You’ve decided to finally make the move and adopt cloud-based technology for your business. But as a newbie to cloud computing, where exactly do you start? These days, some business owners emphatically suggest migrating virtually everything to the cloud in order to provide greater employee collaboration and access. Meanwhile, others say most day-to-day operations and services work better on-premises and only the most convenient applications should be moved to the cloud.
Indeed, determining which services and applications to migrate to the cloud — and which should remain on on-premises servers — can prove difficult. So which option is best for your company? To decide, consider what benefits exist and which software as service platforms and applications will most naturally work best in the cloud.
The Benefits of Cloud Migration
It Improves Your Bottom Line
While cloud computing relies on the delivery of various computing services over a proprietary network or the internet, cloud networks themselves are comprised of many different servers located in data centers worldwide. In fact, it’s a concept similar to what many companies use for internal document storage.
But due to its flexibility and power, experts say the cloud can eventually replace the need for software applications designed for on-premises management. Essentially, using the cloud as a storage and/or resource repository that can be accessed 24/7 and from virtually anywhere means massive cost-savings and greater efficiency compared to bulky office servers and networks.
And since businesses prefer to spread out the payment of large purchases over a longer span of time, the subscription-based cloud service fees can be a tipping point for adopting this technology, thereby allowing more available immediate funds for marketing, advertising, and other needs.
Which Applications are Cloud-Ready?
Public and Private Web Servers
Deciding which applications to move to the cloud and which to keep on a dedicated in-house server depends largely on which applications your company uses and how a majority of employees choose to access them. Good candidates for cloud integration are applications that are less than 15 years old.
For example, it may make sense to move public web servers to the cloud if you provide clients with access, because once in the cloud, those servers receive the security your company provides as well as the security provided by the cloud, essentially doubling the security.
It’s also a good idea to migrate web servers if you have in-house servers, because once moved, those web servers will provide all users roughly the same speed of service. Thus, in-office workers will face fewer issues with connection reliability.
Call Centers
Though many might not realize it, traditional call centers migrate seamlessly to the cloud, and transferring a SaaS system like this has many benefits. Once migrated, the cloud contact center interacts more easily with management and enhances self-service capabilities for employees. Additionally, businesses that “go cloud” for call center solutions benefit from cost savings since migration to the cloud reduces the upfront costs that normally arise from setting up a physical call center.
When cloud migration first stormed the small-business scene, many entrepreneurs voiced concerns about its safety and longevity. Now that the initial fear of the cloud has subsided and it has proven to be more than a passing trend, its application and advantages are clearly visible. It’s now time to reap the benefits. Compare your current services and solutions to the compatible offerings of the cloud to see how you can optimize your business. While you’ll want to keep your feet planted on that bottom line, it’s now time to get your head into the cloud and decide on a service that is low-risk and trustworthy.
