The concept of the Cloud has now entered the mainstream of business life, mainly because of its ability- in its simplest declination- to make files and resources securely accessible from any device and location, without the need for proprietary solutions and complex operations. At a time in history, then, when the office as we knew it was dematerializing to become hybrid, the journey to the Cloud represents the mode of choice for enterprises to remain competitive in an unpredictable market.
To carry out a successful migration, however, and unlock the potential behind this approach, initial questions need to be asked: “When do we need the cloud?”, “How affordable is it?” and, most importantly, “How good can it be for my business?”
Journey to the Cloud: more and more companies are undertaking it
The journey to the Cloud is a phenomenon and an evolution which can be observed in companies all over the world. It is no coincidence that, according to this research across Europe in 2021, 41% of EU enterprises used cloud computing services, up 5 percent from the previous year, mostly for hosting their e-mail systems and storing files in electronic form. 73 % of those European enterprises also used more sophisticated cloud services relating to security software applications, hosting enterprise databases or computing platform for application development, testing or deployment.
There are many reasons why more and more companies are opting for a migration. Often, the reasons are related to awareness of the benefits and advantages of this technology. More generally, we are talking about flexibility, an overall reduction in expenses – or, at least, the distribution of investments over time – and more efficiency and agility, parameters that can make a significant difference.
Journey to the Cloud: when does it pay to migrate to the Cloud?
To understand when it pays to move to the Cloud, the first thing to do is to establish precisely and accurately what the company’s goals are, possibly through appropriate KPIs. Why do you want to migrate? What processes do you want to simplify? Analyzing the picture from a strategic perspective will make it clear how useful a migration can actually be.
There is no doubt that moving to the Cloud is worthwhile in the case of companies, with or without different locations and employees in different teams who move around a lot. Such companies can only benefit from the simplification offered by the Cloud.
Moreover, these organizations often have varying workloads. Again, cloud servers offer several advantages, since they can adapt in size to different workloads, whether they increase or decrease. Simply put, the Cloud grows as the business grows, without the need for complex processes, simply by changing the subscription.
Another case is for companies with aging infrastructure. Using a cloud server can save time and money by avoiding purchases of expensive hardware (and which, in any case, will become less and less performing over time), without wasting resources on manpower and maintenance.
Journey to Cloud: What’s the return?
The on-cloud solution, as opposed to an on-premises approach, allows the entire IT infrastructure to be hosted off-site, where operation, monitoring, security, and maintenance become independent of in-house assets, qualities, and expertise.
That’s not all, however, because there is a real transformation project behind the migration, which aims not only at technological improvement, but also at enhancing the cultural and organizational logic that coexist within the company itself. Summarizing what the benefits of this approach are may seem complicated, but a few key points can be identified.
1.Business process improvement.
First, the Cloud offers several opportunities to reduce costs and time, enabling management and various teams to be able to focus on key operational processes. Considering how crucial it is to optimize business processes, which saves time, resources and energy.
2.Efficiency
One of the main reasons why companies move to the Cloud is that it provides greater agility, simplified access to data and the ability to find resources easily. This promotes collaboration within the business organization, enabling a more effective and functional exchange of data and information.
3.Flexibility and security
Also not to be forgotten is the talk of security and flexibility that the Cloud can offer. First, cybersecurity issues can be reduced, as service providers usually have dedicated enterprise data security teams that ensure of 24/7 infrastructure protection at scale.
Second, manual IT infrastructure upgrades, installations on local servers or other time-consuming tasks are no longer necessary: applications on the Cloud update automatically.
Conclusion
In short, the Cloud allows businesses to focus on their core competencies. So, knowing that most competing businesses are migrating to the Cloud, keeping things as they are is not an option. From reducing recurring or capital expenditures and streamlining organizational processes to bolstering security and empowering your business, the risks of not embarking on the journey to the Cloud are a clear and present danger.
Whether you’ve taken your first steps to the Cloud or you’re considering embarking on the journey the Cloud, WESTPOLE is here to help you /or/ WESTPOLE can help you.
The time to start your journey to the Cloud is now!