Efficiency is the name of the game when discussing the benefits of cloud migration. The cloud has been embraced by major corporations worldwide. In fact, according to Exploding Topics, 60 percent of the world’s corporate data is stored in the cloud. In addition, cloud data centers account for three percent of the world’s energy consumption. The world has become dependent on the cloud. 

What is Cloud Migration? 

Cloud migration is offloading an application, document, or security infrastructure on your device or local server and putting the management of those items in an offsite, distributed location that can be accessed from anywhere. Additionally, depending on the context, cloud migration could refer to moving from one cloud provider to another, like Microsoft Azure to Google Cloud or Google Cloud to Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

Why You Want to Consider Cloud Migration 

For most organizations, the benefits of cloud migration outweigh any negatives. The reduction in downtime, increased budget due to cheaper IT costs, and always up-to-date systems are incredible advantages. 

Business Benefits of Cloud Migration 

Simplifying your business IT complexity is a perfect place to start when discussing the benefits of cloud migration; performance, cost reduction, failover/redundancy, remote access, and management, as well as cutting-edge security, are just the beginning. To be done correctly, it requires intensive planning and a staged rollout. 

Cost Reduction 

Cost reduction is great, but the savings go beyond IT. Depending on your internal network infrastructure, the space required to house and maintain onsite equipment could have caused you to get a larger location. If you move that management to the cloud, you could save money by reducing your real estate footprint. According to Amazon AWS, small and medium-sized businesses save, on average, 31 percent of their IT costs migrating to the cloud. 

Remote Access to Data 

Remote access to data has exploded the global “as a Service” model for accessing cloud-based business functions. Research from Statista states that global public cloud revenue is at USD 592 billion for 2023. Here is a real-world, everyday example: suppose you use Microsoft 365, and everything you save on your laptop is set to back up to your OneDrive automatically. If your computer ever goes down, all you need to do is log into your OneDrive on a new machine, and all your docs will be there. The crisis was avoided, and countless documents were saved. 

Flexibility and Scalability 

A powerful, but sadly often forgotten, benefit to cloud migration is paying for only what you use. Now, why is this outside the cost reduction section? Well, because, say, you are a retailer, and it is Black Friday, and your website, phones, and email are overloaded due to demand; in a non-cloud world, you would have to suffer through this lag until pressure subsided and you could return to normal. 

Conversely, with an infrastructure primarily in the cloud, your allotted usage can be changed up or down as the volume permits. Your system and access to everything remain, and your clients get the service needed. Remember, you could have remote employees or be on a business trip and still have access to the same info as if you were physically in the office. 

System Redundancy 

Your operation is not dependent on your location being up all the time. Having local system redundancies requires plenty of capital. 

• Do you have hot-swappable server components? 

• If power goes out, do you have battery backups, and how long do they last? 

• Are the system backups regularly checked for updates so they are ready at a moment’s notice? 

These concerns are not present when migrating to the cloud. Yes, there are times when there are global outages, but those are rare and don’t last for a considerable amount of time. Your cloud provider has countless redundancy plans built into its architecture to avoid such issues. 

Advanced Monitoring and Security 

When relying on the cloud, data security is a top priority, but it is a two-way street. You, as the consumer, must protect passwords and access to sensitive data on local devices that link to the cloud. A 2020 study found that 29 percent of all cloud breaches were caused by stolen login credentials. This highlights the need to set internal passwords and access procedures nailed down regardless of whether you use the cloud or not. 

Secure Your Data and Build Peace of Mind with Cloud Migration 

The modern complexities of a local-only IT infrastructure with maintenance, data compliance, and the need for remote access with the system being online consistently moving to the cloud may be your best business choice. Please don’t do it alone; you have Complete Computers here to help navigate your IT needs. Contact us today so we can discuss your needs more.