In an earlier series we explored insights from Kelly Forsyth, CRO at IQ Wired, on the pace of change, doing more with less and technology changes that are top of mind for clients. One challenge that is often discussed is the progress, or potential lack of, in moving from physical colocation and servers to cloud providers. The stakes are high, the considerations are plentiful, and the timing is now.
Kelly notes “The evolution for organizations from a colocation environment to a hybrid, multi cloud has been, and is, upon us. Every Client we speak with, regardless of their size, doesn’t always quite understand the exact process or right way to get their cloud and applications optimized. They all have a framework and feelings about the journey, but it’s not their core competency, so relying on trusted partners is of the utmost importance.”
IQ Wired has been hands on with clients, carriers and partners discussing the challenges, solutions and roadmaps for this optimization puzzle. There are key considerations and steps that need to be contemplated.
Assessment and Planning, evaluating current infrastructure including hardware, software, network and identifying the reason for migrating to cloud in the first place as a clear objective is critical. What type of cloud provider will best meet your needs? What risk is involved? Do you need pure cloud like AWS, Azure and Google or are you focused more on cloud application migration for ERP’s, HR, Finance and Operations? Assessment and planning is about finding the right balance between purpose and price.
Data Migration, determining the strategy, timeline and needs for the migration must to be defined. Advance testing, security, data integrity and business impact need to be vetted. There is speculation that only 11% of organizations encrypt 81-100% of their sensitive cloud data. Controls and potential rollback should also be thought through with all the company interdependencies on the line.
Management, and monitoring of the new cloud environments with ongoing support is a critical consideration. Is the service co managed, fully managed by the provider or does your team still have autonomy and ownership? What training is involved? Reporting? Cost management? Developing the right cloud optimization management strategy will assist in cutting cost short term while simultaneously allowing you to forecast and build an overall expense roadmap.
With more than 360 vendors and 550 cloud platform services across 22 categories in this space just starting the journey can be overwhelming. Working with a trusted partner like IQ Wired brings a level of confidence, direction and support that you need for any size and scope of migration.
A strong cloud optimization strategy will ensure short and long term return on your team and organizations’ investment. Take the time to leverage our relationships and experience to help start or advance things in your journey! Let’s make this project a wild success for your team and organization!
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Seneca