When adopting cloud technology in a business, every CIO needs to consider four important factors.
We know CIOs still have concerns when it comes to the cloud. However, with the right preparation and understanding of how the technology fits with the business, the transition is smoother than one might believe.
1. Migration Costs
We’ve heard from businesses that backtrack on their decision to adopt cloud computing simply due to migration costs. While the cloud is a cost-saving measure, the cost savings don’t begin from day one. As with any technology investment, the upfront cost is often surprising.
The process of calculating migration costs is complicated. Plus, we have to point that migrating too quickly or without preparation results in higher costs. This is why many businesses outsource the migration to save costs.
2. Disaster Recovery
Every business needs a disaster recovery plan. When it comes to cloud computing, CIOs must take into consideration what to do in the event of a vendor outage or even worse, a vendor shutting down forever. Without a plan in place, a business is left vulnerable to suddenly losing access to all of their cloud apps and data for an indefinite period.
Some CIOs actually spread their applications across multiple vendor platforms for this reason. The last thing a business needs is to lose access to critical data and apps.
3. Cloud Security
Cloud security will always be a concern just as much as security for internal networks. Hackers don’t care whether it’s a business with two employees or a cloud storage company with data from 1,000 companies. It’s a CIOs responsibility to carefully consider the security practices of any vendor they choose to work with.
Giving over access to data to any third-party means taking extra security precautions. By working with vendors to understand the security policies and ensure they match with that of the business, the transition is easier and data is far more secure.
4. Cloud’s Place In The Business
A final that is often left to IT is actually one CIOs should consider. How does cloud computing fit into the current business model? Does it do anything to help achieve business goals? Which apps work best with the cloud? How will everything be managed? Since cloud computing is an investment in the future of the business, we advise CIOs to think about how solutions will scale to better see how the cloud fits into the business’s model in the long term.
There are always multiple facets to consider when it comes to adopting cloud computing. Contact our team today for guidance on choosing the right solutions.