virtualisation & cloud services
MIGRATION ADVICE
Tony Connor of Datapipe gives his thoughts on
what you need to consider when migrating to the cloud.
T
here are a number
of different things
to consider when
transitioning from
private infrastructure
to the cloud and selecting the right
manager service provider to assist
with the process. From security to
compliance, companies need to
make sure that they have all the
boxes ticked to ensure a smooth
and easy transition to the cloud,
otherwise they can get bogged down
in the processes and will find the
cloud management too difficult.
Ease of use and accessibility
Modern life is busy, especially in the
business environment, and many IT
departments find it a struggle to keep
up with the constantly evolving list of
cloud service offerings and features.
Yet keeping up with these offerings
is essential to ensure cloud systems
are properly maintained and costs are
kept under control.
Managed cloud hosting providers
can undertake this process on behalf
of the business. One consideration
when selecting a managed service
provider is to find one that offers
a single pane of glass solution, as
companies often have the issue of
logging into a number of different
16
platforms to check all is well with
their cloud services. The concept
of a single pane of glass means
that companies would be able to
converge the different platforms into
one instead of using them separately,
making their cloud services more
accessible and enabling changes with
speed and efficiency. Businesses
should be looking for cloud providers
that will make life easier for them
through accessible cloud services.
Security
Security is incredibly important for
companies looking to get into the
cloud, and Datapipe has seen an
increased influx of companies citing
security as one of their key concerns
with the cloud over the last 10 years.
It is a fact that all businesses need to
make sure that their data is secure,
while those that need to handle data
for their clients will have to ensure
that their data is protected as well.
Kaldor, a software house that
designs and builds innovative mobile
content platforms and applications,
was faced with security concerns
transitioning from owned infrastructure
to cloud. Kaldor wanted to ensure
that its cloud provider could keep
its clients’ data safe and there were
a number of issues that were front
and centre when Kaldor made the
transition: anti-virus and vulnerability
scanning capabilities being just two
of them. Businesses that are making
the transition to the cloud should
look for certified companies when
selecting a managed hosting provider
to guarantee peace of mind on their
clients’ behalf and increase the
likelihood of working together.
Connectivity
There is no point moving to the cloud
if processes are going to run slower
than they did before. Connectivity
speed and latency are important
factors to consider when planning
a migration. When moving your IT
infrastructure to the cloud, it is worth
partnering with a company that can
provide access to local and global
data centres. A local data centre will
minimise issues with latency and
connectivity between the business’
software and systems, as well as
the employees and customers that
access them. The ability to tap into
additional data centres, on a global
scale, will ensure that your provider
will be able to accommodate you as
your business grows and expands.
This will reduce the chance of having
to undergo another migration as your
business grows.