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The first step toward moving all or part of your business IT systems to the cloud is for our knowledgeable cloud consultants to look at the appropriate cloud platform or architecture that suit your specific needs.
Broadly speaking, this typically entails looking at two different categories of cloud computing: cloud environment and cloud applications.
There are three major players when it comes to affordable yet robust cloud environments: Azure (Microsoft), AWS (Amazon) and Google Cloud.
These three providers (in addition to some lesser-known competitors) are contracted by businesses worldwide to provide secure cloud environments upon which a secure, private IT system lives “in the cloud”.
Picking the right cloud environment is akin to choosing the right home.
At various stages in life, we can decide that our current place of residence no longer suits our lifestyle, budget or familial circumstances. Whether it’s a desire to live nearer the mountains to ski, the arrival of a new baby, divorce, retirement or financial pressures that force our rethink, we’ll typically adapt to suit our current circumstances, either by renovating, perhaps taking on a lodger to help with the bills, or by moving home entirely.
Your home (or environment) of choice has to meet your current needs.
There will be adequate security (locks, alarms); so that only those you explicitly provide access to can get in. Inside, there will need to be adequate storage for your possessions, which in the case of a new-born will typically swell in size very quickly (stroller, toys, cot), and all of the fixtures and fittings will work reliably: power, lights, internet, running water, etcetera.
A good cloud environment, whether it be AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, performs much the same function for your business. It ensures that all of your bespoke IT needs are being met: space, security, reliability.
Better still – unlike those times when you find yourself needing to either extend your home or downsize - AWS, Azure and Google Cloud will automatically expand or contract your cloud environment to cater for the exact volume of space you currently need. As a business, you benefit from the best of both worlds, saving on mortgage payments during those times you need a smaller home, whilst providing adequate space when you want to throw that lavish garden party!
Once we establish what cloud environment best suits your business requirements and practices, we then move on to look at the specific applications or software that your business could benefit from moving to the cloud.
Whilst not all software is appropriate for cloud computing, there are many benefits to be gained from using the vast array of SaaS (software-as-a-service) tools available to the market today.
Some of the more well-known names in this space include Dropbox, Xero, ZenDesk and HubSpot, although the vast majority of industry-specific and niche software services will also integrate into cloud environments, bringing immediately perceptible performance improvements.
Ultimately, performance gains are the metric by which we measure the value of cloud computing, and if the benefits of moving certain applications into the cloud are negligible, we won't recommend doing so. Running a hybrid between local IT and the cloud is an entirely acceptable and often preferable choice, at least in the short term, for many businesses.
For a quick check on whether your software can or should be migrated to the cloud, check out our comprehensive guide.
Our role as IT and Cloud Computing experts is to provide our clients with truthful, reliable consultancy and advice over which purpose-built cloud environment (or home for your family) is best suited to their needs, taking into account cost, suitability and projected future growth.
It may be that we advise a client to utilise the in-built cloud computing that comes with services like Xero and Dropbox, instead of creating a custom cloud environment in Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.
This is often dependent upon factors such as line-of-business software used within the company and the nature of database lookups for specific software, which can cause lag when moved to the cloud (depending on the exact architecture in use).
Where we do recommend a custom-built cloud environment, it will be because we’ve identified that it is both suitable for your business needs and cost-effective, so you can be confident that the decision you make is the right one.
Likewise, we’re past masters at seamlessly integrating SaaS applications such as Xero, Dropbox, OneDrive, ZenDesk and many other bespoke software services into custom cloud environments, so you can be confident that at the migration stage, we’ll get it right first time.
Once we have established the most suitable platform for your requirements, the next step is for our specialist team to assess your current software and processes and recommend what can and should be moved to the cloud.
Our assessment for cloud suitability covers risk, cost and latency; so that you can be 100% confident that the solution we propose to you is the best way forward for your business.
