Do you recall riding the bike for the first time? You probably started off by seeing the other kids in the neighborhood having a grand time on their neat bicycles. Then you asked yourself, If they can do it, why can’t I? With enough curiosity to draw you in, you were pretty convinced that you had everything figured out in your head.

That’s all there is to this, you thought to yourself.

And then your dad got you your first bike, with training wheels to boot. You finally had the courage to take your first few attempts at pedaling. Soon enough, the training wheels were off. You had already begun circling around the block. You even raced with the other kids in the park.

That’s all there is to this, you said again.

You got older and you wondered if you could take your now developed sense of direction and navigation to other means of transport. Your scooter, your car, and your truck, they all seemed to follow the same pattern as your bike. Of course, you’ve lost count of the many times that you’ve said —-

That’s all there is to this.

This is because no matter what vehicle you got a handle on – each time, each experience has led you to something you’ve never done before, an obscure set of capabilities you never knew you had. Then you look back and find it amazing that you get to enjoy the things you never expected to have with your initial expectations.

Interestingly, this is how the cloud works. The distinct advantages include reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. But many companies enjoy unforeseen benefits that they didn’t predict. With the cloud, there’s a lot more to it than what you expected.

Keep in mind; you can’t scale a modern business on antiquated software. Technology is ever-evolving. As a result, mission-critical software is vital to the longevity of your operation. When we partner with you, we will help you address relevant inquiries. Our experienced team will ensure the seamless migration of your files to a safe cloud-based environment. Furthermore, we will do so by mitigating any risks and maximizing value. So, before taking the plunge, our consultants will work with you to help you determine and understand your business requirements.

5 Common Problems with Business Data

1. Unsecure files — Cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) always upgrade security protocols. Besides, the organization can build role-based authentication into applications.

2. Lack of data integrity — Garbage in/garbage out. Rigorous testing and standards should be in place. Steps include backing up data regularly, having an internal audit system, and appropriate permission to alter or modify data.

3. Insufficient control — This factor is one of the biggest inhibitors to organizational growth. The leading causes include a lack of trust in the data and incorrect ownership. Poor financial results, productivity, credibility, and efficiency will result.

4. Files are vulnerable to attack — Modern hackers have perfected the fine art of stealing and compromising proprietary data. Content filters, end-point security, and encryption are effective ways to protect against data breaches.
5. Limited ability to scale — The cost of continually upgrading and maintaining legacy systems can be very high. In a lot of instances, the software is no longer supported. Once this happens, you are in constant fear regarding the inability to safeguard information. As your business grows, old and new technology usually don’t marry and work well together. As a result, the damages are real with lost sales, increasedexpenses to keep the system maintained, reduced employee productivity, add, and your brand image most likely will take a hit.

Advantage of Moving to a Cloud System

If you are considering moving specific business systems to the cloud, here are seven benefits you could soon be reaping:

1. Dollar to data impact ratio decreases: In short, your data will do more for you at a reduced cost. Across the board, companies today tend to get wrapped up in the upfront price of the software. However, they often fail to also factor in the total cost of ownership over time, such as additional hardware, IT support, etc. What’s great about the cloud is that it enables you to pay for what you need, on-demand. While doing so, you receive reliability, security, and scale. Since the software is updated automatically, there is no need to handle this step internally.

2. Improved data integrity: It is no secret that files often get corrupted. At times, essential data can never be recovered. The result of this type of crash can be devastating. Well, with a durable cloud system, you achieve more reliable storage. It was designed to stand up to the toughest bullies! Therefore, the chances of ever losing data are very, very slim.

3. The process of moving data forces managers and employees to assess and reassess operations, processes, and data: How many applications do you have? What is the state of each? Are they necessary for your business? What types of data do they store? Think about your options: migrating to the cloud, adopting SaaS, moving into a hybrid environment, or keep things as is.

4. Enable/empower remote work: Cloud-based solutions are allowing many companies to set up remote work stations for their employees. A virtual infrastructure provides secure access to your applications and shared documents from around the world. What’s more, remote desktops are designed to operate from different devices (ex. computers, tablets, etc.)

5. Applications can be quickly replicated and contained: Cloud-based computing, replication, and disaster recovery can take place at lightning speed. Furthermore, virtualization will allow for the OS, server, apps data, and patched to be contained on a single virtual server. Therefore, it can be replicated and backed up quickly to the data center and bought back online within minutes.
   
6. Provide an audit trail for your data: Migrating to the cloud ensures accountability. It provides control over your company’s data so you can track who and when edits were made. Besides, having an archival system in place can give you a complete history of edits and deletions. Tracking edits over time will also help you identify trends based upon dates.

7. Manage the “learning curve impact”: Employees acquire valuable knowledge over time. Without proper storage, they will take it away with them when they leave your organization. Avoid this incredible loss by keeping information safe and secure in a reliable cloud system. Then, you can bring newcomers up to speed much more quickly and efficiently.

Managing the learning curve impact is very important in business as the success or failure to do so will result in economic gains or losses. During IT projects, to mitigate the risk, all parties must understand the project from conceptualization to the phaseout of legacy systems. User adoption will be high when proper training and an articulated methodology for migrating to new systems are in place.

Conclusion

Any successful migration needs to align your cloud and organizational strategy tightly. A top-down approach is not practical when trying to obtain advocacy within your company. It’s best to assemble a group of people and stakeholders from different departments to come up with best practices, training, support, and research. With this team serving as a COE Center of Excellence, momentum and innovation can take place within your organization and will ensure a smooth rollout.