Do your research before moving to the cloud.
Cloud computing has greatly leveled the playing field by removing the need for upfront capital investment which has been a major roadblock for smaller businesses in the past. This is one of the primary reasons why this technology is gaining immense popularity among small and medium-sized businesses.
With cloud computing, you can expect:
- Reduced capital expenditure. Most cloud computing providers operate on a pay-as-you-go basis so you don?t have to worry about raising huge sums of money to start a business.
- Faster time to market. Since all the hardware that you need are already available, you can start operations immediately.
- Greater flexibility. By moving your business to the cloud, you don?t have to worry about software updates, space considerations and/or additional power requirements ever again.?
- Ease of collaboration. Cloud computing allows all your employees to access their files no matter where they may be. It also allows them to sync up and work on documents in real-time.
- Lower risks. The cloud backs up your data offsite thereby reducing your cybersecurity risks. It also eliminates the need for complex disaster recovery plans since your providers will take care of such issues for you.
- Reduced carbon footprint. With cloud computing, you only use the server space you need. This means less energy consumption and carbon emissions which can be great for the environment.
Some Common Mistakes Companies Make When Migrating to the Cloud
While cloud computing offers a lot of benefits for your business, it can do more harm than good if you fail to do it right. Here are some of the most common mistakes that should be avoided to increase your chances of making a successful migration.
- Assuming that all cloud solutions are created equal. Each cloud computing provider or setup has its own strengths and weaknesses so you really need to take your specific requirements (IT infrastructure, usage and needs) into consideration and choose? the right cloud technology mix that best suits your needs.
- Adopt an all-or-nothing approach. It?s perfectly okay to choose a different approach or technology for each of your applications. You don?t need to move all of them under one roof.
- Not tweaking your apps. You need to make sure your apps run optimally in the cloud. Remember, while they previously have access to your company?s full computing power, they have to share the cloud provider?s servers with other apps.
- Not having your own in-house experts. Don?t rely on your providers? tech experts to do everything for you. You need to have your own expert(s) to maximize your benefits.
- Starting big. Some companies dive head-on only to find out that they have committed a serious mistake later on. Avoid putting yourself in the same situation by starting small.
?
