4 Common Cloud Migration Problems and How to Avoid Them

When it comes to designing an IT strategy for your organization, you already know that cloud will be an integral part. But how it is implemented largely depends on what processes and systems you already have in place. For example, if you’re starting a new company from scratch, you can strategically choose each piece of your technology stack in order to best serve your needs now and going forward.

But, if your company has been around a while and already has well-established processes steeped in legacy technology, plugging in a brand new piece of technology isn’t always so simple. Below are some problems that businesses like this will commonly encounter during their cloud migrations, as well as what they can do to avoid them.

Do your due diligence first. You’ll avoid a lot of problems in the end if you start in the right place. That means choosing a cloud services provider that makes the most sense for your business. Review your due diligence process so that you can ensure that there are no holes in your research. Have clear benchmark expectations set out beforehand so you can easily compare vendors based on those predetermined metrics.

Get your people on board. Often, people are the biggest problem when it comes to effectively utilizing enterprise cloud services. IT staff who have newly migrated key workloads to the cloud are either resistant to the new system or have a false sense of security, mistakenly thinking the entire system is self-governing and all they need to do is kick back and relax. While it does enable operational excellence and convenience on a whole new level, it’s important not to get complacent. We have seen several instances where a relatively small human error can cause a catastrophic business situation.

Unify your multiple clouds. Earlier, I suggested that cloud adoption is now an automatic decision for businesses of all types. One of the variables that businesses can customize within that adoption is the configuration of hybrid and multi-cloud solutions. Digital Realty’s Service Exchange, powered by Megaport, provides a simple way for businesses to have one secure, private connection to many different cloud providers, simultaneously. With the vast majority of enterprises already investing in multi-cloud strategies for both the security and operational advantages, an easy-to-use customer-facing tool like Service Exchange is essential.

Know where you are and where you’re going. Although it’s tough for a business to accurately predict the degree to which it will scale in a given timeframe, it’s wise to set goals and develop projections. Part of doing so should involve your cloud compute and storage needs. It’s important to be proactive rather than reactive in order to get the most out of your investment. Working with a partner that has the ability to scale with you as you grow as well as interconnect to a vast network of cloud providers and other service partners is a great way to ensure your cloud investment is a wise one in the long run.

If you and your business are getting ready to take the leap into cloud services, know that preparation is your ally. We have a wide selection of free informational resources such as white papers, case studies, and webinars, all available here.