The Potential Detriments of Migrating to the Cloud

There are a lot of benefits of moving your business to the cloud. Typically, we promote the reduction in capital expenditures, the 24/7 availability, and all the other features you can gain. The cloud is a useful tool for all types of business computing functions. Many business continue to move their business to the cloud, but is it really right for you? Let’s look at how cloud computing can potentially be detrimental for your business.

The Cloud Is Someone Else’s Computer

This is a fact. Many people look at the cloud as if it’s some type of mythical construct, but really it’s just a computer in some data center someplace. At first glance, trusting your business’ computing platforms to some other company seems pretty risky, but today’s cloud vendors are extremely reliable.

What if you get one that isn’t?

Sure, most cloud platforms will keep data, applications, et al. in a secure, professional data center that has around-the-clock security, sticks to strict cybersecurity protocols, features regular maintenance, and offers state-of-the-art climate control. It’s usually a huge step up from what a small business can afford on their own.

On the other hand, what does it actually take to sell cloud storage? Literally anyone could lease out a portion of a data center.

Before you commit to making the jump to the cloud, you will want to ensure what kind of cloud vendor you are dealing with, what fine print they have on your SLA (service level agreement), how they handle stressful situations, and what products you are actually paying for.

Cloud Migrations and Downtime

When migrating your infrastructure to the cloud, it may not be as straightforward as you may think. There will often be some work that has to be done to get the data over and working the way it is on your local infrastructure.

You’ll want to make sure you prevent a disruption to your business when moving to the cloud, and give yourself a way to step back during the initial launch, in case something goes wrong. Migrating an entire server is no small task, and there are a lot of moving parts that you might not notice until one particular user on your network tries to do one particular task. Working with a partner like Ashton Technology Solutions to plan your migration will help reduce this type of disruption.

When It’s Done Right, It’s Worth It. However…

Your business probably already uses cloud computing in some fashion, whether it be some basics like hosted email and document management (like G Suite or Office 365), cloud-based data backups, or the dissemination of some type of line-of-business app. That being said, the cloud is not the best solutions for every business or every user.  If your business is highly reliant on the cloud (i.e., you can’t transact business if your internet connection goes out), you may want to reconsider.  At the very least, you should investigate a redundant internet connection.  Additionally, if your employees are sharing large files (we often see this with architects, engineers, and designers),  they probably won’t be thrilled with extra time it will take to download.

If this is your first foray into cloud computing you should reach out to the Ashton’s professionals today to help you plan your migration properly, and consider all of your options.

Call us at 216 397-4080 today to see how we can help you build a powerful cloud platform.