Technological advancement is continuously reshaping the business landscape, and changing the way entire industries operate. Among the business-boosting technologies with the biggest impact on companies of all sizes, we find the cloud. Cloud computing might not be a new concept, but it has only in recent years been experiencing the levels of adoption that it deserves around the world. 

Now that business leaders are increasingly getting familiar with the many benefits of the cloud, migration seems inevitable for many in order to boost operational efficiency and business continuity. That said, are you ready to migrate your business to the cloud? There are several key considerations you should take to heart, so here are the five steps you need to take in order to adopt cloud technology and ensure long-term success.

Build a strategic approach to cloud migration

Whenever you plan on making a business transition or a decision that can affect your business in a big way, you need to create a solid foundation and a strategy. Every decision needs to be backed by relevant data and supported by its own strategy. This strategy should include the goals, KPIs, and tactics that will make the transition as successful and seamless as possible. 

The same goes for cloud migration, which requires a strategic approach in order to ensure business continuity and to reap the benefits of the cloud as quickly as possible. Even though the leading cloud providers do their best to make this transition quick and painless, you still need to consider every aspect of the migration process, what it entails, and how it affects your business – especially if you’re migrating from a traditional, on-site infrastructure. 

Pick the right cloud model for your company

Next, you need to pick the right cloud model based on your goals, financial capabilities, the applications you intend to migrate and run on your cloud servers. The three main cloud models are SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Choosing the right model can set you up for global expansion, so be careful when making this decision.

SaaS provides applications that you can access over the web, and these are managed by the software provider. PaaS provides you access to a cloud environment where you can easily deliver applications, and IaaS provides all the infrastructure resources you need to optimize and manage your cloud environment. It’s important that you work with your cloud team closely to invest in the right platform.

Choose a cloud platform and management team

The most important part is choosing the cloud platform and the team to manage your migration along with cloud upkeep over the long term. The biggest players in the field are definitely Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and each comes with its perks and functionalities that can take your business forward.

Regardless of the provider you choose, you still need a professional team to manage your cloud infrastructure. For example, you can drastically cut costs and improve migration stability with continuous AWS cloud management, which will also ensure that your infrastructure functions properly over the long term. A dedicated team that specializes in the platform you’re using will also make your cloud environment easily scalable to deliver more resources as you continue to grow.

Backup all company data

It should go without saying, but we have to emphasize it – make sure to back up all company data throughout the migration process. When mapping out the migration process, you should include data backups at regular intervals to prevent the loss of sensitive information, intellectual property, and other data that can, when leaked or lost, ruin your company’s reputation. 

Create an internal cloud success team

Last but not least, you should build a dedicated cloud team in your company that will oversee the process and work closely with your platform’s management team. Include your own IT professionals in the migration process, but rely heavily on your strategists to create a roadmap for your cloud infrastructure. This will drive innovation and creativity, and allow you to fully utilize the power and potential of your cloud infrastructure from day one. They can find help and resources at vfunction.com if they need extra support. The right team combined with the right expert assistance and resources yields the best results.

Wrapping up

There are many reasons why you should migrate to the cloud, but that doesn’t mean that you should rush into this complex process. Instead, use these tips to create a sound migration approach that will migrate your operation to the cloud and set you up for success in 2021.