Moving to the cloud with no fear

Enterprise-based cloud computing has been around for a while now. As a concept, the cloud is as old as the internet itself. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that it really took off as a business solution. Today, the cloud computing market is a thriving multi-billion-dollar industry.

However, even after over two decades of mainstream cloud usage, some businesses still face considerable obstacles in cloud adoption and are shying away from the cloud altogether. According to a new report, 96 percent of IT decision-makers have experienced significant challenges in implementing cloud strategies.

Migrating to the cloud might seem complicated, but don’t let that scare you from adopting essential cloud technologies. Issues with cloud implementation are surprisingly easy to solve. But first, let’s address the fears and concerns surrounding cloud migration:

The fear of change

Humans naturally fear change — we take comfort in the familiar. But in doing so, we risk missing out on growth opportunities. This concept couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to technology.

Moving workloads to the cloud is a significant change with seemingly endless uncertainties. For example, you might wonder whether your business operations, employees and data resources will work in the same familiar fashion once on the cloud. The truth is, the cloud gives you a better new way of running your business. And progressive change is always a good thing.

Data security

Data security is a significant concern among prospective cloud users. This is ironic given that the cloud is generally safer than on-prem infrastructures. In a 2021 survey, 73 percent of organizations said they were “very” to “extremely” concerned about cloud security. Yet 67 percent of the respondents agreed that misconfigurations were the main threat to cloud security. Key security settings such as user authorization, API security, data sharing protocols, and threat detection are well within your control on the cloud.

Budgeting

Some entrepreneurs dismiss cloud computing for fear of high costs. On the contrary, migrating to the cloud actually saves you money in the long run. You just have to choose your cloud provider and suite of hosted services with cost optimization in mind.

Losing IT control

Moving to hosted servers, workstations, and software applications might feel like surrendering control of your IT resources to a third party, but that’s not the case. Remember, ownership and control are two different things. While you may not own the resources behind the cloud, you’re given enough user privileges to customize, configure, and utilize them as you like (depending on the cloud service model). So, you never lose control of your data or workflows to the cloud provider.

Managing the cloud

Managing an extensive cloud infrastructure is a technically demanding task. Unfortunately, some businesses lack the technical skills or muscle to facilitate and run intricate cloud installations. But don’t let that stop you from adopting the cloud. Nowadays, you don’t need in-house employees to handle the cloud; you can simply outsource cloud migration and management to a third party.

Why cloud migration shouldn’t scare you

Cloud technology has come a long way since the early days of the pioneer hosted services such as Salesforce and Amazon Web Services. Cloud security, performance, efficiency, and versatility have drastically improved over recent years, making the technology more useful and practical as an enterprise solution. Now is not the time to fear cloud migration, not when IT performance underpins business success.

In addition to better security, performance, and economy, a cloud-based IT infrastructure is more flexible, agile, and scalable than on-prem systems. These are ideal IT qualities for today’s fast-paced business world. Moreover, they enable your company to make the most of modern trends and opportunities, such as hybrid workplace collaborations and intelligent data analysis.

In conclusion, cloud migration might seem daunting at first. Still, with expert guidance and proper planning, you can better understand how cloud migration works and decide whether it’s the right move to make. Allow our cloud experts at GB Tech to walk you through the cloud adoption journey. We are only a call away.