10 Critical Steps for a Seamless Cloud Migration

Businesses today are retiring legacy systems and turning to the cloud for their computing and storage needs. This solution offers increased productivity, decreased costs, and improved accessibility.

Whatever your company’s size, there are several critical cloud migration steps to be aware of. Skipping any of them can lead to failed or incomplete migrations, unexpected business downtime, missed deadlines, and cost overruns.

What Are the Essential Cloud Migration Steps?

Using the right tools, cloud migration is a relatively straightforward process. However, any mistakes are often costly. You can make some of these steps out of order, but completing all of them is essential for a successful migration.

1. Defining the Cloud Strategy

A successful cloud migration means you need to create a complete, detailed plan. This should include all relevant information, such as:

• Which applications and data you will retire, and what you will use in your target system
• Budget and timeframes
• Personnel
• Migration tools
• Your choice of cloud platform

Careful planning should address potential problems and provide resolutions. You must also ensure that you retain the necessary licensing and compliance data.

2. Determining the Business Needs and Goals

Migrating your operations to cloud-based technologies is the optimal time to assess your company’s needs and goals.  You can likely streamline your workflows, save money, and increase productivity by using up-to-date tools.

Your data migration partner can suggest options that may better suit your organization. Cloudficient verifies that all data we migrate to new systems is complete, accurate, and functional. Thorough testing throughout the transfer is one of the most crucial cloud migration steps.

3. Understanding the Cloud Service Models

Cloud solutions offer various options, and you can choose which works best for your company:

• Private clouds: These typically service only one organization or end user. Access to this cloud structure is isolated by firewalls and permissions. You can further divide this category into dedicated clouds for each department or private clouds managed by third parties.
• Public clouds: This model refers to space that major providers own, often divided for multiple tenants to use.
• Hybrid clouds: The hybrid cloud model includes at least two clouds connected through a network to form a seemingly single structure. Your IT department should manage all environments as a single, integrated entity.
• Multiclouds: The multicloud approach is becoming more common because it can increase performance and security. This solution utilizes multiple clouds that are managed independently.

Your users can access the software, infrastructure, and platforms provided by cloud services via internet connections.

4. Choosing a Cloud Provider

There are several major service providers to choose from. Do your research to determine which suits your needs. Consider:

• Scalability
• Security
• Pricing
• Features and options
• Support

You might also look into how often each provider offers updates and new features. Selecting the right cloud services provider is a vital cloud migration step.

5. Assessing the Current Environment

Similar to going through household belongings before you move, you should assess your current IT structure before cloud migration. Understanding the apps and data you have, their storage locations, required licenses, user permissions, and security and compliance concerns allows you to consider all concerns for proper preparation.

6. Identifying Applications and Systems

You don’t have to include all your existing apps, data, and systems in your cloud migration. Choose your new options based on current and future needs, functionality, flexibility, and scalability.

You may be using software that doesn’t provide everything you need, and adopting new solutions in conjunction with your cloud migration makes sense. That way, your employees will only have to undergo significant changes once.

7. Evaluating Security and Compliance Requirements

Before, during, and after you complete all cloud migration steps, your organization needs to adhere to federal, state, industry, and company compliance regulations. You must also ensure that the licensing agreements for your new systems are in place before you begin using them.

Data security is paramount. Your data is one of your most valuable assets, and security breaches often lead to severe damages:

• Loss of consumer faith in your brand’s abilities
• Financial losses due to decreased sales or losing intellectual data
• Expenses related to data recovery and damage control
• Legal costs, if applicable

Make your migration tool and cloud provider choices with data security as a top priority.

8. Choosing a Migration Method

Manually transferring data, applications, and systems at an enterprise level isn’t feasible. This process leaves room for multiple errors, and an automated solution from a trusted partner like Cloudficient is your best option.

Ours is the only genuinely cloud-born migration technology available. Unlike other migration tools, Cloudficient requires only minimal infrastructure on-site. This means less disruption for your employees and less expense for you.

Be sure that the method you select includes comprehensive testing. Skipping that vital cloud migration step isn’t an option.

Always Do a Proof of Concept

9. Providing Cloud Training and Education

While some of your employees may use cloud-based technology on personal time, you still need to teach your workforce about cloud computing. Provide informative training and comprehensive educational opportunities appropriate to each end user’s needs and permissions.

10. Addressing Cultural Changes and Challenges

Change is scary for many people, especially when making the leap to cloud services. Employees may be resistant, but you can make them more comfortable. Reinforce the benefits of cloud solutions, listen to employee concerns, and think strategically.

Word of mouth is often the best form of advertisement, so consider completing the cloud migration steps for one department before you initiate a full-scale transfer. Once those employees are comfortable using the new solutions, they can ease the minds of their coworkers throughout your company.

Why Choose Cloudficient To Help With Your Cloud Migration Steps?

Cloudficient can answer any of your questions and concerns about cloud migration. Our cutting-edge technologies make your digital transformation secure, seamless, fast, and affordable. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation proof of concept to demonstrate why you should trust Cloudficient. We also have several guides to help you prepare.

For more information about these cloud migration steps or other ways we can assist you, contact Cloudficient today.

With unmatched next generation migration technology, Cloudficient is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast and seamless.

If you would like to learn more about how to bring Cloudficiency to your migration project, visit our website, or contact us.