Moving your company’s onsite infrastructure to the cloud can provide multiple benefits, from operational efficiency to cost savings and increased security. But cloud migration is a complex process that requires dedicated skill and experience, and improper management can undermine the very benefits you were after with migration. Here we look closely at how managed service providers (MSPs) can help guide you through the migration process.
Proven Migration Model
Complete migration to the cloud can be a complex undertaking, and the last thing you want is to be making it up as you go. Using an experienced MSP, you’ll follow an established roadmap shaped by everything they’ve seen, learned, and implemented successfully in the past. This often starts with assessing your current IT infrastructure and setting your company’s goals and reasonable expectations for the migration.
With your company leadership and IT personnel, managed service providers will map out what your systems should look like and how they will operate in the cloud. This helps determine what infrastructure is needed and how it should be designed. Once the design is in place, a step-by-step plan is drawn up for how the migration will take place and the roles your team members will play in the process.
Optimized Security
Cyberattacks are an increasingly complex threat that must be addressed in your company’s cloud migration process. Without proper security measures, your client information, company data, and trade secrets are all at risk of being manipulated or stolen. This not only costs money but damages client trust and brand reputation. Working with the right MSP ensures optimized cybersecurity and protection of your company’s most valuable assets.
Cloud security requires a multi-layered strategy and a full understanding of where security gaps might exist. Since cyber threats are constantly evolving in both frequency and complexity, you’ll benefit from the skills and experience an MSP brings to the table in defending against the newest malware and other cyber attacks. A sound security strategy will take a holistic approach, providing your company protection across all applications and operations.
Keep Costs in Check
When companies attempt to pull off a cloud migration independently, they are often surprised at how quickly costs can spiral out of control. This typically requires significant upfront capital investment for equipment purchases as well as ongoing costs for the highly skilled IT personnel it takes to install and manage these systems. Unless IT is the actual core focus of your business, this is not an ideal way to expend capital.
Partnering with an MSP eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware that will age and become obsolete over time, requiring additional costs when upgrading. Offloading migration management is another considerable cost reduction, as you’ll trim overhead expenses by allowing your team to focus on critical operational tasks. MSPs also offer scaled solutions that will enable you to only pay for what you need.
Avoid Costly Mistakes
Migrating to cloud-based architecture will test your existing technologies, processes, and management controls to their limits. So much can go wrong at every stage, but working with managed service providers will reduce the likelihood of mistakes. One of the most common errors is trying to make multiple system changes simultaneously. An MSP can assess your situation and provide accurate guidance on how much to migrate and in how many stages.
Another common mistake is failing to implement new security standards for end users, which often requires staff training and patience. MSPs have gone through this before with past clients and have learned the best ways to help team members practice good security habits. Other mistakes that MSPs will help guard against are underestimating the need for consistent connectivity and overlooking data dependencies and system integrations.
Better Agility and Scalability
Today’s industries present a challenging landscape where companies must adapt to new regulations, evolving technology, and shifting customer needs. Your systems and applications are thus valuable tools, helping to provide you with the flexibility you need as you scale and evolve to meet these challenges. Moving to the cloud can offer tremendous advantages to you and your clients if the right strategy is employed and the migration is properly managed.
For instance, an MSP can help expand your global presence by ensuring that applications safely reach international users and meet corresponding standards. They can also help develop, test, and activate new sites and applications and add capacity when needed. These processes require standardized procedures and deliver much higher success rates with an MSP’s years of experience.
Backups and Recovery Plan
Migrating to the cloud is a multi-step process; even the best plans can only account for some occurrences. For instance, you may experience a power outage or service interruption during your migration, leading to significant data loss. MSPs are experienced in planning for and mitigating damage from such events. Partnering with an MSP will help protect your data and minimize unplanned downtime resulting from unexpected obstacles.
There is a right way to create and store backup company data, and this should not require expensive offsite redundancies and complicated secondary measures. The right MSP will provide an efficient, cost-effective solution that protects you in case of a security attack or system failure. This will secure backup data and trigger an immediate recovery plan to restore data and get you back up and running as soon as possible.
If you’re planning to move your company’s applications and digital operations to the cloud, it’s essential to understand the potential risks involved with migration. It can be costly on your own, and there’s a high potential for security risk and data loss without expert knowledge. Contact Edafio Technology Partners to learn how they can help guide you through a successful migration process and provide a secure roadmap for your company’s future.
