferring data from your premises, especially as this is the time, during which your data is most vulnerable to an attack. 
The key is mitigating these complexities and challenges is a smart, planned approach that includes rigorous testing and assurance before and during migration to the cloud.
Lack of cloud training

Before the migration process before, be sure that your is well -educated on how your new cloud system will work. While your MSP maintains their architecture, your IT team needs access to documentation and training to maintain the data from your business aspect. 

In conclusion, taking a hybrid approach by operating at least part of your business in the cloud will give you a competitive edge, helping you to be more efficient, productive, and collaborative with staff, suppliers, and customers alike. With 77% of enterprises reporting that they have at least one application or a portion of their enterprise computing infrastructure in the cloud, the move to the cloud is well and truly underway.

At Sentia, we have the expertise to help you develop a Cloud strategy and solution that is suitable for your business needs. Contact us anytime to a free, no-obligation consultation.

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