IT teams are always looking for ways to make their company’s operations run more smoothly and efficiently. Today, the cloud is part of almost every IT conversation. The numbers bear this out, with Gartner forecasting that worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services will grow a whopping 20.4 % in 2022 to $494.7 billion. Of course, “cloud” no longer means “public cloud” like it once did, so overall spending on hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, and managed cloud solutions is much higher. Check out this post by Quest’s CEO for some essential guidance on understanding these cloud deployment models.
With so many headlines and hype surrounding cloud solutions, it’s only natural that you’ll want to see how they can be leveraged to help your company meet its goals. But there are almost endless options, opinions, and new technologies involved in choosing a cloud strategy. That boils down to the number one reason companies fear cloud migration: complexity.
Even the most experienced IT pros find that architecting, building, and managing a hybrid cloud or multi-cloud environment isn’t easy. That ties directly to the fact that internal IT teams are already challenged with keeping everything running smoothly. They simply may not have time to climb the learning curve necessary to understand what’s needed on the road ahead. Since complexity is a broad term, let’s dig into what’s behind this fear.
Understanding the True Costs of Cloud Computing
First, we are huge proponent of cloud computing because we’ve seen the benefits firsthand again and again. But that doesn’t mean clouds—public, private, hybrid, or multi-cloud—are suitable for every situation in every company. Cloud providers have developed contracts and business models surrounding compute, storage, and network resources that don’t necessarily convey the actual costs of using clouds.
Since most cloud costs are usage-based, you would assume that you are only paying for the resources you use, much like energy costs are billed by the watt. That isn’t necessarily the case. AWS cloud compute charges are one example. You are billed by the hour for each compute instance. Say you only use five minutes of that hour for processing data, unlike energy where the cost is aligned with consumed power, AWS charges you for a full hour of compute time. Those unnecessary costs can put a serious dent in your IT budget when other expenses like establishing, securing, and managing data traffic ingress and egress are factored in.
These are just some of the reasons you should consider collaborating with outside experts with the experience to help you sort out the best cloud strategy to meet your requirements. Cloud Migration and Support services can help you determine the right combination of cloud services—weighed against the benefits, costs, and IT time on-premises infrastructures demand—so you can most efficiently and cost-effectively deliver applications, data, and resources to your people safely and securely. Comparing the financial impacts of clouds’ typical OpEx model against an on-premises CapEx model will also help you get a more accurate picture of costs and effects on your business.
Data Security and the Shared Responsibility Model
Once again, using market leader AWS’s “Shared Responsibility Model” as an example, it’s essential to understand—and AWS makes very clear—that they are only responsible for the “security of the cloud.” You are responsible for “security in the cloud.”
That means you must not only ensure your people have secure access to your applications and resources, but you must also have a data protection strategy that extends from your remote workforce to the cloud, and that’s a complex equation. As cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated, just staying on top of the latest threats is a challenge for IT teams. Cloud environments can make that even harder.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) services can eliminate those challenges by providing advanced threat protection and compliance with fast, easy detection of new threats. You don’t need to buy any software or train your staff. Instead, experts with on-premises and cloud expertise give you actionable intelligence that helps you understand your threat exposure and where to prioritize responses.
Limitations of Legacy Applications
Your company has likely invested heavily in the applications that help run your business. Migrating those applications to the cloud may add new complexities and new problems—or not even be possible. Before moving to the cloud, you must understand how your legacy applications will perform in a new environment.
The way cloud providers structure their subscriptions also comes into play. It may be more cost-effective for some companies to keep their legacy applications on-premises. But figuring out which is best is also a complex equation, and it’s worth considering bringing in experienced outside help to make that assessment. Since most IT teams don’t always include members with this highly specialized knowledge, whether you’re migrating your applications to the cloud or building new ones, outside, expert Application Development services can help you make more informed decisions and achieve your objectives quickly and efficiently.
Evaluating Your Options
Given the complexities and potential costs of cloud migrations, it’s no wonder some IT pros may still fear making a move. That’s why it’s vital to get the professional help you need to make sound decisions that help your company succeed while lightening the load on your IT team.
Contact us any time—we’re always happy to help.
Adam
