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Uncovering best practices for successful on-premises to cloud migration

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Short on time? Don’t miss out, here are the key takeaways  

  • Cloud migration is the practice of moving an organisation’s digital data from legacy or on-premise centres to remote cloud infrastructures 
  • 62% of cloud migration projects fail or are more challenging than formerly anticipated 
  • Legacy system integration, compromised security, compliance, change management and employee training are common challenges organisations face when migrating to the cloud  
  • Cloud strategy is essential for reaping its benefits – but seldom mastered  
  • To achieve success, organisations must follow a comprehensive strategy: goal discovery and infrastructure audit, migration planning and post-migration evaluation 
  • NashTech can help you to master your cloud migration strategy. Experts in leading cloud platforms, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Snowflake and Lightbend, we help you maximise the benefits of cloud while minimising migration risks 

Cloud adoption has grown exponentially  

Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative force in the business world, yielding unparalleled efficiency, innovation and opportunities for growth. The cloud migration services market is predicted to grow as high as USD 448.34 billion by 2026 from USD 119.13 billion in 2020 as organisations fast-stead to migrate their digital assets from inefficient, costly on-site data centres to cloud infrastructure.  

But deciding to migrate to the cloud is one thing – migrating successfully is another. Indeed, 62% of cloud migration projects fail or are reported as more challenging than anticipated, owing to legacy system hindrances, skill shortages, lack of change management, and more. This is because harnessing the true power of the cloud requires more than just adopting new technology; it requires a well-defined strategy, adherence to best practices and architecture that aligns with unique business goals and maximises the benefits of the cloud.  

Thus, what are the best practices organisations should follow when migrating to the cloud?  

Uncovering cloud migration 

First, what is cloud migration? Cloud migration is the practice of moving an organisation’s digital data, applications or services to remote cloud infrastructure (whether this is private or public). While cloud migration most often refers to transitioning from legacy on-premise data centres to the cloud, it can also be applied to moving digital assets from one cloud provider to the next.  

 

Why is cloud migration important?  

Cloud technology has hit the headlines over recent years – more so after the pandemic – due to the many benefits it yields; cost-efficiency, scalability, flexibility, enhanced security and optimised performance. But the greatest motivation for organisations making the transition today are the roadblocks that they face with legacy data systems: loss of opportunity revenue, high running costs and inefficiencies. Put plainly, former data hosting hinders business growth. But cloud adoption is not all shiny, and not all workloads are best suited for the cloud. So how do you navigate the challenges?  

  

Cloud migration is not all shiny – uncovering its hidden challenges  

With the rapid adoption of cloud, organisations have failed to consider one thing – cloud strategy. Migrating to the cloud too quickly can cause long-term challenges and result in costly remediation, such as data security implications, legacy system hindrances and change management and employee training failures. 

  

Data security implications 

According to recent research, security is a major concern for 46% of organisations who are migrating to the cloud. What’s more, security and compliance has ranked as a key factor for cloud migration failure at 56%. While enhanced security can also be a substantial benefit and strong business case for making the move to the cloud, it requires careful planning, robust security measures, employee training, encryption protocols and access controls.  

Organisations that fail to build resilient cloud security strategies run the risk of: 

 

Legacy system hindrances 

Migrating from legacy infrastructures to the cloud can be difficult due to incompatibility of former programmes with new technologies. Outdated and incomplete data formats, mis-organisation of files and overflowing data workloads can complicate the process and lead ultimately to data loss and quality holes. Thus, careful planning and possible re-engineering of applications may be required to achieve ‘smooth’ integration.  

 

Cost planning, management and technical debts 

While cloud migration promises cost savings in the long run, inadequate cost management, planning and unoptimised resource allocation can lead to unexpected expenses – and in the end, technical debt. 23% of organisations report difficulties in cost management when migrating to the cloud and 75% of businesses have exceeded cloud migration spending budget. Having full visibility of costs and how they will evolve over time together with careful planning and monitoring is essential to maximise cost-efficiency.  

 

Change management and training 

The migration process may necessitate changes in workflows and processes, requiring employees to adapt to new tools and technologies. Failing to prepare and train employees correctly can lead to devastating security implications and dull the impact of your cloud migration.  

 

Creating a cloud migration strategy – best practices to follow 

We have uncovered the challenges that organisations face when migrating to the cloud. So how do you avoid them? 

Before jumping feet first into your cloud migration, there are a number of items you should address to prepare your organisation for the shift. 

 

Assessing cloud readiness 

Is your organisation truly ready for change? A cloud readiness audit allows you to evaluate your current digital state, identify gaps, and determine the necessary steps to optimise your cloud adoption strategy. Such as, evaluating your existing infrastructure, identifying potential obstacles and determining any necessary changes or upgrades that may be required.  

  

Planning and outcome mapping  

Simply moving digital assets to the cloud isn’t enough. Before migrating, businesses need to understand how cloud will fit into their overall business plan, long-term strategy and budgeting. After all, poor business planning accounts for 44% of business migration failure and lack of clearly defined objectives is responsible for 55% of cloud migration failure.  

Key questions to ask yourself are: 

  1. What are the end-goals and objectives of your cloud strategy? Is it efficiency, cost-optimisation, data quality enhancement?
  2. Will cloud migration help you meet your goals and how? 

Whatever the case, the end-goals will guide your strategy and shape the decision-making process, as well as your partner selection process. 

 

Cloud platforms and partner selection  

Choosing the appropriate cloud service model and partner is crucial to meet your specific business and data requirements. Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) each offer distinct advantages. Understanding your business needs will enable you to select a model that works best for your business.  

Likewise, evaluating different cloud providers is a critical in developing your strategy. Factors such as service reliability, security measures, pricing models, and support capabilities should be considered to ensure the selection of a suitable and trustworthy provider. 

 

Migration planning 

You can’t migrate everything at once. A well-designed migration plan is vital for a successful transition to the cloud. It involves defining the migration approach, establishing timelines, prioritisation of workloads and addressing potential risks to minimise disruption to business operations.   

 

Optimisation and evaluation 

So, you have started your shift to the cloud – now what?  

Regular monitoring and assessment of your new cloud environment is important for identifying areas of improvement. By collecting data, analysing performance, and gathering feedback from stakeholders, organisations can refine and tweak their cloud strategy to ensure they meet their goals. 

 

Master your cloud migration with NashTech  

Cloud migration presents organisations with immense opportunities for growth, efficiency, and innovation. At NashTech we can help you navigate your migration process successfully while minimising risks and maximising the benefits of the cloud. From assessing readiness and developing a robust strategy that ensures security, compliance, and performance optimisation, we hold your hand through every step to unlock a seamless migration experience.    

Simplify your cloud migration. Discover NashTech cloud solutions.  

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