It’s becoming more common for business decision-makers to strongly consider moving to the cloud.
However, that approach is not suitable for every company. Similarly, it may be a great idea for you to transition to the cloud at some point, but just not now.
Here are some things to consider that can help you decide if now is the right time to take the plunge.
1) YOUR BUDGET
Moving to prioritize cloud computing is often worthwhile, but it isn’t necessarily an inexpensive decision. Most leading cloud providers offer handy calculators to help potential customers estimate their average usage and select a service tier that fits their needs.
However, many decision-makers find that a lack of visibility during all parts of their cloud migration leads to cost overruns. One of the main problems is they don’t know how people within a company use cloud computing and the associated features. Many cloud computing tools have productivity-boosting features, such as automation capabilities. However, it’s a waste of money if team members don’t know such functionality exists and never get the training to use it well.
Spend some time looking at how you use computing resources now and the costs associated with those activities. Then, it’ll be easier to see if cloud computing would fit into your budget and how much money it might help you save.
Research indicates that 51% of IT budgets will go toward cloud computing by 2025. Just because that’s the current trend doesn’t mean making the switch is definitely right for you. However, it’s still worth a look, as long as you plan out how to keep spending under control.
2) YOUR REASONS FOR WANTING TO USE THE CLOUD
Business decision-makers who choose to utilize the cloud do so for a variety of reasons. Some want to have computing resources closer to new markets they want to target. Since providers usually have global infrastructures, they can easily meet that need.
Scalability is another major driver of cloud adoption. Scaling up on-premises resources can take months or years. However, responding to growing needs with the cloud is often as simple as changing to a different plan.
Many company leaders also advocate for moving to the cloud because of the improved flexibility it offers employees. Consider how Apple’s iCloud allows logging into the service from any device, including those not made by Apple.
You might also have your eye on a particular cloud service provided by a brand you already know well. Finding out more about that product is a good starting point. However, you should also be careful not to become biased toward what’s familiar. Set aside time to evaluate which cloud solutions will give you the best results. They may come from brands you know, but they also may not.
3) THE CREATION OF A CLOUD IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & METRICS
Your decision to move to the cloud is much more likely to succeed if you have a concrete plan for making the transition with minimal disruption to the business. Similarly, it’s vital to choose associated metrics that will help you gauge whether things are going well or whether it’s necessary to make adjustments.
Delegate the responsibilities, both internally and by communicating with external service providers. You should also consider having one person in charge of moving business operations to the cloud. That individual can keep everything running smoothly and serve as the primary communicator of project updates.
You may not meet all your cloud goals right away. That’s okay and is not necessarily a sign of a failed attempt at a cloud transition. Staying on top of the statistics will help you see when things stop going in the right direction, giving you more time to respond before the downturn gets out of control.
4) SECURITY CONCERNS
The cloud is a popular target for cybercriminals. That’s likely why 57% of decision-makers polled in a recent survey planned to increase their cloud security budgets within the year.
Many cloud providers have built-in security features that customers can and should use. However, the fact that those exist doesn’t remove the need to follow internal security protocols, too.
Using the cloud will likely expand the attack surface for cybercriminals to target. That doesn’t mean you should stop considering it, but investing in more cybersecurity resources is a good idea if you’re thinking about moving to the cloud.
One smart change to make involves restricting which parties can access cloud-stored files. When the overall number includes only those with a valid reason for using that content, cyberattacks and breaches also become less likely.
IS THE CLOUD RIGHT FOR YOU?
A cloud computing plan is not the most appropriate option for every business. However, you should ask yourself whether not using the cloud is causing significant issues for your company, such as restricting its growth. In cases like that, migrating to the cloud often makes the most sense over the short and long term.
