Six Questions to Ask Along Your Journey to the Cloud

Companies are hurrying to shift their data to the cloud in anticipation of significant savings and other advantages. When making a change like this, extensive planning is required, especially in terms of a review of your current IT infrastructure and the way you use your assets. You won't reap the rewards if you don't put in the time and effort up front.

?A smooth transition to the cloud can be achieved with adequate planning, and it is equally crucial that the new system continues to provide full value for many months or even years after the original shift.

Six Questions to Help You Plan Your Cloud Journey

1. What Do I Have?

The first step in a cloud migration is to thoroughly understand where you're starting from, as with any substantial change. This entails compiling a thorough inventory of your current IT assets and the ways in which they are being utilized. They should be able to find assets quickly and simply on the platform regardless of where they are located — whether they are traditional on-premises assets or SaaS, cloud, or mobile. It delivers a wide range of metrics and profiles down to the level of each utilized keystroke or click, allowing you a thorough dive into your usage.

2. What's the best thing to do?

Having answered the previous "What have I got?" question, you should have a clear image of the current estate and its usage and performance. You don't necessarily need to recreate this image when you move to the cloud. Look for ways in which cloud computing can help you streamline and modernize your estate. Keep applications that aren't in use and aren't cost-effective if they aren't being used elsewhere in the company.

3. Where do I turn to get what I want?

You now have a clear image of the estate as it now stands, and you've made the necessary changes to take advantage of any potential efficiencies and identify any applications that must remain on-premises. You're now able to approach and evaluate cloud vendors to see which one can best meet your objectives; choose one with a clear definition of your requirements.

4. How do I get around?

You are now able to begin planning your move to the cloud now that you have determined what you will move to the cloud, as well as which platform and configuration you will utilize.

?●????Make sure the order is correct.

●????Ensure that you have the most recent versions of everything.

●????Avoid missing out on anything at all costs.

●????Verify that everything is functioning properly using a format for pilot migration.

●????Launch production and track user adoption (use)

5. How can I continue to provide value?

A seamless relocation can be ensured by thoroughly answering the prior questions. In order to ensure that value is being supplied, it is vital to maintain repeating stages 1 and 2 in our sequence to ensure that you only have what you need but not more.

6. Cloud sprawl and cloud shock: how to manage them?

?After a cloud migration has been completed, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Concerns about "cloud sprawl" are well-founded, as this occurs when departments outside of IT acquire and use software applications and services. Cloud computing's on-demand nature makes it possible for shadow IT to grow at a far faster rate than in a typical context (which, of course, is a major reason for businesses to use it).